It is pleasing to see the culmination of many months of work from many people and the result of many hundreds of Emails to have such a gathering as this. This conference brings together GPs and others, pioneering work in medical computing and information technology. It is networking across almost all of the Australian states and territories to do so.

        The conference is unusual for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has not been based on any external sponsorship. It is totally free of advertising and commercial involvement. Secondly, the delegates agreed to come before any agenda was drawn up. They decided to come on the expectation and on the trust that the conference would be worthwhile. Thirdly the conference program was developed in response to what the delegates have requested. This of course makes it all the more relevant to their needs. Fourthly, it is unusual for a group of people who have mostly never met before, to be able to come together and feel as though they have known each other for a long time.

        Although all of us here have known each other via the Nat-Div Mailgroup for some time, not all are aware of its origins………

        In the days when few had heard of the Internet (1995), the first websites for the GP Divisions appeared. These were the Hunter Urban Division of General Practice and The Southern Division of General Practice. At the time, Internet search engines were mostly of little value in finding information, and so it was difficult to know if other Divisions had websites. It was decided, through discussions with interested parties, that we should be a central website, which would link together all the Divisions. On the 5th May 1996, at the instigation of the HUDGP and the SDGP, a meeting of interested Divisions was held at the Hornsby Kuringai DGP. At the meeting it was unanimously decided to create a website to represent the Australian Divisions. The National Divisions Website was then created and the webmasters of the HUDGP and the SDGP were given the task of establishing and running this site. That afternoon the Home Page for the National Divisions Website was created in Sydney by Dr Uri Scelwyn (SDGP) and myself (HUDGP), and uploaded in Adelaide that night. The site continued to develop, mostly due to the work of Dr Uri Scelwyn in Adelaide, but with input and collaboration from myself. Dr Scelwyn set up the Mailgroup and it has continued since then. He regrettably announced his decision not to continue his involvement in early 1999. Since then I have administered the Mailgroup, and continued to develop the website.

        The Domain Name www.gp.org.au had been procured by the SDGP, but in 1999 was sold to the GPIMC. The GPIMC therefore have ownership of the Mailgroup and website.

        The Mailgroup, as all here are aware, continues to be a very active group, and the attendance here of so many who have traveled such great distances, attests to its value. The future of the website and Mailgroup is not visible at this point, but equally not immediately threatened. It will be what we make of it, and this conference starting today will be an opportunity to consider its future direction.