For many years, the present Directors of what has become the College of Psychological Practice had all been concerned about the adequacy of training of psychologists.

For the 26th annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Scott Ruhfus, an organisational psychologist, presented a paper examining the training of other professionals including lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and optometrists.

He concluded that the system for training psychologists compared unfavourably. This was in part because of a lack of skills training at the undergraduate level, and in part because of the inadequacy of the supervision process.

Don McKenzie, meanwhile, had made a number of relatively unsuccessful attempts to draw attention to the lack of objective standards by which an employer could select counselling staff. He was frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in the idea.

In April, 1992, Philip Webb circulated a paper, Technical Education for Organisational Psychologists with a request for comment. This seemed a cri du coeur to Don McKenzie who, although he was by training and practice a clinical psychologist, recognised many problems he had wrestled with over the years.

At a meeting some time later, the three discovered that they agreed firmly on the need to take action on the issue of training of psychologists.

Ruhfus, Webb & McKenzie agreed that if anything of value was to emerge, strong action had to be taken to produce an institution which could provide adequate training in psychological practice to meet the needs of employers.

A system akin to the College of Law was implemented.

The name of 'College of Psychological Practice' was registered in December, 1992.

• In February, 1993 the College was registered as a company.

• In mid 1993 assessment centres were conducted and three interns selected to begin the College Course.

• In July the first practicum commenced.

• These interns were registered by the NSW Psychologists Registration Board in July 1995.