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In 1977, David Black had a landscape gardener working at his home in Doncaster, Melbourne. He was a large, strong Dutchman who carried railway sleepers under each arm to build a retaining wall. He suddenly collapsed in the garden as his low back gave way. He lay there in extreme pain.
Dr Black was unsure what to do with him on a Sunday afternoon. He remembered seeing a Chiropractor’s sign on the local main road not far away. He thought the doctor might live there, on the corner, and decided to take a chance. He helped the gardener into the car and drove to the chiropractor where he knocked on the door.
Dr. Stanley Martin was an American chiropractor who came to Australia some years before and had built a house and clinic on Manningham Rd in Lwr. Templestowe. He opened the door, welcomed the visitors in and proceeded to treat the injury.
David had never seen anything like it. The gardener promptly stood up and was able to walk out unassisted. On returning home, he described to his son, Michael Black, what he’d seen with his own eyes.
It was not long before Michael, still studying in high school, visited Dr. Martin to explore the idea of becoming a chiropractor.
Having always thought that he’d study medicine, he now liked the idea of healing with his hands, rather than using drugs and surgery. He entered in the course in 1979 and graduated in 1983.
In the meantime, David, a pharmacist with a chemist shop in North Balwyn, also thought about a different future. In 1980, he returned to study as a mature age student and completed his chiropractic studies in 1985.
That same year, Dr Stanley Martin, who became a mentor and friend to the father and son, decided to move to Singapore for a lifestyle change and to sell his practice.
It was a natural fit for David and Michael, who had just both graduated as chiropractors and still lived close by. They purchased the practice and equipment.
The clinic was built in 1969, so Dr. Martin had been there for 16 years. It is now early 2025 and almost 40 years later, David and Michael carry on the tradition in the Doncaster-Lower Templestowe region and continue to provide chiropractic care to the community of the Cities of Manningham, Boorondara and other nearby councils.
After six months, they opened another clinic in High St. Armadale where they both continue to practise to this day. There were other clinics in Chadstone and Nunawading over the many years with young associates making up the team.
Every 3 years, David and Michael and attend their first aid refresher course. They took this snap just last weekend as a momento. They’re now entering their 40th year of practice together.
At 89 years, David is still practising chiropractic and loving it with no plan to slow down yet. It’s hard to believe the road they travelled challenging themselves. They continue to produce new content to educate our patients on better ways to live and heal.
They joke about not being able to keep learning and accept new challenges. They say that we’re far better off when we’re busy, challenged by unusual clinical findings and having to complete continued education and first aid training.
David Black said decades ago, “You could do a lot worse than to spend your lifetime helping people feel better with your bare hands.”
David recorded some audio today to produce a video. At 89 years, his passion for helping patients is as live as ever. His long term patients have become good friends who look foward to his care and conversation.
