Erwin Drok found the Australians were promoting the hand symbol as a corporate symbol for physiotherapists in 1985[1], not in competition with the Australian Physiotherapy Society’s logo. He saw the advantage of this, and with the support of New Zealand physiotherapists applied for copyright of the symbol.
Erwin Drok found the Australians were promoting the hand symbol as a corporate symbol for physiotherapists in 1985[1], not in competition with the Australian Physiotherapy Society’s logo. He saw the advantage of this, and with the support of New Zealand physiotherapists applied for copyright of the symbol. It was officially adopted for use by New Zealand physiotherapists at the 1985 annual general meting. An article in the NZJP for August 1985 noted that the recently adopted Physiotherapy Symbol had “taken off with a rush:” The NZPPA had boosted sales by buying a bulk order of the symbols and giving an introductory one to each of their members.
McMos sold the hand stickers from 1985 The uses and colours for it were publicised in Newsletters in 1990, 1994 and 1996.
References to the Hand Symbol in Executive Minutes
May 1979 - copyright of Hand symbol NZSP
AGM 16-2-85 - PRDC remit that the NZSP adopt the symbol established and used by the APA. It will not replace or compete with the Society’s logo.
22-1-86 - Executive agreed that official bodies such as Branches, Standing Committee and SIGs
should use the Society logo rather than the Physiotherapy logo
26-7-87 - NZSP is now the proprietor of the NZ copyright of the hand symbol.
3-3-90 - Hand Symbol may be blue, black and white or any combination of these colours. Members to be reminded to send logo designs
26-6-94 - a number of Branches were using the hand symbol, they should be using the Society’s logo on all official documents
AGM 17-5-98 - Erwin Drok asked for clarification on the use of the Physiotherapy Hand symbol as opposed to the NZSP logo. While the hand symbol was not being promoted as a NZSP logo there is still commitment to it from many physiotherapists. It was noted that the Australian Physiotherapy Association is about to launch a new logo, and that marketing surveys by both the APA and the NZSP had shown that the hand symbol is not widely recognised by the public as pertaining to Physiotherapy.
References to the Hand Symbol in the Journal
August 1985 -hand symbol being well used.
August 1987 page 3 - copyright of hand symbol
References to the Hand Symbol in the NZSP Newsletter
February 1985 - AGM adopted hand symbol
October 1989 - need new logo - ? spiderman is dying. The hand symbol is used more
December 1989 - McMos has hand symbol labels.
March 1990 - Use hand symbol + Slogan. Be sure to use correct colours.
June 1994 - page 3 - Uses of hand symbol - where, colour, organisation, not former members, which words