The 'Vaculyser' vacuum pump was first used in the 1960s-1970s by Dr Geoffrey Davis (New South Wales, New Zealand), who specialised in abortion. Until abortion became lawful in New South Wales in 1971, the procedure was usually discreetly carried out by medical specialists in consulting rooms or clinics in the city. Abortion has been used by most cultures throughout history as a way of controlling fertility. In the late 20th/early 21st century it is the most frequently performed surgical operation in the world. Vacuum aspiration is one of the two most commonly methods of abortion. This 'Vaculyser' was made by Aerosol Products, Colchester, and dates from the 1960s.