The founder of the technique that bears the name "Bowen" was a humble man called Thomas Ambrose Bowen, who spent many years developing the Bowen technique that he practiced.

Born in Brunswick, Victoria in 1916 Thomas Bowen's early year's of employment saw him working as a milk carter, a carpenter, a farm hand and then a general hand at Geelong Cement Works. It was during this time that Tom helped at Stonehaven Football Club as a trainer and learnt massage techniques from the other trainers. It was here that Tom began to develop his own methods which we now know today.

In the 1950's and 60's, Flickers, as they were known, were people that manipulated tendons muscles and ligaments. Tom was classified into this group, but as his work developed it became far more than just flicking a muscle here or there.

Tom opened his first practice, aided by Mrs. Renee Horwood, and worked part time treating people. In the early 1960's Tom left the cement works and began working full time treating people under the title osteopath, as there were not yet restrictions around the use of the term.

Tom's practice grew and people came from all over Victoria to be treated and even interstate, it was so busy that in the Webb Report of 1975 (a government report into Complementary Therapies) it was found he was treating some 13,000 patients a year. Being so busy did not stop him from continually researching and developing his own technique, right up to his passing in 1982.

Tom only taught his technique to 6 people, first letting them observe him working, before allowing them to make moves on the patients under close supervision. These men all studied with Tom one or more days per week over a period of a year or more. All were trained Chiropractors or therapists. The men were known affectionately as "his boys" and were the only ones he trusted to show his technique to others. Tom not only worked with people but also worked with many animals including dogs, cats, cows, pigs and horses. He developed an interest in some trotters at Geelong that he treated quite regularly, with stories being told of the success of those treatments. The technique not extensively used has become very popular because it is very gentle with fantastic results in a short period of time making it very successful on horses and riders.