Dr W.J. (Bill) Charlton

• 	Dr. Bill Charlton was born in 1926, in Geelong in Victoria, where his father was a Spathe. Charlton's family came from strong Scottish stock, and this was always a strong influence on his life. When he was 10 yrs old, they moved to Randwick in Sydney, then to Maclean on the Clarence river,-where he first learnt to play the bagpipes. After initial schooling at Grafton, he went to Sydney Grammar. He then began medicine as a student at St. Andrews College in 1943 where he did the long 6 year course. He was then a RMO at Royal North Shore, then at the Children's hospital He then spent 2 years at Royal Newcastle as a senior resident , finishing at the end of 1952. He describes his happy years at the Royal, and greatly enjoyed the comradeship and teaching -he had always wanted to be a GP like his father, and finally squatted in Charlestown -an uncommon scenario in those days .There he built up an enormous general practice, seeing up to 50 patients a day, and at his peak, doing 140 confinements a year .For a long time he was on his own, but later was helped by his father, and later still by Dr. Paddy Lightfoot, Roger Bradbury, Bob Porter[who later went into administration] then John Hollingsworth. The practice covered an enormous area, from Redhead through Windale, Charlestown and other adjacent suburbs -there were an enormous number of house calls and night calls, and the home telephone went constantly in those early years. The practice was the first to develop a coordinated office system under the tutelage of Bruce Foster, the efficiency expert who revolutionised the systems at Royal Newcastle - the practice was the first to have a radiotelephone link with the surgery, in the days before mobile phones-and when many people did not have a telephone. Holidays were few and far between, and usually at places no further away than Toronto !! Bill Charlton was one of the first GP clinical lecturers in the new medical school, and contributed an enormous amount of his time to tuition in the early years. An unusual feature of this CD is an interview with Jean, Bills wife who trained at the Royal in the days of Matron Hall and who gives an insight into the world of Nursing in the early 50s-and who was probably the first of the generation of wives who became official practice managers. Listening to this record explains why the doctors of that generation were so highly regarded by their patients, and also why the lifestyle was so stressful -and unsustainable in the long term.

Dr Adrian Dawson

 

	Adrian Dawson was born in Brisbane, lost his father at age 11, the family moved to Sydney and he was educated at Knox College, began medicine in 1940-- did the foreshortened course because of the war [no holidays!] graduated with honours, and after residency at RPAH did locums before a year at MMH, then years in GP with Dr. Bill Ferguson at Mayfield before doing his higher degree and specialising in neurology -the first neurologist in Newcastle. He had an intimate knowledge of the old Lodge system, the times when all consultants were Honorary, and when most of the obstetrics in Newcastle was done by Goshen, one of the first specialists to get his higher degree from general practice, and saw the change s which made this impossible in later years. He had to do neurology in the years when investigations were quite primitive, and the results from neurosurgery were extremely poor. Adrian was a gentleman of the old school, and of course the pioneer in neurology in the Hunter Region,-his philosophy of life, and views on what it really takes to be a "good doctor” are inspirational.

Dr Dorothy "Bunny" Greening

	Dr. Greening had a fascinating career She was born in 1917, in Sydney but her family moved to Glen Innes on the New England tablelands, where she attended school- she comments that in a small country town there were very few opportunities for any female with ability. She did reasonably well in her leaving certificate, but found that she could only go into either nursing or teaching. There were only 2 scholarships available to country females in teaching, and she therefore went into nursing as a 2nd choice She went to the Coast hospital in Sydney, which had a very good reputation at that time, and tells fascinating stories of the infectious diseases before antibiotics, -the story of diphtheria which was a scourge, the routines all had to learn to deal with sudden laryngeal obstruction, -the routines for bums, the routines for shaving heads of all children admitted to deal with lice, the military regimentation of nursing, the obligation to live in etc. -the effect of the depression, her decision to join up in the services as a nurse as soon as war was declared, and her career in the services, are outlined with great candour and humour There is a romantic narrative of the way in which she decided to try to get into medicine at an advanced age after the war-quite rare in those days her struggles to get through, the necessity to work part time as a nurse to pay her way, her later decision to go to Crown St hospital, the honour of being kept on as a senior, the experience she received at what was then the premier teaching hospital in this state-her subsequent career in the UK, experience on the flying squad, with massive haemorrhages, difficult forceps deliveries, , etc etc - the failure to get a specialist degree at that time, her time in Taree as a GP, the almost freakish chance which led her to go back to the UK to get her specialist degree, the subsequent fight to be allowed to practice in Taree as a specialist, and her subsequent career are an eye opener to those who do not know that era. Her quietly feminist attitude to protect her patients, and enormous empathy with them, were her trade marks. We should remember that female Gynaecologists were even uncommon in the cities then and having one in Taree was probably unique in Australia. This is a courageous story of a dedicated, humble woman who just refused to give up and who finally overcame the prejudices of the time to make an enormous contribution to women's health. Bunny [as she was always known to her friends] was a wonderful role model for the women specialists who came after her.

Dr Peter Hendry, AO., FRANZ.C.P

• 	Peter Hendry was born at Coonabarabran in NW NSW in 1914-he was the son of a Presbyterian minister, his father having come out from Scotland as a missionary, serving a large area of the northwest using a horse and buggy , so that the young Hendry saw little of his father. He died when Peter was only nine, and the family moved to the south coast of NSW., then to Sydney - Peter was educated initially at Newington College, later at Scots College, where he matriculated. He originally wished to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a medical missionary, so had to do Medicine first! He obtained an Exhibition at the LC, which helped with fees, and was also assisted financially by old parishioners from his father's church. He began med 1 in 1932', and so was trained in the era before the great majority of the modern medical advances. He gives profiles of his old teachers, the diseases they encountered in those days, leading up to the outbreak of WW2-he graduated at the end of 1938 ,went to the Coast Hospital initially, enlisted in the AIF in 1940, and was in the Malaysian campaign, captured in Singapore, was in Changi, on the Burma railway, and returned to Royal Newcastle Hospital where he was the first clinical pathologist, set up a modern Dept. and was the driving force behind the exchange transfusion service for the Rh. Babies, the modern management of diabetic coma, and haemetemesis-he then set up a pioneer private pathology service, becoming the world leader in quality assurance and standards in Pathology across the globe, later becoming the World President of the International College of Pathology and receiving many awards internationally Dr. Peter Hendry became a legend in his own lifetime, and is revered by his colleagues and the community of Newcastle. This CD is a treasure trove of memories and insights from a man who is truly a "great Australian”.

Prof. Alan Hewson A.M.

• 	Alan Donald Hewson graduated in Medicine with Honours from the University of Sydney in 1952, had three years general training as a resident at Royal Newcastle Hospital, then 2 years as Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Royal Hobart, 2 further years at Oxford in the Area Dept with Sir John Stallworthy after obtaining his MRCOG-working as Senior registrar and tutor in Obstetrics. He began private practice in Newcastle in 1958,with Honorary appointments at Royal Newcastle, the Mater Misericordiae and Western Suburbs hospitals as well as appointments at most of the private hospitals as they developed over the years. He obtained the FRCS Ed.in 1966, the FRACS in 1980,was a foundation member of the RACOG in 1979, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Newcastle in 1990. He served for 11 years on the Council of the RACOG from 1981, chaired its Education committee for 6 years, was Secretary for 3 years , and played a leading role in the development of the College ground breaking obligatory Continuing Education programme for which he was awarded the Gold Medal of the College in 1989. He was also heavily involved in the development of the new Medical School at Newcastle which opened in 1978, and has been on the teaching faculty since -and was appointed as Conjoint Professor in 2000. He chaired the medical planning committee for the John Hunter teaching hospital , served on the Board of the Greater Newcastle Area Health for 3 years ,and was the first Director of Gynaecology at John Hunter. He was a founding member of the Hunter Post graduate medical institute in 1979, has been on the Board since, and was President 1981-1983. He was also President of the Postgraduate Federation in Medicine for 5 years, and has been invited Professor and lecturer to many centres in Australia and overseas. Although primarily a clinician, he has contributed a wide range of articles to the literature on his own discipline -and on his special interest of medical education. His special O and G. interests have been perinatal mortality, vaginal surgery, genito urinary fistulae, and third world medicine .He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1992.

Dr Bill Holley

• 	Dr. Bill Holley was recognised as then G.P. King of West Wallsend, where he practiced for over 40 years. born in Ballarat, Vie., in 1913, he did his early schooling in Sydney [Cleveland St] then Sydney High, was told he should become a doctor and after some struggles completed his medical course spent most of the war in the RAAF- did more training at crown St hospital, and after some locums all round the Hunter Valley, settled in "Westy" and stayed there for the rest of his practicing lifetime. He became a legend there because he made it quite clear that he was the boss, and his patients thought the world of him-he was a straight talking, no nonsense GP, who spoke the language of the miners and the battlers, initially looked after the whole family for 1 shilling and eleven pence per fortnight] and looked after them when they were admitted to Wallsend hospital, in the early days did about 90 confinements per year, did a week on call at the hospital each month[before the specialists took over] took on the bureaucrats. He had enormous experience in caring for injured miners in the old days of the pits, and his memories are a rare insight into a world that is gone for ever. He was one of a kind, and is also notable for having 2 sons who followed him into medicine- and who practice in this city.

Dr Gordon Kerridge, A.M., HON. MD [NCLE.,] FRACS

• 	Dr. Gordon Kerridge was born in Sydney in 1921, his father died from Multiple Sclerosis when he was in his teens and his early years were difficult he was greatly influenced by the medical staff s care of his younger brother at the Kids hospital when he had poliomyelitis and decided that he wanted to become an orthopaedic surgeon at an early age. He attended Fort St. High School, did Medicine at Sydney University, doing the shortened 4 1/2 year course because of the war. He had to work his way through Medicine, working as a tally clerk on the wharves at weekends, and as a commercial traveller as time permitted. He did well enough in his finals to be given Professorial terms at Royal Prince Alfred hospital as an intern ,but his career was interrupted by his years of AIF service in common with so many of his generation. After demobilisation in 1945, he came to Royal Newcastle hospital to further his experience in Surgery, having heard of the excellent training opportunities and unique career structure at that hospital. He completed his training as an orthopaedic surgeon, rose to being Director of the Dept, and trained several generations of outstanding orthopaedic surgeons many of whom became leaders in the discipline across the country. His career began in an era when poliomyelitis TB., and osteomyelitis were rampant, when there were horrific motor vehicle accidents [no seat belts!] when congenital dislocation of the hip was not detected and treated early, when there were no paramedics, few physiotherapists or occupational therapists. He lived to see all these things dramatically changed and he took a leading role in the dramatic changes in his discipline. He was appropriately honoured by becoming the National President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association, being given an Honorary Doctorate by our University, and made a, Member of the Order of Australia.

Dr Bob Lindsay

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• Video Interview URL

  Dr Alan Hewson interviews Dr Bob Lindsay

Dr Peter McLaughlin

• 	Peter McLaughlin was born in 1916, in Brisbane, [a home birth as he pointedly mentioned in his memoirs] went to Brisbane Grammar school, enrolled in first year Medicine in Brisbane in 1934, and then had to go to Sydney to complete his medical course-the normal in those days. He graduated with Honours, then went to RPAH as a resident,[in the days of Sir Benjamin Eadie] in 1939 , then a term with the gynaecologists at KG5 [Schlink, Maguire, Chapman and Frazer]. He then joined the RAAF, and saw service at Richmond, Bundaberg, Darwin, [during the air raids] then back to Sydney, returned to Darwin, then the Middle East, until demobilisation in 1945 Following more training at Crown St. he entered general practice in Merewether, and describes in detail the way general "lodge practice” was run in those days. His memoirs contain an outline of all the GP practices in Newcastle at that time, describes the beginnings of specialist practice, and his early experiences with the legendary Sammy Gardner, the story of Alec Ostinga and the Bellingen Quads. He covers the difficult road to Specialist practice, his time at Crown St with the legendary Reg. Hamlin, his trip by sea to London to sit his Membership exam, the adventures in London with the best Surgeons of the day , his friendship with Bill MacBride [who later picked up the link between thalidomide and birth defects]]and then his fascinating journey through the Old Europe , and his look in at the USA to see how the top USA surgeons did things provides an unique view of the world of Medicine at that time. Back in Merewether, he stayed in GP work as well until 1960, and then did specialist practice until retirement in 1988 .He outlines in detail the way conservative obstetric practice was carried out in those years after the war, the relationship with the GPs who did most of the deliveries early on, the principles he learnt at Crown St., and finally the coming of the medical school. This record of the life work of a gentle, modest man, who was never known to make a critical comment about a colleague, and who was respected and loved by everyone, should be compulsory reading for anyone at the threshold of a medical career we can all learn from his outstanding career.

Dr Roy Mills, A.M, M.D., FRACP

• 	Dr. Roy Mills was born in Denman in the Hunter Valley in 1917, went to school there, then Maitland High School, so was a real son of the Hunter. As a child he used to follow the local GP from Merriwa on his rounds, and his father suggested he might like to do medicine he entered medicine, and describes the prewar medical course and his teachers with realism and affection. He was taught by the giants of medicine of that era, and after graduation, in 1939 was a resident at RPAH when the role and responsibilities were vastly different to the present day. He joined the Army just after the war broke out, in late 1939, was finally posted to Malaya, fought in the battles preceding the fall of Singapore, where he was seriously wounded was then incarcerated by the Japanese for 4 years in Changi, then along the Burma railway and saw more than half of his mates die in atrocious conditions in the prison camps. He risked his life by keeping a diary over those years, this was later [self] published , and remains as the most accurate description of the hellish conditions in the camps. At the end of the war, he had contracted TB., and lost 18 months of his life before he could practice again. The story of how he became the first chest physician in the Hunter, was a leader in the battle against T.B., triumphed over financial difficulties, became a leader in postgraduate education, was elected as the President of the Australian Thoracic Society, and set up the first intensive care unit at RNH is a fascinating story of persistence. In overcoming many obstacles. He was chosen as one of the 100 Australian heroes in the book of that name, awarded an honorary MD by the University of Newcastle, and made a Member of the Order of Australia a remarkable climax to an outstanding career his is the story of one of the real heroes of the second world war, and one who made a unique contribution to medicine in the Hunter and on the national scene.

• Doctor's Diary & Memoirs File

Dr W.H. Nield

• 	Dr.W. H. [Bill] Nield was born in Lautoka, Fiji, in 1909, where his father worked for a sugar company He came back to Australia for schooling, studied Medicine at the University of Sydney and graduated with first class honours in 1935. He was subsequently a resident at Royal Prince Alfred hospital, and then moved to Newcastle working under Dr. Ken Starr and the legendary Dr. Sam Gardner. He provides many details previously unknown about the brilliance of Ken Starr who topped his year in every subject in every year of the medical course - a feat never ever repeated. Bill Nield was for a time Medical Superintendent at the RNH notably during WW2, when he trained many young doctors before they went into the armed services. Post war, he moved into private practice, and was a surgical consultant at the Mater, and RNH hospitals - and private hospitals- for more than 40 years. He was blessed with a high intelligence and meticulous technique, was a great teacher and had a warm personality which endeared him to his patients-he was one of the most respected surgeons in the country and was referred patients from all over northern NSW. He operated in an era when the general surgeon was expected to be able to handle competently a wide range of surgical conditions and he had vast experience in virtually all areas of general surgery He was one of the giants of the surgical world in the post war era and his incisive comments on the world of medicine are fascinating. This interview was recorded in 1991.

Dr Favio Opitz

• 	Dr. Favio Pliilip Opitz was born in Danzig [now Gdansk] in 1910., and his memoirs begin with a fascinating account of his birthplace and family background, and the international events occurring at and after his birth After his Jewish parents emigrated to Australia, they lived in Sydney in a street in the Rocks area which was later demolished when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built. Like all emigrants, they had financial struggles and later at Newtown school he encountered anti Semitism-but they survived, and he attended Canterbury High School, and then began Medicine at Sydney University. He recalls in great detail the entry criteria for medicine in those days [including a compulsory second language as well as latin -but no compulsory science!] The medical course followed the usual pattern of that era, with 3 preclinical years and 3 clinical years [which remained little changed until the 1990s]. Apart from a few rare scholarships, all students-or their parents - had to find money for all fees, and of course living expenses for the 6 years. He worked in the family business part time to help with finances. At that time 4th year students could work as a resident at St. Vincent's Hospital for weeks at a time, and were paid £1 per week [this was before the student had done any clinical work !.] After graduation, he went to the Mater hospital at North Sydney and then to MMH in Newcastle [to learn surgery from Dr. Sam Gardner]-at first he was the only resident! Sam started his list at 7am but Dr. Mick Henry stated at 6.30 am, as a resident he lived in, but had one night off each fortnight. He then did a long term [6 years] locum for Mick Henry while he was at the war, and after that general practice with a lot of surgery and obstetrics [100 mids per year] He describes doing the first ever Caesarean section at the WSH, and how he became an orthopaedic surgeon by default [the post left over after the war !]. Also included are sidelights on the effects of the polio epidemics, the serious osteomyelitis cases, and amusing sidelights on how he and Dr. Kevin Johns gave the Cana premarriage lectures for the Nuns at the MMH--all described with the gentle humour which was his trademark.

Dr Peter Roberts

• 	Peter Roberts was one of the best known and highly respected GPs in inner city Newcastle in the era from 1950-1990 Peter was born in Newcastle, in Hamilton, in 1920, the son of a doctor-Alan Roberts, who had an Edinburgh Fellowship in Surgery, and who became the senior orthopaedic surgeon at Royal Newcastle hospital in later years. Peter describes growing up in Newcastle, in a doctors family, then going to Sydney Grammar school, followed by what he saw as a natural progression into medicine .He provides an insiders view of the old Lodge system in Newcastle, by which a whole family was cared for by the family doctor for a few shillings per week -the system which persisted in this city until well after WW2. He graduated in 1940, in a shortened course because of the war, and then saw service in New Guinea in the RAAF, " goods” and the "not so goods "of general practice in his generation, the benefits of having a congenial partner, his own efforts to increase his knowledge- and his later work as a part time VMO specialist in Paediatrics at Western Suburbs and the Mater hospitals. He describes the changing pattern of disease over his practicing lifetime, particularly in children and gives some insights into medico legal issues then and now. Apart from his fascinating history of the time, there will be many thousands of his old patients who will get a real buzz out of hearing about the lessons he learned in over 50 years of a busy general practice in the central city.

Dr Neville Rothfield

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• Video Interview URL

  Dr Alan Hewson interviews Dr Neville Rothfield

Dr Jack Smyth

• 	Dr.  John Justin (Jack) Smyth was one of the outstanding surgeons in the Hunter region after WW2 Jack was born in Sydney in 1918, and his father died the following year, so he was brought up by his mother and his grandparents. The family struggled financially, but he obtained an excellent education in the Marist Brothers schools, and completed his Leaving Certificate aged 15! Not sure what he wanted to do, he initially worked as a clerk in the Dept of Health, began reading medical books, and thanks to his Grandmother, was able to begin Medicine at Sydney University in 1935and have his fees paid.. He had a brilliant career, was a prosector in anatomy, graduated with first class honours and the Gold Medal, in 1941, worked in the Professorial Unit at Royal Prince Alfred under the legendary Sir Harold, and Professor Lambie-then spent 1942- 1946 in the AIF, seeing active service overseas, and then came to Royal Newcastle Hospital and trained in Surgery, acquiring his MS and FRACS in the late 1940S. He was the first salaried Staff Surgeon in Australia, and was one of the team of talented young consultants who were recruited by Dr. Chris Mc Caffrey to build his dream hospital modelled on the US Johns Hopkins model. Jack Smyth was the gifted clinician who contributed more than anyone else to turning the dream into a reality-he was respected by everyone, even by those who were opposed to the then controversial staff specialist system. He was a brilliant teacher, set himself extremely high standards, was an indefatigueable worker, a passionate advocate of the RNH staffing system, the instigator of the modern system of auditing in hospitals, and the driving force behind. The world class surgical training system at RNH This recording reveals for the first time many of the trials and tribulations of those early years, much of the background of the development of the medical school, and a very objective insight into many of the medical controversies of that era. At the time this recording was made, [1991] he was still teaching students, and passing on to them snippets of the wisdom he had accumulated over those years in both salaried and private practice. He died in 1999.

Dr Owen James

Dr Jim Wright

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• James Edwin (Jim) Wright 

  Retired Paediatric Surgeon

  Qualifications: “J.E.Wright AM, MD, MB BS (Hons II), BSc(Med) (HonsI), FRACS, FACS” 

  Trained Royal Newcastle Hospital (general surgery), Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, 

  Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Paediatric surgery) 

  Staff Surgeon Royal Newcastle Hospital 1963-1976 

  Paediatric Surgeon in private practice Newcastle 1976-1995 

   Semi-retirement 1995-2005: Surgical assistant, hospital surveyor for Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, examiner overseas trained doctors

Professor Terry Holland

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  Graduate Sydney University: B.Sc.(Med) (H1) 1953, MB.B.S.(H2) 1955.

  RMO 1055-57, Med Registrar 1958-60, Pathology Registrar 1961, Royal Newcastle Hospital.

  MRACP (Member) 1962,(Fellow) 1970 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  Staff Physician Royal Newcastle Hospital 1962

  Clerk (1965), Clinical Assistant Academic Registrar Professorial Unit The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square and Maida Vale London, UK. 1965.

  (Foundation) Staff Neurologist Royal Newcastle Hospital 1967.

  Clinical Associate Professor in Medicine, Newcastle University 1976.

  Director Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology John Hunter Hospital 1991-96 (retired full time staff Jan 1996)

  Emeritus Consultant John Hunter Hospital 1996.

  Consultant and Forensic Neurology (Private Practice) 1996-2003

Professor John Duggan

Dr Caleb Firkin

Dr Paul Moffitt