Dr John Watson

Personal Details

Dr John Watson

06/12/1909 to ??/??/??

Place of birth: Perth

Nationality: Australian

CRN: 715531

Education and qualifications

General education

Schooling unknown; University of Melbourne, resident in Newman College

Primary medical qualification(s)

MBBS, Melbourne, 1935

Initial Fellowship and type

FFARCS by Election

Year of Fellowship

1949

Other qualification(s)

MD, Melbourne, 1939; Graduate Diploma in Anaesthetics, Melbourne, 1947

 

Professional life and career

Postgraduate career

No appointments have been identified.

Professional interests and activities

Dr Watson was the very first recipient of the ‘Melbourne DA’ in 1947, the year he became Secretary of the ASA. He contributed to a significant restructuring of its constitution in 1948, but illness (DS) prevented him from attending the 1949 AGM and he faded from the scene. His name is still on the 1956 membership list, but gaps in the records mean that no other information is available.

Other biographical information

Dr Noel Cass, originally from WA, remembers Dr Geoffrey Kaye (who he says “kept an eye on Watson” after his illness struck) mentioning that John Watson was also from the West. Australian military records show a Dr John Watson, born in Perth, WA, joining up at Royal Park (a suburb of Melbourne) in 1940, but the date of birth written on the service card is 12/06/1909 (c.f. 06/12/1909 in the University records) so it may not be the same person.

Author and Sources

Author: Prof Tony Wildsmith

Sources and any other comments: There are brief mentions of Watson in Gwen Wilson’s ‘One Grand Chain’, and these were used to obtain more information from the Australian Society, and the Alumnus organisation, Healthcare Faculty and Newman College at Melbourne University. However, it would be nice to know more about an obviously talented, if tragic, individual. Long distance search of on-line genealogy records have been unsuccessful.