Obituary

A LEADING PHYSICIAN ALLAN KERR GRANT AO, RFD, ED, MB BS, DUNIV (ADEL), MRACP FRACP, FRCP, FRCPE, FACP, MD (FLINDERS), 1924-2009

It should be mentioned that work at great interest, and it didn't matter whether Flinders was not new to Allan. Following it was casting from the beaches or reefs the establishment of Flinders University of Robe, or from a boat in American River, in 1966, he had been involved, with the Coffin Bay, or Ceduna. vice-chancellor, Professor Peter Karmel, in Ornithology, combined with photography, the planning and creation of the medical also fascinated him. The school, and was asked to participate in the Ornithologists Club was the beneficiary teaching of students in the medical wards, of a lovely collection of his pictures of once they had been established. birds taken in and in the UK. The training of students and young Botany, too, was a great interest and under doctors was ever dear to his heart and he Mary's guidance Allan became a successful had long believed that juniors in hospital propagator of plants at their home in employment did not get the mentoring Balhannah, and then Stirling. and continuing education necessary to The development of Alzheimer's disease, ensure happy and successful careers. So it was a great satisfaction that the Medical followed by its inexorable progress, was a cruel and tragic event for one previously so llan Kerr Grant was the third Board, stimulated by Allan, approved the exuberant and generous. As a c o n s e q u e n c e , son of Professor Kerr Grant creation of a Council for Early Postgraduate Allan spent the last period of his life in (later knighted), the well-known Training in in 1995. This the War Veterans Home. To Mary and her Professor of Physics at the Council, which has been invaluable, has A four children, who bore the brunt of all from 1911 to 1948. now become a statutory body answerable these changes, we can only imagine the He was educated at St Peter's College to the Minister for Health. where he matriculated early, thus allowing stresses that they suffered, but we can Allan gave much time over many years hope that they will take much solace from him to have a further school year and to the Citizen Military Forces (CMF), the memory of Allan's incredible medical the chance to take on the responsibilities culminating in three months spent in achievements, his friendliness, and his great of a senior student. Leaving school in South Vietnam (from December 1968 to sense of fun. He will be missed by many. 1941, he started medicine the next year March 1969) as the leader of the medical and graduated MB BS in 1947. After Dr Hugh Douglas team supporting the Australian t r o o p s at completing his internship at the Royal Vung Tau. Adelaide Hospital, he then spent two years Dr Hugh Douglas was a friend of Dr Allan Kerr Grant. This obituary is based on the training in gastroenterological units in It is not surprising, therefore, that during eulogy given at his memorial service. London, followed by a further several years these years of outstanding service in of work at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and so many fields he received s u b s t a n t i a l Reprinted from medicSA, the AMA (SA) the University of Adelaide. recognition—an Efficiency Decoration magazine, with permission. for military service (1970), the degree of He joined the staff of the newly developed Doctor of the University of Adelaide (1985) Addendum Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) in and the degree of MD Flinders (1996) 1959, and five years later he became for his work in postgraduate education, I am indebted to Dr Hugh Douglas and the director of its Gastroenterology Unit, and the award of Officer of the General Allan's wife, Mary, for the above obituary the first such unit in South Australia. T o Division of the Order of Australia (1991) for Allan. Allan was the President of the cap this, he was elected president of the for his contribution to the nation. RACP from 1981 to 1983 and was one of Gastroenterological Society of Australia in the College's most outstanding presidents. 1969. Two years after graduation, while still in During his tenure as President, he spent Adelaide, he married Mary Hone, a daughter considerable time visiting all the states A staunch supporter of the Royal of Dr Ray Hone, one of Adelaide's most and New Zealand, engaging with the Australasian College of Physicians, he respected physicians. They subsequently Fellows and trainees. He was a remarkable became its president in 1981 and, had three sons and a daughter, all now educator and a great mentor and I had during his tenure in office, was a superb established with their families. the pleasure of being taught by Allan both ambassador (with his wife, Mary) for as an undergraduate and as a physician Australian medicine overseas. He was also Life for Kero was a continuous study of trainee at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the medical director of SAPMEA (South the world and its inhabitants, so it is Adelaide in the 1960s. In his later years, a s Australian Postgraduate Medical Education appropriate to talk of his e x t r a - c u r r i c u l a r a member of the Medical Board of South Association). pursuits. He was an enthusiastic player and supporter of university rugby, social tennis Australia, he introduced an education In 1984, he retired from the staff of in the summer and periodic rounds of golf program for interns, which was adopted TQEH after the completion of 25 years' at Mount Lofty. He would readily admit Australia-wide. service, and this was a retirement much failing to reach 'Blues' standards, but the Allan's interests extended well beyond to the regret of all his associates, medical, enjoyment he got and the enjoyment he medicine. As Mary indicated to me, 'Allan's nursing, clerical and others. However, this provided his fellow players was memorable bird photography was superb, he was did not mean any reduction in work, as he and usually hilariously funny. His feat of the best propagator of rhododendrons quickly launched into positions at Flinders hitting three successive balls off the 9th tee in South Australia and he was an avid Medical Centre and Flinders University, into a creek, the last drive associated w i t h supporter of opera and ballet'. while carrying on with commitments to the loss of his driver on the follow-through, the Medical Board of South Australia (he was Guinness Book of World Records Professor Napier (Nip) Thomson became a member in 1982) and SAPMEA. material. In later years, fishing became his President RACP 2006-2008

RACP News August 2010 37