Dr ARCHIE KALOKERINOS, 1927 - 2012

Ο ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΚΑΣ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ 7 ΜΑΡΤΙΟΥ 2012 - WEDNESDAY 7 MARCH 2012 ΣΕΛΙΣ 21 THE GREEK HERALD Dr ARCHIE KALOKERINOS, 1927 - 2012 “Archie” Kalokerinos was born for special mention. “Archie International Academy of Preven- biography he wrote of her: ‘Archivides’ Kalokerinos, to Kalokerinos practiced medicine tive Medicine, a Fellow of the “There is one non-Greek who I Greek parents from the island in central New South Wales, and Australasian College of Biomed- need to thank. It is my English of Kythera, in Glenn Innes, through his consistent and selfless ical Scientists, Fellow of the wife, Catherine. She tolerated a Australia, on September 28 efforts saved the lives of many Hong Kong Medical Technology great deal when I became ob- 1927. He was always proud of young indigenous Australians”. Association, and a Member of the sessed with what I was doing. In his Greek heritage - “...my It would be interesting to perform New York Academy of Sciences. the end, there is nothing like Greek background acted, al- a ‘Schindler’s List type analysis’ He was presented with The Aus- teamwork”. ways, as the guiding light of the extended families of the tralian Medal of Merit for Out- Archie was the beloved husband through the darkness and un- children ‘saved’, and determine standing Scientific Research. of Catherine and adored father of known.” how many aboriginal people owe He retired from full time practice Ann, Helen and Peter. “Dr Archie” as he was affection- their existence to Dr Archie in 1993, and apart from perform- Family and friends are warmly in- ately known, took his medical de- Kalokerinos. ing occasional ‘locums’ in Tam- vited to attend Archie’s service of gree from Sydney University in From 1976 to 1987, Dr Archie worth, he spent most of the latter Thanksgiving at St Michael’s An- 1951 and then spent six years in worked with the Aboriginal Med- part of his life doing private re- glican Church, Gilliver Avenue, England. On his return to Aus- “Archie” Kalokerinos was ical Service. From 1982 to 1992, search. He subsequently moved Vaucluse, 2030, today Wednesday tralia he was appointed Medical born ‘Archivides’ Kalokerinos he conducted a medical practice from Tamworth to Cooranbong 7th March 2012, commencing at Superintendent of the hospital at Collarenebri, a town 500 miles views, and his clinical acumen. north-west of Sydney. In 1975 Phillip Noyce produced In 1965 he tried his hand at opal the compelling film docudrama mining at Coober Pedy. He be- about Dr Archie Kalokerinos and came a world expert on opals, and aboriginal healthcare, entitled in 1967 and 1971, wrote two de- ‘’God Only knows Why, But it finitive books on the subject. Works’’. Later, becoming disillusioned Opening the Kytheraismos Con- with opal mining, he returned to ference II, in Canberra, on the medicine at Collarenebri, where 15th September, 2006, then Prime he served until 1975. Minister of Australia, John Dr Kalokerinos became very con- Howard, asserted that he could cerned about the high mortality “.... think of no other group that rate of Aboriginal children in has more totally integrated itself north western New South Wales. into the mainstream of Australian He came to the conclusion that life, yet preserved a passionate the infants had symptoms of love of their home culture than scurvy, a deficiency of vitamin C, the Greeks. They have really and he treated them accordingly. shown the rest of the world and Archie Kalokerinos in 1971 in the northwestern NSW town of on the Central Coast, and then to 2pm. Bingara. Former Mayor of Bin- Bondi Junction in Sydney. Wear something bright. gara, John Wearne, speaks for an Archie recounted his life in his In lieu of flowers, please consider entire community when he says autobiography, Medical Pioneer a donation to Alzheimer’s Aus- “...many people in Bingara will of the Twentieth Century, a book tralia. grieve for the loss – he was much that has never been out of print, Envelopes will be available. revered in Bingara”. His offices and which is available from Bio- were situated within what is now, logical Therapies Publishing, the newly renovated Roxy ‘com- Melbourne. plex’. This is only fitting, as the Archie’s most endearing qualities, Roxy complex, including theatre, Daan Spijer, argues, were his hu- café and museum, ‘memorializes’ manity and honesty, and these are the contribution that Greek-Aus- qualities that emerged throughout tralians have made to rural Aus- his life. Those who had been priv- Archie Kalokerinos digging for opals tralia. ileged to meet “Dr Archie” will Dr Kalokerinos would later enter know that these qualities were ev- At one stage, in one Central Abo- the rest of Australia how it should a number of controversial de- ident even more forcibly, in per- riginal community, every second be done. “The people of bates, including those surround- sonal encounters. Aboriginal Infant was doomed to Kythera”, he added, “have made ing vaccination, sudden He passed away peacefully, on 1st die in infancy. The death rate, in an enormous contribution to Aus- unexpected shock, sudden unex- March 2012 the area supervised by Archie tralia, over a very long period of pected unconsciousness, otitis His intellectual, vibrant and en- Kalokerinos dropped to zero after time. They have made a particu- media, sudden infant death syn- gaging presence will be sorely Archie applied his “counter intu- lar contribution to regional and drome, and shaken baby syn- missed. itive” therapy. Dual Nobel prize rural Australia”. drome. May his memory be eternal. winner Linus Pauling, in the fore- Amongst the many high achiev- Dr Kalokerinos was a Life Fellow On 17th Dec, 1977 Dr Archie mar- word to Kalokerinos’ book Every ing Kytherians in the room, he of the Royal Society for the Pro- ried Catherine Hunter, at St Lukes Archie Kalokerinos Second Child, endorsed his singled out Archie Kalokerinos motion of Health, a Fellow of the Church, Mosman. In a brief auto- ouside the Roxy shop.

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