RICE, Patrick William
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force |
| Born: | Morgan, South Australia, 18 May 1889 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Christian Brothers College and University of Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Medical Practitioner |
| Died: | Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, 7 March 1952, aged 62 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Oct 1918: | Involvement Captain, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Melusia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 1918: | Embarked Captain, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, SS Melusia, Sydney |
Biography
Published Biography
Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1, C Verco, A Summers, T Swain & M Jelly. July 2014
Additional Biography
Early Life
Patrick William “Bill” Rice was born on the 18th of May 1889 at Morgan, SA, the son of James Rice and Annie Rice (Née Meaney). James Rice was with the Railways for many years.
Schooling
Bill attended Moonta Public School where he passed his Primary Examinations in 1903, Junior Examinations in 1905 and Senior Examinations in 1906.
Bill then did an apprenticeship with Main and Sons’ Dispensary. In 1909, Bill was awarded a scholarship to attended Adelaide University and study science.
Adelaide University
Bill commenced studying science at Adelaide University in 1909 and in 1910, he secured top place in physiology, inorganic chemistry and biology. Bill transferred from science to medicine in 1911. He graduated MB BS (First Class) in 1915 and was registered as a medical practitioner in October 1915.
University Sport
Football
Bill played football for Adelaide University in the Amateur League in 1913 and represented the University at the 1913 Intervarsity. Bill also played for West Torrens in the SANFL in 1913.
World War I
On the 30th of September 1915 Bill joined the Australian Army Medical Corps and spent three years on the staff of the 7th Australian General Hospital at Keswick, SA. In addition to work at the hospital, Bill travelled to country locations to examine and recruit soldiers in 1916.
On the 16th of September 1916, Bill married Ruby Dunleavey Hill.
Bill enlisted on the 30th of August 1918 and served in Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. His wife Ruby was listed as his next-of-kin. The couple were living at Mill Terrace, North Adelaide, SA.
He served with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force at Rabaul on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, about 60 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Unfortunately, Bill became ill and returned to Australia medically unfit and his appointment was terminated on the 1st of September 1919.
Career and Family Life
In late 1919 Bill returned to civilian life and commenced to practice at 137 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville.
On the 3rd of November 1920, Bill and Ruby’s daughter, Therese Marie was born at Quambi Hospital, South Tce., Adelaide. In January 1921 the Rice’s were living at Beach Road Torrensville and they registered a 11.9 Morris Crowley with a blue body and upholstery to match.
In 1925 the couple’s son Lawrence John Rice was born.
During the 1920s, Bill’s interest included horse racing (Trotting) and the Thebarton Catholic Tennis Club. He was also a vice-president of the South Australian Handball Association.
Bill was in practice in partnership with C.T. Benson at Henley Beach Road, Mile End. The partnership was dissolved on the 12th of November 1928. Bill continued to practice at the above address as a sole practitioner.
In mid-1929 the Rice’s had a holiday trip to Honolulu and the eastern states, they returned to Adelaide in mid-June.
By May 1930, Bill was practising at Lister House, 198 North Terrace, Adelaide.
In May 1933, Bill presented the Rice Shield to the winning house of the Christian Brother’s College annual sports. Bill had also donated a Cup for use by the South Australian Trotting Association.
In early 1935, Bill and his family went to England so that Bill could undertake post-graduate studies. He received a diploma for obstetrics and gynaecology in London, gaining top marks in a field of 31. He was working at the University College Hospital, London. While in London the Rice’s lived at Clive Court, Maida Vale, W9. They commenced the return journey on the 21st of December 1935 onboard the Oranto.
Therese Rice passed her leaving Honours in 1938 under private tuition. She went on to study at Adelaide University and gained her Bachelor of Arts in 1942 and her Master of Arts in 1947.
In early 1938 Ruby and Therese travelled to Colombo for a holiday. By 1939 the Rice’s were living at 50 Portrush Road, Tusmore Gardens and Bill was the honorary surgeon to the South Australian Trotting Club. In March 1939 Ruby and Therese (Tess) returned to Adelaide after a visit to California.
Bill gave a banquet for the Rostrevor College XVIII in September 1942 and he was recognised at the 1944 Rostrevor College Break-Up for his kindness to the Brothers and boys of the College.
In August 1947 after completing her Master of Arts at Adelaide University, Therese left for Switzerland to work on her doctorate.
Lawrence John Rice attended Christian Brother’s College, Rostrevor College and then Adelaide University where he studied medicine and gained his MB BS in 1948. On the 13th of May 1950, Lawrence John Rice married Maureen Catherine Lucey, the daughter of Mr J Lucey, of Millswood Estate and the late Mrs Lucey at Rostrevor College Chapel.
In August 1950 the following article highlighted the Rice family’s interest in trotting. (see document).
In 1950 Therese, returned to Australia after studying at the Sorbonne in France and took up a position lecturing in French studies at Adelaide University.
On the 18th of November 1951 (aged 62), Bill and Therese arrived at Southampton, England onboard the P&O ship Himalaya.
Death
Patrick William (Bill) Rice passed away (suddenly) on the 7th of March 1952 at Calvary Hospital Adelaide, SA, aged 63. When Bill passed away, he was described as having recently returned from an overseas tour of the UK and the continent. He was buried at Centennial Park, Adelaide.
Obituaries - see document
Family Legacy
In 1961, Therese Marie Rice bequeathed the whole of her residuary estate to the University of Adelaide to establish a scholarship to be known as “The P. W. Rice Scholarship” in memory of her late father.
These postgraduate research scholarship and travel awards are available for female students (Masters by Research or PhD) currently enrolled in a research degree at the University of Adelaide, having gained First Class Honours in one of the following disciplines: Classics, Latin, Ancient Greek, Linguistics, French Studies, German Studies, Spanish Studies or Medieval English language taught in the university.
Author EE (Beth) Filmer
For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.
Submitted 16 June 2025 by Eleanor Filmer
Biography contributed by Annette Summers
RICE Patrick William MB BS DRCOG
1889-1952
Patrick William Rice was born in Morgan, SA on the 18th May 1889, third son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Rice of Cockburn. He was educated at the Moonta Public School and the Christian Brothers College, Adelaide. He completed an apprenticeship in pharmacy at Main and Sons Dispensary and while doing this decided to enroll in medicine which initiated a brilliant academic career at the University of Adelaide, during which he topped every year of his course and obtained the Elder Prize, Dr. Davies Thomas Scholarship (twice) and the Everard Scholarship graduating in 1915. After graduating he worked for the next three years on the staff of 7 AGH (Keswick), first as pathologist and bacteriologist, and then in the orthopaedics and x-ray departments. He married Ruby Dunleavey Hill, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Hill, of Parkside, in September 1916.
Rice was commissioned in the AAMC in August 1918 and joined the ANMEF. He was 29 years, 5ft 6ins tall, and weighed 147lbs, of fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His wife was named as his next of kin care of J J Rice of Mills Terrace, North Adelaide or his permanent address of 12 Victoria Avenue, Hyde Park South Australia. Rice sailed for Rabaul in October and in December he was posted to Kavieng in New Ireland. He was declared medically unfit in May 1919, and returned to Australia to the 2 MD on the 14th June 1919 and then to the 4 MD Adelaide, with his appointment terminated on the 1st September 1919. He was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
After the war Rice entered general practice at Torrensville, but soon established a reputation as a gynaecologist. He went to England in 1935 and sat for and topped the examination for the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He acquired a large practice which he carried on until his death. Rice and his wife were prominent at Rostrevor and Loreto College’s functions as committee and in executive positions. He lived on Portrush Road, Tusmore. Rice was a well-known figure in the sporting world; he was surgeon to the SA Trotting Club for many years. As a joint organiser each year of the Anzac trotting meeting, he was largely responsible for raising large sums of money for the Soldiers' Distress Fund. Patrick William Rice died at Calvary Hospital, on the 7th March 1952. He was survived by his daughter Therese and son, Dr Laurence Rice.
Source
Blood, Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia, who Served in World War 1.
Verco, Summers, Swain, Jelly. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2014.
Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD
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