Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

McEWIN Roderick Gardner AM

MD MHA FRACS FRACP FRACMA FAFRM FRSH FHA

1921-2017

Roderick Gardner McEwin (known as Rocky) was born in Balaklava, SA, on the 2nd August 1921. He was the second of four children of Keith McEwin, a general practitioner, and Rita, nee Gardner. He was a boarder at St Peter’s College, Adelaide from the age of eight years. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1944.

McEwin’s studies were interrupted by WW2, and he enlisted on, 20th August 1940, at Keswick, while living at College Park, and his father Keith was named as his next of kin. He was posted as a gunner, with 13 Field Battery, from 1940 to 1941, before returning to complete his medical degree. He then re-enlisted on 3rd March 1945 and this time named his wife, Betty as his next of kin. He was appointed as a captain AAMC in the SA, L of C area. He reported for full-time duty and was posted to 105 AMH, in April 1946. McEwin was posted as MO to the Inter Service Medical Wing, in Southern Command, on 18th April 1946, and on 10th May he was attached to similar formation in 4 MD. He was transferred to Hygiene Training unit in Balcombe, on 8th June 1946 and then to 3MD as a MO to the HQ Signal Training in Melbourne. He remained in 3MD until his appointment was terminated on 29th July 1948.

McEwin married Betty Waddell Marshall, a zoologist researching cestodes collected from Antarctic seals during Sir Douglas Mawson’s expeditions, she had impressed him with her prowess on the basketball court. She was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Hately Marshall of Hawthorn, SA. They were to have one son and three daughters. He worked, for 27 years, in the Commonwealth Repatriation Department rising to the most senior medical appointment, that of Chief Director of Medical Services. The Department is now known as Veteran's Affairs, and he was able to attract talented staff which added to the prestige of these hospitals. McEwin was the Medical Superintendent at the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, from 1962 to 1966 and Medical Superintendent at the Repatriation General Hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria, 1966 to 1968. He was the Chief Director of the Medical Service Department from 1970 to 1973. McEwin was the first Chairman of the newly formed NSW Health Commission from 1973 to 1982. During his appointment, significant health promotion programs relating to smoking, alcohol and drugs were implemented. He was to visit all 300 hospitals in NSW and, with his team, establish Westmead Hospital with speed and efficiency. He advised the Victorian and South Australian governments on the establishment of their Health Commissions. He also led by example personally crawling through the crashed train, looking for survivors, at the Granville disaster, in 1977. He retired from the Health Commission in 1982 and took up private practice as a specialist physician in rehabilitation. McEwin retired from practice in 2004 at the age of 83. During his medical career, he had over 150 published papers, had been awarded many Fellowships and served as a member, usually in a leadership position, on over 70 boards and councils. His primary interest outside medicine was farming; he was one of the first to breed Chianina and Maine-Anjou cattle in Australia in addition to sheep farming. His home at Tunstall Avenue Kingsford, NSW, was burgled, in 1992, and his WW2 War Medals were stolen, which he sought to have replaced by the Department of Defence.   He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1990. Roderick Gardner McEwin died on 11th March 2017 and is survived by his wife, four children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019. 

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD