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FISK Graham Bristow MB BS

1923-2011

Graham Bristow Fisk was born on 29th April 1923 at Sister Walsh's Hospital, Rose Park, South Australia. He was the eldest of two children of Harold Leslie Fisk and Marjory Northmore, nee Ranford. His father was a WWI veteran, who enlisted on 30th May 1916 and returned to Australia on 4th July 1919, as a corporal in the 5th Pioneers. He later became the Surveyor-General for South Australia. His mother was a daughter of Benjamin Bristow Ranford who was a surveyor on the North-South Telegraph and later Engineer in Chief in Water Conservation; her maternal grand-father, John Alfred Northmore, was a founding Member of the Adelaide Stock Exchange. His sister Marie Northmore Fisk married Ian Sorby-Adams. He was educated at Barmera and Rose Park primary schools. He won scholarships in 1937 and 1938 while at St Peter's College, where he was also in the Army Cadets. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide from 1941 and graduated MB BS in May 1946. His undertook his resident year at the RAH.

Fisk joined the Army, on completion of his residency, and was posted to 130 AGH as a captain and later temporary major in the BCOF in Japan. He sailed to Japan on the HMAS Manoora on 3rd September 1947 with a number of other South Australians including B F Venner, G F Cheesman, G G Wyllie, J A Bonnin, J N Diggle and W A McCann. He maintained a deep respect and sympathy for the Japanese people engendered by his service with BCOF. His military service was terminated on 12th December 1949.  He was issued the Australian Service Medal 1946-1975 and the BCOF Japan Medal 1946–1952.

Following his military service Fisk commenced studies in obstetrics at the QVMH in South Australia.He was appointed as Obstetric Registrar at Broken Hill Hospital, in 1950, and in 1951 as Gynaecology Registrar at the RAH. He married Helen Joan Cameron (Cam), on 29th October 1951 at St Theodore’s church, Toorak Gardens, Adelaide.  He had met her at the QVMH. She had been born in Summer Hill, New South Wales and was a registered nurse and midwife and was the District Commissioner of Girl Guides. Her father, Philip Frocham Cameron, had been awarded a Military Medal for bravery at Villiers Bretonneux in WWI.

They moved to Broken Hill, in 1952, where Fisk commenced practice as a general practitioner with a major interest in obstetrics. He also had an appointment at the Broken Hill Hospital as Obstetrician and Gynaecologist treating both public and private patients. He provided general health care at the Home of Compassion, an aged care facility run by a nun's order called the Sisters of Compassion. He also attended underground mine accidents and early in his career flew occasionally with Royal Flying Doctor Service. He semi-retired in 1991 but continued his work at the Home of Compassion and due to a lack of obstetricians continued his work in that discipline at the hospital. He continued in his practice two days a week. He was very much respected in Broken Hill and awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in Broken Hill, in August 1982, and in January 1991 he received a Certificate of Appreciation in the Australia Day Awards for service to the community. He was a founding member of the Broken Hill Lions Club. He was President and was elected a Life Member of the Broken Hill Club Limited and was a keen member and pennant player of the Broken Hill Bowling Club. Graham Bristow Fisk died suddenly at home on 12th October 2011 at 88 years of age. He was survived by his three sons David, Cameron and Peter, and their families. His wife Cam had died in 2009. He is fondly remembered in Broken Hill.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears II: Medical Practitioners of South Australia on Active Service After World War 2 to Vietnam 1945-197.

Summers, Swain, Jelly, Verco

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD