Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

ROBERTSON Ian

MB ChB FRCPA

1926 – 1993

Ian Robertson was born in South Africa, on 26th February 1926, in Escombe (Durban) Natal. He was the younger son of Alexander McGregor Robertson and Agnes McCrae, nee Bremmer. Robertson had an elder brother, Duncan. His father was born, in Brisbane, of Scottish parents and was an engineer working on the cane railways in Queensland. His mother was born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. His parents moved to South Africa where Robertson attended Malvern primary school in Natal. He then went to the Durban Boys High School and matriculated in 1943. He studied medicine at Cape Town University and graduated MB ChB, in 1948. This was followed by his internship at the King Edward V111 hospital in Durban. He was a surgical registrar during the African/Indian riots in Durban. The Durban riot was a violent anti-Indian riot predominantly by the Zulus who targeted mostly poor Indians.  Many were injured; 142 people died, and 58 shops, 247 dwellings and a factory were destroyed. Robertson had a second internship at the Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, in June 1949. It was here that he became interested in pathology through Professor Frank Forman and his wife Golda, who was a pathologist. He returned to Natal to a general practice in Escombe.  Six months later he joined the Cape Province Medical Service in the Government Pathology Laboratory in East London, South Africa.  Here he worked with, government pathologist, Dr Bill Davis and his wife, Lucy, who later both transferred to Cape Town, and the position of government pathologist was taken by, his lifelong friend, Dr “Ockie” Gordon.  He married Joan Max, a registered nurse, who had just finished her training at the Groote Schuur Hospital. They were to have five children. Robertson then filled a six month vacancy at the Government Laboratory in Cape Town, and lived for the last three months in Hout Bay. He returned to Durban in 1953 to take up the position of Chief Government Pathologist. He gained a grant to study forensic pathology in the United Kingdom, where he worked at Guy’s Hospital, London, under Professor Keith Simpson. He then spent four months working in Belgium and Denmark at the Karolinska Institute.

Robertson was offered a four year contract as a pathologist with the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS) in Adelaide, in 1962. He immigrated to Australia with his wife Joan and four of his children, in March 1962, from Amsterdam.  They were to have another daughter Judith soon after coming to Australia. Robertson was granted his medical degree ad eundem gradum from the University of Adelaide. After completing his contract with IMVS he joined the private practice of Gribbles Pathology.

While at Gribbles Pathology he enlisted in the CMF.  Because his father was born in Brisbane he could join the Australian Army as a ‘citizen born abroad’.  He undertook a short service commission and served as a pathologist, in 1 Aust FdHosp in Vietnam, for three months from 3rd December 1969 until 11th March 1970.

After returning to Australia he remained at Gribbles Pathology until his retirement. His major interest was malignant melanoma and he published several papers on the subject in the Medical Journal of Australia.  He was a widely respected expert on malignant melanoma.  He had two major heart attacks and a triple by-pass but his heath continued to deteriorate and Ian Robertson died, on 20th August 1993. He was survived by his wife, Joan and five children; Barbara Ann, Derek, Margaret, Shirley and Judith, and thirteen grandchildren. His daughter, Barbara Anne, has since died in 2002 from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

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