Gallery
Officer, David Mc Master (1868 - 1916)
- Born
- 1868
- Died
- 1916
Tasmania, Australia - Occupation
- Medical practitioner and Paediatric Surgeon
Details
Transcription of item written by Dr Colin Macdonald and published in "The Book of Remembrance", The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, 1956.
DAVID Mc MASTER OFFICER
(1899 - 1903)
David Mc Master Officer was born in 1868, his father being John Officer, a grazier in the Warrnambool district of Victoria.
After attending school at Brighton, Officer worked for some time as assistant to a chemist at Warrnambool and then entered the University of Melbourne, as a resident student at Ormond College.
During a most successful course, Officer won many first class honours and numerous Exhibitions and prizes, holding an open scholarship at Ormond throughout this time.
In his final year he secured Dr. Springthorpe’s prize for ward work at Melbourne Hospital, second place for the University Exhibitions in surgery and in diseases of women, and third class honours in medicine; also honourable mention for the Beaney Scholarship in bacteriology. He graduated M.D. in 1893, and thereafter held appointments as Resident Physician and Surgeon at Melbourne Hospital, 1894-1895, Medical Galvanist at the Children’s Hospital and Resident Surgeon at the Children’s Hospital, 1895-1898.
He gained the M.D. (Melbourne) in 1899. He was appointed to the Honorary Staff of the Women’s Hospital in 1899, retiring in 1903. Officer practised in Collins Street, Melbourne until his death aged 48 while on holiday in Tasmania in 1916, from cerebral haemorrhage. He specialised in the surgery of children and was on the staff of the Children’s Hospital at the time of his death.
He married Elizabeth Forbes Masterton and had two children, Alison Mary, and Forbes John David, born in 1912, who became a Sydney barrister. Officer is said to have been the first doctor in Melbourne to possess a motor car, and was a prominent member of the Savage Club and of the University Club.
Amongst his brothers were Gus Officer, who early in the century was a leading cricketer and footballer in Melbourne and Warrnambool, George Officer, grazier of Woolsthorpe, and Dr. Edward Officer of Perth, well remembered for his prowess as a footballer with the Essendon team early in the century. His nephew is Robert Officer, F.R.C.S. surgeon to the Alfred Hospital.
Archival/Heritage Resources
Royal Women's Hospital Archives
- Book of Remembrance, 1956 - 1975; Royal Women's Hospital Archives [ Details... ].
Prepared by: Robyn Waymouth
Created: 1 August 2006, Last modified: 26 November 2006