biographies

McArthur, Arthur Norman (1869 - 1950)

M.B. (Melb), M.R.C.S. (Eng.), F.A.C.S. (Hon.), F.R.A.C.S.

Born
12 July 1869
Camperdown, Victoria, Australia
Died
11 December 1950
Australia
Occupation
Gynaecologist, Medical practitioner and Obstetrician

Details

Transcription of item written by Dr Colin Macdonald and published in "The Book of Remembrance", The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, 1956.


ARTHUR NORMAN McARTHUR
(1903 - 1909)

There have been few more colourful persons in the medical world of Australia than Arthur Norman McArthur, affectionately called "Potts" by his many friends. He lived to the eightieth year of a very full life in his profession of medicine, in lusty sports, such as boxing, polo and foxhounds, and in public and philanthropic interests. Into whatever he pursued, McArthur threw his whole heart and great physical and mental powers.

McArthur was the fifth son of Peter McArthur, pioneer pastoralist of the Western District of Victoria. Born at "Meningoort", his father’s station, near Camperdown, on July 12 1869, educated at Geelong College, and studying medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he was a resident in Ormond, he finished his course in London, becoming M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. in 1895. Three years later he was appointed House Surgeon in the Launceston General Hospital. Returning to England to marry Mellicent, daughter of Wickham Noakes of Selsdon Park, Surrey. McArthur subsequently commenced practice as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Collins Street, Melbourne.

In 1903 he took the degrees of Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Medicine of the University of Melbourne, and was appointed Honorary Obstetric and Outpatient Surgeon to the Women’s Hospital.

In 1905 he began a long period of association with St. Vincent’s Hospital, eventually becoming its Senior Honorary Gynaecologist. He resigned his Women’s Hospital appointed in 1909 and ceased to practice obstetrics.

McArthur’s interests in the field of medicine were varied, his achievements many and he evolved some special operative techniques. One of them was demonstrated to Dr. William Mayo (of Rochester U.S.A.) when the latter visited Australia in 1924; this resulted in McArthur being elected a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He organized a fund which raised £6,000 to buy radium for St. Vincent’s Hospital, and was prominent in a campaign, under the Chairmanship of Mr. B.T. Zwar, to organize cancer clinics.

He was a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and a member of Council of the Victorian Branch of the British Medical Association (being first elected thereto in 1916). McArthur was a regular contributor to "The Medical Journal of Australia" on the subjects in which he specialized.

Outside medicine, McArthur’s great loves were sport and country life. He was a University blue in both cricket and football and was an amateur boxer of the top grade, in London in student days being runner-up in the inter-hospital heavyweight championship. He was for many years Chairman of the Victorian Amateur Boxing and Wrestling Championships. He played polo from early youth, was captain of the Melbourne Polo Club for four years, and with his three elder brothers had formed a famous polo team of his early years in the Western District.

Field shooting was possibly his favourite pastime and the openings of the quail and duck seasons were sacred - no professional work then. Accompanying this was active interest in game and native flora and fauna preservation. He was for many years Chairman of the Game Preservation Society of Victoria, and of the Advisory Council of Fauna and Flora of Victoria.

In his latter years, McArthur became more and more crippled with osteoarthritis of the hips, but his lively sense of humour never deserted him and right to the end he was ready to tell a good story from an unending fund of reminiscences.

He died on December 11th 1950 and his final jest was to leave a sum of money in order that his friends could hold a "wake". So, after the funeral these friends foregathered and drank a toast to "good shooting in the next world". Norman McArthur was a fine and generous personality, one of the best sons of Victoria’s squatting era, and a man of exceptionally wide accomplishments.

Archival/Heritage Resources

Royal Women's Hospital Archives

  • Book of Remembrance, 1956 - 1975; Royal Women's Hospital Archives [ Details... ].

Prepared by: Robyn Waymouth

Created: 19 September 2006, Last modified: 26 November 2006