biographies

Brett, Percy Gore (1879 - 1968)

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

Born
20 September 1879
Beechworth, Victoria, Australia
Died
5 December 1968
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Gynaecologist, Medical Practitioner and Obstetrician

Details

Transcription of item written by Dr Ivon Hayes and published in "The Book of Remembrance", The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, 1969.


PERCY GORE BRETT

Percy Gore Brett, who had reached his ninetieth year, died at Melbourne after a long and distressing illness on December 5, 1968.

His father, William Gore Brett, was Sheriff at Beechworth during the gold-rush days of the 1850’s, and was well acquainted with Robert O’Hara Burke, sergeant of police at Beechworth, and later, the leader of the badly-managed and ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition of 1861. Brett was also intimately concerned with the activities of the Kelly gang, for he was close to the centre of the area in which they operated. He was later appointed Governor of Pentridge Gaol, and subsequently Inspector-General of Penal Establishments in Victoria, a position he held until his retirement.

Percy Brett was born at Beechworth on September 20, 1879, one of a large family, of whom 10 boys survived. He was adopted by an aunt who lived near Port Fairy, and at the age of 10 he moved to Portarlington, where he attended the local State school. Four years later he was enrolled at the Geelong College, whose founder and principal was the erudite Dr. George Morrison. Here he showed the aptitude for sport, and during his last two years was a member of both the football and the tennis teams; he also won the quarter mile and the pole vault at the college sports in his final year. He was popular at school and for a time many years later was president of the Old Geelong Collegians. He matriculated at the age of 19, and went to Melbourne to begin his medical course.

His university years were not marked with any distinction, but in the final honours list he was placed ninth. He continued his sport, and played tennis and lacrosse, but his best effort was to become vice-captain of the University B lacrosse team. He appears to have suffered some financial stringency, for during the long vacations he worked as a jackaroo on a station near Stawell to help pay his university fees; his wages, 17s. 6d. per week and keep, were increased to 30s. during harvesting season. He completed his medical course without interruption, and gained the degrees of M.B. in 1903 and B.S. in 1904.

At that time, only the first eight on the honours list were appointed residents at the Melbourne Hospital, so Brett had to seek elsewhere. He found a position at the Warrnambool Hospital, which had taken its first resident only the year before. After nine months, he obtained the post of resident surgeon to out-patients at the Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, where he remained for two years and nine months. There were four resident surgeons, two out-patient and two in-patient - the latter being the senior - and the senior in-patients surgeon acted as superintendent; Percy held the post during his last nine months. In those days, during the summer months many wards were filled with patients suffering from typhoid fever, and at all times diphtheria and infantile diarrhoea were prevalent. The members of the honorary staff, all men of great repute, were Jeffrey Wood, Richard Stawell, Charles Ryan, Peter Bennie and Hobill Cole; and the residents, who in their turn were to attain to a similar high standing, were Frank Andrew, Stewart Ferguson, Harvey Sutton, Arthur Morris and Hume Turnbull.

After leaving the Children’s Hospital, Percy acted as locum tenens for a period of six months and Albury and Wangaratta, and experienced the hardships and inconveniences of country medical practice in the horse-and-buggy age; long journeys at night to outlying farms were common, but they did not absolve him from his daily stint of duties.

In 1909 he began practice in Power Street, Hawthorn, and was appointed assistant out-patient surgeon at the Children’s Hospital. In 1914 he bought Dr R.H. Morrison’s practice in Toorak, where he practised for nearly 40 years. He left Toorak in 1952, to carry on practice in Collins Street.

Owing to absences at the war, the honorary staff at the Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, was considerably reduced, and Percy acted for a time as locum tenens; but in 1917 he was appointed honorary surgeon, and he resigned from the position he held at the Children’s Hospital. He spent seven years as an obstetric surgeon, and them moved to the gynaecological department, where he remained for 15 long years before his promotion to the in-patient gynaecological staff; his enjoyment of this senior office lasted one year only before his retirement at the age of 60 in 1939. This misfortune arose principally from the increase in the number of the honorary staff from 12 to 16 in 1914. In 1917 the senior surgeons were Felix Meyer, George Horne, Reggie (R.H.) Morrison and Cairns Lloyd, and the next honorary to be appointed after Percy was Arthur Wilson in 1920.

During World Was 1, Percy served part-time at the Base Hospital, Melbourne; in both World Wars he acted as Area Medical Officer.

He was admitted to the fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1929.

Percy Brett was of average height, but of solid build. His disposition appeared sober and serious, and although not pessimistic, he was continually beset by worries and anxieties. The cause of this temperamental peculiarity was obscure; perhaps it originated in his childhood, for after his graduation his career was highly successful and fortunate and he enjoyed good health until his last decade. Among his intimate friends he lost his reticence and became warm and friendly with an impish sense of humour; in this mood he loved to relate anecdotes of the early social and medical life of well-known personalities and their activities. All who knew Percy liked him, for he was agreeable, kept his own counsel and spoke ill of none. He lacked brilliance, but he more than compensated for this by his diligence, his reliability and his integrity. His qualities were recognised by his patients, for he had a large practice. As an honorary he was loyal to his colleagues, helpful to his residents and courteous to the nursing staff. Tennis was his life-long recreation, and with a small coterie of similarly-minded friends, some of whom, like Brett himself, were of first-class standard, he continued to play at an age when most others have relinquished all sporting activities.

Percy Brett married Amy Isabel Young, of Horsham, in 1911, and they had three children, a daughter, Elise, and two sons, Stewart and Maxwell, both of whom graduated, the former in law, the latter in medicine.

Archival/Heritage Resources

Royal Women's Hospital Archives

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

Prepared by: Robyn Waymouth

Created: 21 September 2006, Last modified: 26 November 2006