I was born in Brighton, England 1927. I attended secondary schooling at Xaverian College Brighton to 1941. From there I was a cadet on the HMS 'Conway' 1942 to 1943 then deck officer British Merchant Navy late 1943 to 1948. I went onto Queen Mary College and the London Hospital, qualifying in 1955. I did house appointments mainly at the London until migration to Australia in early 1959 with my wife – who I met when I was a house physician at Dover Hospital – and the first of four sons, three others being born later.

In Australia, familiar from ship visits, my first appointment was medical registrar at the Launceston General Hospital. After a happy year, including MRACP in 1960 and a short period in general practice and medical out patients in Launceston, we moved to Melbourne in 1961.

Whilst at the Peter MacCallum Clinic, qualifying in radiation oncology, my interest developed in the increasing field of radio-isotopes in medicine. This enabled me to play a role in the formation of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine and the associated physicians group and their relationship to the college, its training program and to the training of Nuclear Medicine Technologists. In 1966 I was appointed full time specialist to the radio-isotope department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the first such appointment in Victoria. As Director of Nuclear Medicine, I also took part in the Thyroid Clinic and Breast Unit and had Melbourne University teaching involvement.

Outside interests apart from family include squash, skiing, bush walking, Italian studies and music. Bands include The Jazz Doctors, family bands and other groups as a percussionist.

Apposing nuclear weapons and war and becoming involved in the formation and development of the Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW), I was a representative for MAPW at the Noble Peace Prize awarded to the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War in 1985. A truly great occasion.