Sir William Crowther was born in Hobart, a scion of a most distinguished Tasmanian family. His forebears were influential and distinguished people in Tasmania, or Van Dieman's Land as it was then known. Sir William was educated at Melbourne University (Ormond College) and graduated with MB BS in 1910. He had a distinguished career in the AIF serving in Gallipoli and France. He was wounded, mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He also served in World War II.

He was a distinguished member of the community in Hobart and indeed all of Tasmania. With his family connections he had close contact with the rich and colourful life of the nineteenth century Victorian era. He was an expert of the Tasmanian aborigines and was concerned with the collection and preservation of the remains of the last members of the tribe. He was closely associated with the Tasmanian Royal Society, Art Gallery and Museum. He had an enormous collection of books and these were subsequently presented to the State Library and are now housed in a separate memorial library. Although he retired from active specialist practice in the late 1940s he continued to run his general practice for his patients for many years.

He was a kindly gentleman, the epitome of good manners and taste and highly respected not only in the medical fraternity but the whole community. Despite advancing years and infirmity he continued to attend College functions until he was approximately ninety years old. He served on the Medical Council of Tasmania for many years, being president from 1952 to 1954. In 1951 he delivered the Archibald Watson Memorial Lecture on 'Surgical training of medical apprentices in Van Dieman's Land'.

Sir William married in 1915 and had one son (William Crowther who is a child psychiatrist). Although he was known as Sir William Crowther, to his friends he was called 'Lokie', no doubt short from Lodewyk. His good manners were exemplified by the fact that he invariably asked the name of any junior intern or resident medical officer if he had to speak to them, always remembered it, and if he had to write to the hospital, he enquired as to the name of the doctor to whom he was speaking, and wrote a letter invariably addressed 'my dear Doctor ...'. This type of gesture certainly makes junior staff remember and respect senior colleagues. His association with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery was extensive and spanned over sixty years, and this is commemorated in a magnificent portrait by William Dargie, just inside the entrance to the Art Gallery. The portrait is, I consider, of great merit and is a fitting tribute to a distinguished man.