Douglas Gauld died in the Epworth Hospital after a short illness associated with a cerebrovascular event. He was aged 84 years.

He graduated with honours from Melbourne University in 1939 and after a period as Junior and Senior Resident at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, served as a medical officer with the 2nd AIF in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. His life long interest in thoracic disease commenced during his army service with an attachment to the tuberculosis service at RGH Heidelberg and 116th AGH Bonegilia.

As the first of the Wunderly Scholars, during 1949 and 1950 he studied current concepts of tuberculosis management at Midhurst and the Brompton Hospital, returning to Australia in 1951. From 1948, he held appointments as Physician to Prince Henry's Hospital and the Repatriation Hospital, retiring from these in 1980. He continued in private practice.

His contributions to thoracic medicine have been through personal contact, example and teaching rather than through scientific publications. He was one of that 1961 group who founded the Thoracic Society. Generations of medical officers have learnt the art of bronchoscopy (rigid until the early 1970s, fibre-optic thereafter) at his sessions and can attest to the value of his teaching and experience.

From 1963 to 1985 he gave invaluable service to the Asthma Foundation of Victoria, serving as its first Medical and Scientific Committee Chairman, as an original Board Member and as President (1976 to 1983), Life Governor and Lillian Roxon Fund Trustee.

Doug will be remembered as a kindly, if somewhat taciturn man, highly respected by his colleagues, who did not offer an opinion or give advice unless it was sought. Once given however, it was invariably priceless.