Brian Hellings was born in Brighton, a bay-side suburb of Melbourne, where he lived most of his life. He was the only child of Daniel C Hellings and his wife Marion (nee Lister). His secondary education was at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and in his matriculation year he gained a government senior scholarship to Melbourne University. He topped every year of his medical course including final year. He obtained first class honours in eight of the eleven subjects studied during the six years undergraduate course and obtained the exhibition in four of them.

After two years as a resident medical officer at the Melbourne Hospital he enlisted in the AIF in May 1940, was married in October 1940 and sailed to the Middle East in November 1940. He was RMO to the 2/8 Field Regiment and served in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and El Alamein. On his return to Australia he was posted initially to an Army Hospital in Ballarat, and in October 1943 to the Darwin Hospital as a specialist physician with the rank of major. In 1946 Hellings was awarded his doctorate of medicine by the University of Melbourne. He had planned to embark on postgraduate surgical training overseas, but after six years away from home in the army he was not prepared to leave his family again. After the war he entered general practice at Brighton, in partnership with Dr Willing who later was replaced by Dr JB Catchlove. He remained in this practice until his forced retirement, because of severe arthritis. During that time he gained the confidence and respect of the public.

He had many interests beyond the field of medicine. He was a competent pianist and a lover of classical music and opera. In addition he was a keen philatelist and coin collector. He is survived by his wife Eileen, two daughters and a son.