Doug was the son of a general practitioner who practised first in Beeac, then in Geelong. He grew up in Geelong and was educated at Geelong College. He was an all-rounder, with a scholarship in his final year and a place in the first eleven, which included Lindsay Hassett. While studying medicine at Melbourne University he was a resident at Ormond College with men such as Weary Dunlop and Jock Frew (qv2) as his peers.

After graduation, Doug was a junior RMO, then a registrar at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He decided on pathology as a career, a brave step in those days, and became a part time assistant to Redford Wright Smith, the anatomical pathologist at the RMH and did part time pathology at Prince Henry’s Hospital. In 1940 he also was appointed as a research scholar to work under Hans Bettinger, (qv1) the pathologist to the Royal Women’s Hospital.

He joined the AAMC in 1941 and was posted to the 2/11 AGH serving overseas at Lae in New Guinea. On demobilisation he was appointed in 1946 as senior lecturer in pathology to the University of Sydney, but in 1947 he became full-time pathologist to Prince Henry’s Hospital, Melbourne. In 1951 he was appointed as anatomical pathologist to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, succeeding Edgar King, (qv1) who moved to the post of Professor of Pathology. He was a Professorial Associate in Pathology to the University of Melbourne from 1951 to 1978.

Doug took a leading role at the RMH, being Chairman of Medical Staff from 1974 to 1976. He was the first Chairman of the Division of Investigational Medicine. He reorganised cytopathology at the RMH, and Dr Ben Wadham was appointed to look after this area in Doug’s department.

He was very active in teaching. The postmortem examination in his earlier years was often attended by clinicians and the rate of postmortems approached 100%. But as social pressures changed and permission was required there was a dramatic fall off and a decline of interest by clinicians. On Thursdays after lunch, Doug demonstrated diseased organs of interest to a range of aspiring physicians and pathologists. These were colloquially known as his organ recitals. He played a leading role in Friday lunchtime meetings with beautiful microphotographs to illustrate the various speakers’ points.

One of his innovations was unit slide sessions. In these he used microscopic projection, he was an expert at having the right equipment and knowing how to use it. Many registrars were introduced to the mysteries of the classification of lymphomas at these sessions, which he ran for several specialties. Many of his ex registrars and assistants achieved prominent positions.

Doug was a brilliant histologist. He had an unerring accuracy at identifying specialised cell morphology and tissue patterns and their abnormalities. He also knew when to get another opinion, and he was frequently used for a second opinion by his colleagues. He retired from the RMH in 1978, but remained as consultant to the Hospital, as a very active consultant to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and as a consultant to the coroner. He was made a Fellow of Whitley College in 1980.

The Australian Association of Clinical Pathologists was formed in 1948. He was its secretary in 1951. It was this body which became the basis for the College (later Royal College) of Pathologists of Australasia. Doug was one of those instrumental in the formation of the College and served as an examiner, state specialist, vice president and as president from 1967 to 1969.

He advised the Preston and Northcote Hospital and the Western General Hospital in the setting up of their pathology services. Until the coronial pathology service was specialised, he was a provider of support to the previously inadequate service. He was also consultant pathologist to the RAAF.

Doug was not a big man physically but he had abundant energy and always seemed in a hurry. He was usually referred to as “Doc Hicks” or just “the Doc”. He was a tidy person except for his desk, which seemed to be weighed down by a mountain of slides and papers, but after a brief scrabble he could always find what was wanted.

Doug contributed many medical publications. His paper on malignant melanoma with Rank and Wakefield was outstanding and he had several papers on vascular changes in renal disease. He progressed with the times, keeping up with and using recent developments.

Apart from a continued interest in cricket, Doug played tennis, golf and later bowls. He was interested in mechanical things, particularly cars. He had a succession of up-market cars of which the E-type Jaguar was the most exotic. He was a keen photographer with a good understanding of optics and photographic film.

He married Mavis Morgan in 1938. Like Doug, she was the daughter of a Geelong general practitioner. It was a long, happy and fruitful marriage. They had two sons and a daughter. Seven years before his death he suffered a disabling stroke, necessitating a move to a nursing home.

Doug was one of the founders of sound and specialized pathology in Australia and a great practical teacher.