With the passing of John Horan after a short illness, Melbourne mourned the loss of a most distinguished physician and classical scholar. John was one of seven children born to John and Anne Horan at Mount Malcolm in Western Australia. He was educated at the Marist College, New Norcia and proceeded to first year science at the University of Western Australia. There being no medical faculty in the West at that time he enrolled at the University of Melbourne where he completed his medical course with many honours in 1930. He held intern posts at the Brisbane General and Royal Melbourne hospitals and from 1934-35 was Medical Superintendent of St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. During his residencies he came under the notice of Sir Sydney Sewell (qv1) and Sir Hugh Devine, and their influence played a major part in moulding him into a consultant physician of the first order.

At St Vincent’s Hospital, as an out-patient physician and later senior physician and Dean of the Clinical School, he excelled at bedside teaching, particularly stressing the importance of the history and physical signs – above all he was a caring compassionate physician who treated all in the same manner. John had a special interest in gastroenterology and in 1937 was one of the first to introduce gastroscopy to Australia, having studied under Schindler in Chicago. He wrote the chapter on gastroscopy in Devine’s Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, published in 1940.

In 1940 John married Margaret Cleland, a daughter of Sir John and Lady Cleland of Adelaide (Sir John was a professor of Pathology and a great naturalist). It was a very happy marriage that lasted 52 years and they had four children – Peter, Ann, Mary and Katherine. Margaret, as well as being a devoted wife and mother, continued practice as a paediatric physician.

His career was interrupted by war service from 1940-44. He was Specialist Physician to 4 AGH, serving in North Africa, Palestine and in Tobruk during the siege. He was later Specialist Physician to 121 AGH in the Northern Territory.

John was a Latin scholar – his love for the language, in particular for Horace’s Odes, commenced in Tobruk and continued for the rest of his life. On retirement he pursued his Latin studies at the University of Melbourne. His very young fellow students were amazed to hear that he matriculated in 1924! Initially he was deeply shocked by the modem translation of Horace but with true resilience he became accustomed to these idiosyncrasies, and even to appreciate the mini skirts and tattered jeans of his fellow students – he himself refused to be modernised, still wearing the inevitable waistcoat and hat. He well thumbed copy of Horace was always on the seat of his car or projecting from his pocket; in his final illness it was on his bedside table.

He was a man of great faith and though I doubt some of the changes in the church appealed to him, with reservations he accepted them. In 1962 Pope Paul VI conferred on him the honour of Knight Commander of St Gregory, an ancient order, rightfully I believe in recognition of his care of at least two Archbishops of Melbourne, many bishops, innumerable priests, nuns and of course laity.

John Patrick Horan was a great and kind man and a truly beloved Physician.