Peter MacCallum’s academic career is partly summarised in the titles and degrees set out above, but he was as rich or richer in other fine human qualities. He was born in Glasgow in 1885 and his parents left for Christchurch, New Zealand, the following year.

Young MacCallum had to make his way by scholarships through school to university where he graduated Master of Arts and Master of Science (NZ) with prominence in athletics and football (Rugby, of course!). He worked as an accountant and as a school teacher to save £400 pounds to see him through the Edinburgh Medical School.

At Edinburgh he shone in the medical course, first-class in all except ear, nose and throat and public health, for which he compensated by taking the DPH. He was a double blue (Rugby and athletics) and was somewhat wistful at not getting a Scottish cap for Rugby. He graduated in 1914 in time to go as a captain in the RAMC (SR) to France. He saw action with 56 Field Ambulance at a dozen horror battles at Ypres and the Somme, before being gassed and invalided to England with an MC and two MIDs.

He went back to New Zealand on leave, but returned to Edinburgh with his long-time betrothed, Bella D McI Cross, MA DSc (NZ). He became a lecturer in pathology, she in botany. In 1924 he was appointed to the chair of pathology, Melbourne, which had become vacant due to the severe illness of Sir Harry Allen after forty-two years in the chair. The other two professors, Berry in anatomy and Osborne in physiology, had been here since 1905 and 1904 respectively, so MacCallum came as a new look to an ancient scene.

MacCallum could not tolerate the state of the school and became a ‘stirrer’. He supported Berry’s design for a new medical school on its present site with the Royal Melbourne Hospital opposite. Berry did not see this happen, but only ten years after his arrival MacCallum was one of the three organisers who secured the building of the new hospital there. He represented the professors on the council of the University from 1932 to 1950 and was one of the ‘stirrers’ who obtained the appointment of a full-time vice-chancellor, Sir Raymond Priestley. He was in the field to get the first clinical chair created in 1929. In 1939 he became dean of the faculty of medicine, succeeding Osborne. He relinquished this for three years, 1944-46, while he was chairman of the professorial board, but continued on council. He was chairman of the College of Dentistry for many years, 1941-63 and saw it into its new building. As president (1946) of the British Medical Association (Victorian branch) he had much to do with the centenary meeting of the parent body which was held in Victoria. He was a member of the Medical Board of Victoria 1945-62. He retired from his chair at the University in 1950, was elected professor emeritus and was elected by convocation to council and continued on it until 1961 when his arteriosclerosis called for retirement.

In 1940 he was appointed Director of Pathology, AAMC with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He served on the Committee on Chemical Warfare and advised the Red Cross, especially on blood transfusion. In 1941 he became the War Organiser of Medical Personnel and in 1945 chairman of the Victorian Regional Committee for Post-War Reconstruction to rehabilitate university students and personnel.

He was chairman of the executive of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria from 1946 to 1963, which led to the Patterson Report on the need for a central cancer institute. He followed this up until the Cancer Institute Act was brought down in March 1949 and the Institute became a reality. It operated first at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and then, from 1954, on its present site, with MacCallum a member of the board. It was named the Peter MacCallum Clinic in 1950. In 1951, he was elected national chairman of the Australian Red Cross Society, which occupied him fully until 1957. In 1953 he was created a knight, nominated by Labor ex-Premier, Jack Cain, to the Liberal Government. He prepared the report on which the medical school in the University of Western Australia was based.

These are great achievements but still do not fully represent Peter MacCallum: why did so many love him and literally nobody think ill of him? He was in all respects a gentleman. He was polite but never allowed liberties. He was absolutely partial to what he considered right and absolutely resolute against what he considered wrong. He was a companionable person who liked doing things in company. Consequently his great contributions to medicine were organising departments, schools, hospitals and universities, where he had an intuitive sense of values, and being a Socratic companion to those in his ambience who were doing research. His own scientific bibliography is slight - the very large volume of published material from his department all bears the mark of his dialogue. He was the product of a deep education to exacting standards. His monuments are in the institutions he generated and the lives he enriched.

He had three daughters of his first marriage, Monica MA who is a lecturer in history and philosophy of science, University of Melbourne, Bel BA and Anne. His son Peter MB BS, a general practitioner, is the only child of his second marriage to Ursula L Grace in 1928. There were no children of his third marriage in 1946 to Frieda M Davies.