Colin Ferguson Macdonald, a foundation Fellow of the College, died on 10 January 1969 at the age of seventy-three years; and with his death Melbourne medicine lost one of its personalities.

Colin Macdonald was educated at Scotch College and the University of Melbourne where he was in residence at Ormond College. Graduating in 1918, he served as a resident medical officer at the Melbourne, the Women’s and the Infectious Diseases Hospital and with this wide background entered general practice in Warracknabeal, Victoria. After two years in this practice he decided to visit England to undertake the postgraduate course in radiology arranged for candidates for the Cambridge Diploma in Medical Radiology and Electrology.

He obtained the Diploma in 1925 and became an assistant to the well known British radiologist, Dr Robert Knox at King’s College Hospital. On returning to Melbourne, he entered partnership with Dr (later Sir) Stanley Argyle. However, when Argyle left his radiological practice to enter politics and later become premier of Victoria, Colin Macdonald became a partner of another pioneer of Victorian radiology, Herbert Hewlett. These two joined four other Melbourne radiologists in 1932 to form the Melbourne Radiological Clinic.

Macdonald combined two senior hospital appointments with his private practice. He succeeded Hewlett as honorary radiologist at the Children’s (now Royal Children’s) Hospital. He contributed much to paediatric radiology over the long period he served as head of the department. He was held in the highest esteem by his colleagues and contributed regularly at the meetings of the Melbourne Paediatric Society - serving for a time as its president. Following the establishment of a department of radiology at the Women’s (now Royal Women’s) Hospital in 1927, he was appointed radiologist and became director when this position was established. With Milne Sutherland he introduced hysterosalpingography as a diagnostic aid to Melbourne medicine. His contribution to the use of pelvimetry in the assessment of pelvic disproportion was outstanding.

Colin Macdonald contributed much to the radiological literature. He was also interested in people and in history and presented several papers to the Historical Society of Victoria of which he was a fellow. His papers were always well prepared and presented with grace and excellent timing. He excelled as an after-dinner speaker and here the presentation was punctuated with a ready wit and a certain drama. Macdonald remained loyal to his old school and his University. He served on the councils of Scotch College and Ormond College and for many years served on the committee of convocation of the University of Melbourne.

Colin Macdonald is remembered for his fine and strong character, his achievements in medicine, his wide range of interests and his ability as a speaker.