Ken was born in Melbourne on April 23 1912, the eldest of five boys. He was educated at Scotch College where his father was a teacher, and at Melbourne University. After graduating in 1935 he moved to Perth where he spent the next twenty-eight years. Eight of those years were in a busy general practice with a number of underprivileged patients, a period which gave him great satisfaction. In 1949 he gained his MRCP and later that year was appointed an honorary consultant physician to Royal Perth Hospital.

He had a long and happy association with the AMP, beginning in 1951 as assistant chief medical officer and later as chief medical officer in Perth and then, in 1963, as assistant chief medical officer and a year later as chief medical officer, Head Office, Sydney. He retired in 1977 but continued to work part time in the insurance industry until his death. During his early years in Sydney he also had an attachment to the Thoracic Unit at the Page Chest Pavilion, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The Australian country-side and its native flora, particularly that of the remote areas from the arid inland to the coastal rainforests were very close to Ken's heart. His other recreational interests included reading and music. He read widely throughout his life and found history particularly rewarding. Although not a concert-goer, he loved music, was an accomplished pianist and in his later years played a small clavichord in his flat. He held no enduring party political allegiances, but held firm views on most political issues and felt strongly about the need for social justice and equal opportunity for all. Ken was a shy man who chose to avoid large gatherings and public performances but who greatly enjoyed the company of his regular friends.