Bruce Robinson was born in Heidelberg, Victoria in 1907, the son of Justin Robinson who practised dentistry in Carlton. He was educated at Wesley College Melbourne, trained initially in pharmacy at the Melbourne College of Pharmacy and after qualifying worked in Hobart. He began his medical course in the University of Melbourne in 1933, did well, with honours in most subjects and obtained his MB BS in 1939. His academic record won him a resident position at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1940, where he worked, amongst others, for Sir Alan Newton and Dr Stewart Cowen. His future career as a physician was much influenced by Cowen, whom he greatly admired. His style and deportment in later life also evidenced his admiration of Newton. He then enlisted in the Army and served as a captain in New Guinea.

After his discharge from the Army he decided to train as a physician, and while studying obtained an appointment as lecturer and demonstrator in the pathology department of the University of Melbourne. While in this position he undertook one of the earliest clinicopathological surveys of sarcoidosis in Australia. He obtained his MD degree in 1945 and his Membership of the College in 1946. He was elected a Fellow of the College in 1967. He held a position as assistant physician to outpatients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital 1946-47 and later held a similar position at Prince Henry's Hospital 1950-51. He was then appointed consultant physician to the Mental Hygiene Authority of Victoria, a position he held until his sudden death in 1972.

From the time he obtained his postgraduate degrees his interests turned increasingly to the emotional reactions to illness and to psychosomatic medicine. He was a founder of the Jung Society of Melbourne and president from its inception to his death. In his practice Bruce was a patient and sympathetic listener. He kept excellent records in a good hand and allocated an hour and a half to a new patient. He was always meticulous about his appearance and his professional relationships with his colleagues.

Bruce had a great love of the Australian outdoors and travelled widely throughout the country. He died suddenly while still in active practice. His publications, in addition to his work on sarcoidosis, included papers on psychosomatic disorders and emotional reactions to illness. He also published an account of his wartime experiences in New Guinea under the title Record of Service