JG Sleeman was born in Tylden in Victoria, where his father was a schoolmaster. After attending Scotch College in Melbourne he went on to the University of Melbourne to study medicine. That he should have chosen to do this is not surprising as he had three uncles who were doctors and, maintaining this tradition, his only brother, three nephews and, finally, his only son entered the medical profession.

Immediately after graduating in 1915, `Slee' and some of his fellow-graduates went to England and enlisted in the RAMC. At the end of his service the ship in which he was returning to Australia struck a mine in the Indian Ocean and sank. In the Second World War he volunteered to go overseas, but was accepted for home service with the rank of major. On his return to civilian life he was resident medical officer at the Bendigo Base Hospital, did some work as a locum tenens and then set up in practice at Merino in western Victoria. It was from there that in 1925 he applied successfully for the position of medical superintendent at the Adelaide Hospital. It was not until I was a house-surgeon in 1927 that I came to know him at all well. Then as surgical registrar I worked more closely with him and, the better I knew him, the more I respected and admired him.

In those days the medical superintendent lived in a house in the hospital grounds, which meant that he was readily available to give clinical and other advice to his less experienced juniors. Very little that went on in the Hospital escaped his notice and he took the trouble to get to know the members of the resident staff, which led to his making some very shrewd assessments of both their abilities and their shortcomings. He was a strict although just disciplinarian, but what we admired most about him were his clinical acumen, his ability as a teacher and his loyalty to his subordinates. Almost every evening he would be in the wards and frequently he was accompanied by a group of resident medical officers to whom he imparted clinical instruction and often some worldly wisdom as well. His teaching both as medical superintendent and, later, as an honorary was of a high order and he had the reputation of being outstanding in the practical elucidation of clinical problems at the bedside.

He retired from the appointment of medical superintendent in 1937, after a very successful term of office, and entered private practice. He also took up the post of chief medical officer for tuberculosis services in South Australia. Other appointments that reflected his interest in tuberculosis were physician to the chest clinic at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and visiting specialist at the Repatriation Hospital. In 1946 he became an honorary assistant physician at the Royal Adelaide Hosiptal, but had to retire on reaching the age of sixty years without achieving senior status. He also made a major contribution to the work of the Tuberculous Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Association of South Australia.

Sleeman had two hobbies - one was golf and the other etching. The former he played regularly and with considerable proficiency, while, as an etcher, he produced some very good work, although he was almost entirely self-taught.