Edward Wilson was born in Melbourne, and lived most of his early childhood in Bendigo. He later attended Scotch College, Melbourne, where in his final year he was a champion swimmer and topped the School in geometry and trigonometry. At Melbourne University he won a blue for swimming and graduated MB BS with honours in 1936. He graduated BSc (Melb) in 1937. He gained appointments to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and to the Children's Hospital, and graduated MD (Melb) in 1939. In the same year he passed the MRACP. He was a recipient of the Alcock and Alwyn Stewart Scholarships for pathology research in 1939 and 1940 (University of Melbourne).

In 1940 Edward Wilson was appointed a fellow in surgery at the Prince Henry Hospital, and in 1941 qualified MS (Melb). During these two years at the Prince Henry Hospital he gained much experience in operative surgery. He appreciated at this time the privilege of working with Sir Hugh Poate. In 1942 he passed the FRACS examination and in the same year commenced four and a half years of service in the Australian Army Medical Corps, reaching the rank of major, and serving in New Guinea in a forward operating team and later on the Faroe Islands.

His pursuit of a unique number of qualifications continued with the FACS (1944), MSc (Melb) (1945) and during two years in London the FRCS (1946) and FRCSE (1947). He was often referred to as `alphabetical' Wilson on account of the accumulation of letters after his name. It was undoubtedly his appointment at St Mark's Hospital in London that directed his surgical career with such impetus and success towards colo-rectal surgery. In 1948 he returned to Sydney and was appointed to the staffs of Sydney Hospital and St George Hospital.

Wilson's contributions to surgery were those of a decisive, purposeful, logical and informed surgeon who worked rapidly with confidence that he could solve any surgical problems presented to him. His seventy-seven publications and two books reflected his areas of main interest, which were sphincter-saving procedures for cancer of the rectum, colitis, ileostomy care, anal fistula and the history of proctological surgery. His influence gave great stimulus to the development of colo-rectal surgery in Australia, and his stature in this facilitated the development of the first colo-rectal unit in Australia, at Sydney Hospital in 1971.

He was the only surgeon to be chairman of the section of colonic and rectal surgery of the RACS on two occasions (1964, 1971). He was one of the first Australian surgeons to be elected as an honorary fellow of the American Proctologic Society (1971). He was a foundation member, president and medical adviser to the Ileostomy Association of NSW.

This independent and tireless man was in fact very shy, and many were surprised how warm a personality was revealed after a long period of `getting to know him'. In 1972 he graduated BA (Macquarie University) maintaining his energetic quest for knowledge to the last year of his life.