John Covernton was the son of Hugh Selby Covernton, a much-loved family doctor at the turn of the century in Gawler, a small town some forty kilometres north of Adelaide. Two years after graduation John himself became a general practitioner in that same town, and rapidly identified himself with the life of this rural community. A warm and enthusiastic personality, devoted to his flock, he still somehow found time to carry out a family study on myotonia (for which he was subsequently awarded the MD in 1947), and to pass the examination for Membership of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians that same year.

After seventeen years in general practice John moved in 1951 to Adelaide to work as a specialist physician in a suburban group practice, which enabled him to give more time to the Adelaide Children's Hospital where he had been appointed an honorary assistant physician in 1948. The Paediatric Refresher Week, now an important annual event in the Hospital's postgraduate activities, was largely due to his inspiration and drive.

In 1963 John gave up private practice to take up the newly-created post of consultant paediatrician in the State Department of Mental Health, but retained his honorary links with the Adelaide Children's Hospital. At his instigation the hospital created a diagnostic and assessment unit for mentally retarded children to co-ordinate with the new government service that he was directing.

The next chapter in his life opened when John became the medical director of the Mothers' and Babies' Health Association in 1966, a position which permitted him to continue as consultant paediatrician to the State Department of Mental Health. In this period he was able to set up a system of pre-school examinations which eventually became state-wide.

At various stages in his career he was a consulting paediatrician at the Northfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, an honorary paediatrician at the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital, a member of the Postgraduate Committee in Medicine, and a member of the South Australian state committee of the College.

He will be remembered for his stimulating ideas, his enthusiasm, and his tenacity of purpose, which was not immediately obvious because of his disarming friendliness and charm. He had a happy family life and was the devoted father of five daughters. His death came from cardiac failure shortly after his sixty-first birthday, following a period of semi-invalidity.