Born on 24 July 1925 by the first caesarean section performed at St John of God Hospital, Goulburn, he was christened St John, but as an overly tall, (6 ft. 5 in.), overly shy, overly bright, farm boy the sainthood was an embarrassment that he felt he didn’t deserve and entered himself into university as Bruce John. Thereafter he was always known as “BJ”.

His father Nathaniel Henry served in the 12th Light Horse on Gallipoli where he won the Military Medal and was granted a commission. Subsequently he returned to the land and married Louisa May McKie, who bore him three sons. The first died at birth, hence the caesarean for Bruce, and Edward Don was the third.

From Bungendore Public School, of which he was dux (and the only university graduate for 40 years), at 13 he proceeded to Canberra High School leaving as vice-captain and winner of the Ex-Students Cup for Scholarship, Sportsmanship and Citizenship.

Armed with an Exhibition and a Canberra Scholarship he entered Sydney University medical faculty and St. Andrews College in 1943. An outstanding student in many ways, he graduated Hons 2 in 1948 in an era of very scarce Hons 1.

Two years residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) was followed by two years pathology in the Fairfax Institute at RPAH and then general practice at Fairfield. As a busy GP he gained Membership of the RACP in 1956. He subsequently commenced consultant practice in the western suburbs of Sydney, whose populace and medical practitioners he served with distinction for the next 40 years.

He had honorary appointments and beds at Liverpool, Fairfield and Blacktown Hospitals and at St Joseph’s Hospital, Auburn. Despite this prodigious work load he was determined to keep up with ‘The Whips’, as he called them, so took up an associate cardiologist’s position at The Hallstrom Institute, RPAH, where he conducted an outpatient session and attended both thoracic and cardiac clinical meetings weekly for some 30 years. Always self-deprecating, he assessed his achievements as ‘those of a suburban or provincial galloper, more suited to Kembla Grange than to Royal Randwick’. Manifestly untrue.

In 1951 he married Pamela Forrester, a former RPAH nurse. She was his lifelong supporter, adviser, and best mate and together they produced three boys and two girls: Gordon, David, Sally, Sara and Scott. They remained a close family until his death from biliary cancer on 24 Dec 2000.

BJ dabbled regularly in several sports and was an enthusiastic spectator of most. He read widely and they consistently subscribed to theatre and music series. His extensive library reflected these interests particularly his cricket collection featuring “The Don”. He made strong friendships and no enemies and was always a great support in a tight clinical situation and wonderful company on social occasions. It was widely held that his assured climb to the top of the ladder at RPAH was halted by his offering Sir Herbert Schlink, then chairman of the board, some unsolicited advice on how better to run his hospital at a memorable Reunion Golf Dinner.

BJ never regretted the sideways move.