Alan Bromwich

Alan Bromwich OBE KStJ RFD
General Surgeon
23 February 1924 - 18 October 2015

Mr Alan Bromwich OBE KStJ RFD MB BS FRCS FRACS had the reputation of a fearless and fast surgeon, but at the same time a gentle and knowledgeable man.

Born in England in 1924, Alan graduated in Medicine from King's College Cambridge in 1945, then served with the Royal Air Force from 1946 to 1948. Thereafter he gained his English surgical fellowship and worked as a Surgical Registrar, until by 1956 he was tempted to work overseas. For two and a half years he found himself in Aden, South Arabia, as surgeon in the oil refinery, but left due to the deteriorating security situation.

Alan and his family moved to Australia in 1958 to occupy the position of Chief Surgeon at Darwin Hospital. With only seven doctors in the hospital a general surgeon had to be versatile, carrying out procedures that nowadays would be performed by Orthopaedic Surgeons, Gynaecologists and ENT Surgeons. He could remove an appendix 7 minutes or resect small bowel in 15 minutes. He repaired the fractured hip of a 92 year old lady and a 3 year old girl. He refused to wear a name badge and would only use a big scalpel plus hand held needles.

He trained many new Surgical Registrars, usually two on rotation at the one time from Sydney. He visited Katherine in 1975 and from then on actively supported the only two GP's there for decades. The new ward at Katherine Hospital was named in his honour in 1989.

Alan was an inaugural Board member of St John Ambulance Australia (NT) Inc. in 1973 and was appointed to Commissioner from 1978 to 1983. Alan held the position of President of the Board from 1997 to his retirement in 2012.

Alan was instrumental in the beginnings of the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin. He contributed a lifetime of service to the army reserve and regularly drank at their Larrakeyah Barracks. Alan retired from public surgical practice in 1981 as he refused to work in the new Royal Darwin Hospital, but continued in private practice for the next ten years or so. After retirement Alan continued his interest in surgery, regularly attending the Darwin hospital's surgical meetings. He finally left Darwin to be closer to family, in 2012.

Alan died peacefully on the 18 October 2015, after a protracted illness from which there was no hope of recovery. Alan was a friend and mentor to many and an inspiration to all aspiring and active Northern Territory Surgeons. From his work, many lives were saved and much suffering was alleviated. Most notably, he led the Surgical Response to Cyclone Tracy in 1974.

Mr John Treacy FRACS

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