John Hall-Jones
John Hall-Jones OBE FRACS
14 September 1927 - 19 November 2015
Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgeon
John Hall-Jones had a truly remarkable career. As a surgeon he exemplified the qualities of a skilled and dedicated doctor providing the best possible patient care from a sole specialist practice. As an adventurer he gained an internationally respected knowledge of New Zealand's remote and rugged Fiordland. As an author he was recognised for his understanding, sensitivity and humour in creating numerous permanent records for everyone who wants to enjoy the challenges, beauty and history of southern New Zealand.
John was born in Invercargill, where his father, Frederick Hall-Jones, was a lawyer and historian. His mother was Marjorie Camo Thompson. He had two older brothers, Geoffrey and Ted, and a younger brother, Gerard. Ted was killed aged 21 on active service with the Royal Air Force. John attended Waihopai Primary School until age 12 and was then sent to board at Christ's College in Christchurch. There he was a member of the school shooting team, having gained considerable additional experience during holidays on the North Canterbury farms of classmates. The family bought a holiday house on the foreshore of Lake Te Anau in 1932 and this was to greatly influence John's life. It provided John the opportunity to develop a love for this rugged part of New Zealand and with his two brothers and their friends the perfect environment to develop their fishing skills.
From secondary school John went to Otago University determined on a career in medicine, rather than law like his father and surviving brothers. He resided in Selwyn College for four years starring in the Selwyn Ballet at the Capping Concert and then had 2 years in private digs. John completed his sixth year in Christchurch and continued there as a junior doctor. This experience included working for ENT surgeons Mr Malcolm Robertson senior and Mr Ross Smith and this shaped his decision to travel to Britain to train as an otolaryngologist, as at that time there was no training programme in New Zealand. On completing his MB ChB John celebrated by tramping through the Haast Pass to the West Coast - this preceding the building of a road. While a junior hospital doctor in Christchurch in the summer of 1955 he became the medical member of a Canterbury Museum project to map an unknown area west of Lake Te Anau beyond its south Fiord. This was his first prolonged expedition and the forerunner of many more.
In common with many other aspiring surgeons at that time, John travelled to England as ship's doctor passing via the Panama Canal to Liverpool. Following 6 month's fulltime study at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital he obtained the Diploma of Laryngology and Otology (along with his contemporary, Malcolm Robertson Jr) and continued there as a house surgeon for 6 months. Subsequently he worked as a registrar at the Royal Infirmary at Stoke on Trent and then at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as registrar to I. Simson Hall and senior registrar to Bernard Coleman. John realised that he was at the beginning of a new era of ear surgery when he assisted Simson Hall perform a stapedectomy. This was one of the first in the UK and completed the morning after Simson Hall had rushed back to Edinburgh after watching John Shea perform the operation in London the previous day! Perhaps even more exciting for John's future was his renewal of an acquaintance with obstetric nursing sister, Pamela Simpson, whom he had met briefly in Christchurch. Sharing a common love for skiing and mountains, their relationship blossomed and they married as John completed his time in Edinburgh. After a skiing honeymoon in Europe they returned separately to New Zealand by sea, John again as the ship's doctor.
John was appointed to Southland Hospital in Invercargill as its first qualified ENT surgeon. At an early stage, with the help of Pamela, he established a private practice. Their son Iain was born in 1960 and their daughter Janet in 1962. Being the sole ENT surgeon in a relatively small provincial centre presented severe challenges for a specialist who was determined to always be up to date, provide the best possible care for his patients while also indulging his passion for the outdoors. John arranged to share responsibilities with colleagues in complementary specialties and with ENT surgeons in Dunedin - 200 km away. This allowed him to be a regular attendee at meetings and courses in New Zealand and overseas. When New Zealand's first stapedectomy was carried out in Dunedin by visiting German surgeon, Detrich Plester, John was there and subsequently took Detrich to his crib in Te Anau and to Milford Sound. John immediately ordered a microscope and was soon carrying out stapedectomies in Invercargill. He subsequently visited Cologne to learn the new techniques of micro-laryngoscopy and was amongst the first to obtain the specialised equipment and carry out the procedure in New Zealand. However, he became best known for the innovative service he established at Southland Hospital for the identification, early diagnosis and subsequent care of deaf babies.
In 1973 at the request of the New Zealand and Australian Otolaryngological Societies John and Pamela organised in Te Anau the Societies' second combined international meeting. With his friend and colleague, Malcolm Robertson, convening the academic program John and Pamela organised a highly successful meeting highlighting the beauty of the region and including travel for all to Milford Sound. Such was the success of this meeting that just three years later they were persuaded to organise and host the New Zealand Otolaryngological Society meeting in Queenstown. John was a powerhouse in the executive of the New Zealand Otolaryngological Society for 11 years including three as secretary and two as its president. He was elected to fellowship of the RACS in 1979.
The stress of working as a sole practitioner while attempting to maintain very high standards was exhausting for John. There was a constant conflict in balancing his responsibility for ensuring a continuing service in Invercargill with the need to get way to conferences and workshops to refresh and maintain his high standards. In 1987, at age 60, he decided to retire from ear, nose and throat practice and focus entirely on his other career as an adventurer, historian and writer.
John's first book had been published in 1968. In the 28 years after "retirement" John travelled extensively in his beloved Fiordland, in Central Otago and Stewart Island and internationally including the Antarctica, and Sub-Antarctic islands, the Himalayas, the Rockies, Patagonia, the Galapagos and most of the Pacific Islands. He retraced his father's First World War adventures in Egypt and made trips back to Europe, especially to Scotland to enjoy with Pamela her family and home country. He continued tramping, climbing and kayaking and only gave up skiing after having his hips replaced. Sometimes he was accompanied by Pamela who often preferred horse back to walking. He recorded his adventures in a diary each night and on film and in winter he collated them into more than 30 books. John wrote the legend for the photographic art of others. He was honorary historian and adviser at the Southland Museum and acted as historian on boat tours of the southern fiords.
John was a keen Rotarian and like his father became president of the Invercargill Rotary club. He was an inaugural Honorary Fellow of the Hocken Library at the University of Otago. His books received several literary awards. In 1995 John was awarded an OBE and in 2007 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Otago in recognition of his writing.
John is survived by his daughter Janet Menzies Malcolm, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Pamela died 4 years before him. Despite his grief he did as she would have wished-he continued travelling, walking and writing until the day of his death.
Ron Goodey FRACS
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