Arthur William Morrow DSO FRCP (1903 - 1977)

Born 12 Jul 1903 in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Jean Buchanan (Brown) Morrow — married 1937 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Margaret Mary (Fairfax) Morrow — married 1974 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 22 Aug 1977 at age 74 in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Bill Morrow DSO FRCP is Notable.

Sir William Morrow DSO ED FRCP MBBS was an Australian physician and specialist in gastroenterology. He was a founding member of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital gastroenterology unit. He served terms as president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and of the Australian Club.

Born Arthur William Morrow on 12th July 1903 at East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. He was the only child of Arthur John Morrow and Helonar née Harkin.^[1] He was educated at Newington College and the University of Sydney, graduating as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery with first-class honours in 1927.

Following his graduation, Morrow was appointed as a junior resident medical officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales and from 1932 was the deputy clinical superintendent. In 1933, he gained membership of the Royal College of Physicians.

He married Jean Buchanan Brown in 1937 in St Stephen's Presbyterian Church (now Uniting Church), Sydney.^[2] The couple lived in Bellevue Hill and had three daughters. Lady Morrow died in 1971.

Bill Morrow DSO FRCP is a Military Veteran.
Served in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force 1940-1945
5th Australian General Hospital

Morrow was commissioned as a Captain with the Australian Army Medical Corps in 1929. Early in the Second World War, on 19th April 1940, he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF)^[3] and as a Lieutenant Colonel he was placed in command of 5th Australian General Hospital (AGH) in the Middle East. After the German invasion of Greece in 1941 he served in Crete and Egypt. For his exemplary service, he was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 30th December 1941.^[4] Returning to Australia in March 1942, Morrow commanded (from May) the 121st AGH at Katherine, Northern Territory. In March 1943 he was appointed assistant director general of medical services at Land Headquarters, Melbourne. From 1942, until the end of the war, Morrow served in Katherine, Northern Territory, and Melbourne and visited operational areas in New Guinea, New Britain, Bougainville and Borneo. He was promoted to temporary Colonel and Mentioned in Despatches. Upon the conclusion of hostilities, Bill was demobilised from the 2AIF on 22nd December 1945, however remained in the Militia. In 1949 he qualified for the Efficiency Decoration.

Following the war, he returned to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital as an honorary assistant-physician and was appointed an honorary physician in 1952. He became a consultant physician there in 1963 and also at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Canterbury Hospital and the now closed Marrickville and Western Suburbs hospitals. From 1935 to 1963 he lectured in therapeutics at the University of Sydney. He excelled at teaching medical students. His tutorials were relaxed and drew on his wide clinical experience. He chaired the Postgraduate Committee of Medicine at the University of Sydney. Bill was a founding member of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital gastroenterology unit and the foundation president of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, in 1958.

Bill was created Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honourslist 1959 for his services to medicine.^[5]

He married widow, Margaret Chauvel in 1974 in St Mark's Anglican Church, Darling Point.

Bill passed away, aged 74 years, on 22nd August 1977 in St Luke's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #22443/1903
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #17205/1937
3. ↑ [ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: NX35131 Lieutenant Colonel Arthur William Morrow; accessed 6 Jun 2019]
4. ↑ Australian Honours: DSO; accessed 6 Jun 2019
5. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 6 Jun 2019
6. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #19851/1977

See also

• Gallagher, Neil. 'Morrow, Sir Arthur William (Bill) (1903–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2000; accessed online 6 Jun 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: William Morrow; accessed 6 Jun 2019.