Dr (Hamilton) Stuart Patterson was born on 17 September 1911 in Aramac in centralwestern Queensland. Stuart once said that he first thought of becoming a doctor when he was only three or four years old.
He began his medical studies at the University of Sydney, residing at St Paul's University College. He had wanted to go to Oxford or Edinburgh since he was at school, so transferred to Edinburgh in 1933 after spending two years at the University of Sydney. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with MBChB at the end of 1937 and gained the LRCP, LRCS Edin and LRFPS Glas in 1938.
Among a plethora of achievements, Stuart was one of the founding members of the Royal College of General Practitioners in England in 1953 and was a member of the council of the RCGP from 1954 to 1958. He was elected to fellowship of the RCGP in 1967. He was chairman of the Queensland Faculty of the RCGP from 1954 to 1958 and was granted life membership of the RCGP in 1993.
In 1958, Stuart was a cofounder of the Australian College of General Practitioners (ACGP). He was the second president of the ACGP (1961-1963), a member of the ACGP council (1958-1968), the WA Connolly Orator in 1982 and was made a life member of the RACGP in 1985.
He was awarded the prestigious Rose-Hunt Medal in 1981, in recognition of the outstanding service he has rendered in the promotion of the aims and objectives of the RACGP in patient care, organisation and education.
Dr H Stuart Patterson was a remarkable man. He led a life of extraordinary achievement - with his years of service to the Mater Children's Hospital in Brisbane, his war service as a medical officer in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC), his role in many other bodies, such as St. John Ambulance, Rotary, the Society of St Andrew and his involvement in community affairs such as the Ipswich Beautification Council, the National Trust, and many others. His contributions have been monumental.
He had a distinguished record of service to medicine in peace and war and to the community. He was a true gentleman and a man of the highest ethical standards, highly respected by all his colleagues and beloved by all his patients. The motto of both the RCGP and the RACGP, namely cum scientia caritas: healing with skill and compassion, epitomises Hamilton Stuart Patterson.
He died in Ipswich on 15 May 2004, in his 93rd year.
Two sons and three daughters survive him.
Dr John A Comerford, Brisbane
First published in GP Review ‘In Memoriam’ Volume 8 - Number 3 July 2004 p.20