Person

Blackburn, Charles Bickerton (1874 - 1972)

KCMG

Born
22 April 1874
Greenhithe, Kent, England
Died
20 July 1972
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Physician, University Administrator and University Chancellor

Summary

Sir Charles Blackburn was one on Sydney's leading physicians. Having joined the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1899 as a Junior Resident Medical Officer, he was closely associated with the Hospital until his death in 1972. He was also connected in an honorary capacity with other leading Sydney hospitals, the Royal Hospital for Women, the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children and the Prince Henry hospital. Blackburn was a central figure in medical associations in New South Wales. A long-standing Member of the British Medical Association New South Wales Branch, he served as President from 1920 to 1921. He was a founding Member of the Association of Physicians of Australasia (the forerunner of the Australian Medical Association), and inaugural President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Blackburn lectured in clinical medicine at the University of Sydney from 1913, ultimately becoming Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. A member of the University's Senate for many years, Blackburn was Chancellor from 1941 to 1964. He was exceptionally capable, and popular, as Chancellor and in his executive roles with medical associations.

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Details

Chronology

1881
Life event - Migrated to South Australia with his family
1893
Education - BA, University of Adelaide
1899
Career position - Junior Resident Medical Officer, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1899
Education - MB, ChM, University of Sydney
1900
Career position - Senior Resident Medical Officer, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1901 - 1903
Career position - Medical Superintendent, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1903
Education - MD, University of Sydney
1903 - 1911
Career position - Honorary Assistant Physician, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1903 - 1965
Career position - In private practice
1911 - 1934
Career position - Honorary Physician, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1911 - 1957
Career position - Member of Council, British Medical Association New South Wales Branch
1913 - 1934
Career position - Lecturer in clinical medicine, University of Sydney
1916 - 1919
Military service - First World War. Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army Medical Corps
1918
Award - Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
1919
Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Army, Medical Corps AIF, Egypt
1919 - 1964
Career position - Member of the Senate, University of Sydney
1920 - 1921
Career position - President, New South Wales Branch, British Medical Association
1921 - 1957
Career position - Chairman, Ethics Committee, British Medical Association New South Wales Branch
1930
Career position - Founding Member and Member of Council, Association of Physicians of Australasia
1932 - 1935
Career position - Dean of Medicine, University of Sydney
1933 - 1935
Career position - President, Association of Physicians of Australasia
1934
Life event - Retired from active Staff, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1935 - 1972
Career position - Honorary Consultant, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
1936
Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - Member of the NSW Council of the BMA
1937 - 1938
Career position - President, Association of Physicians of Australasia
1938
Career position - Founder and inaugural President, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
1938
Award - Elected Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
1939
Award - Elected Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London
1939 - 1941
Career position - Deputy Chancellor, University of Sydney
1956
Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne
1960
Award - Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) - Chancellor of the University of Sydney
1960
Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Queensland
1960 - 1972?
Award - Honorary Member, Australian Red Cross
1964
Award - Elected Fellow, Australian Medical Association

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

  • Charles Bickerton Blackburn - Records, 1903 - 1967, DeB 287; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Books

Book Sections

  • Blackburn, C. R. B., 'Blackburn, Sir Charles Bickerton (1874-1972)' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 308-310. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070316b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

  • 'Obituaries: Oscar Ulrich Vonwiller: Clive Melville Harris: Charles Bickerton Blackburn: Lawrence Bragg', Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 106 (3/4) (1973), 130-132. Details
  • Anderson, Warwick, ''Becoming a Man of Experience': Interview with C. Ruthven B. Blackburn', Health and History, 15 (1) (2013), 118-29. Details
  • Blackburn, Charles Bickerton, 'The Life and Work of Sir Thomas Anderson Stuart', Bulletin of the Post-Graduate Committee in Medicine, University of Sydney, 4 (4) (1948), 105-134. Details
  • Blackburn, Charles Bickerton, 'The growth of specialism in Australia during fifty years and its significance for the future', Medical Journal of Australia, 1951 (1) (1951), 20-4. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

  • Howie-Willis, Ian, 'Malariology in Australia between the first and second world wars (part 2 of "Pioneers of Australian military malariology")', Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, 24 (2) (2016), 28-39. Details

McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 4 February 2025

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