Person
Ball, James Richard Baldwin (Dick) (1928 - 2017)
- Born
- 19 February 1928
Blyth, United Kingdom - Died
- 31 October 2017
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Psychiatrist
Summary
Dick Ball was a psychiatrist who was among the first to study psychiatric aspects of sexual orientation when homosexual behaviour was illegal. This interest formed the basis of his continuing research. He migrated to Australia in 1962 after starting his career in medicine and psychiatry in the United Kingdom and while doing his national service in the Royal Air Force. Ball held senior positions at major Victorian psychiatric institutions including Larundel and the Mental Health Research Unit, Parkville, before becoming Professor of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, and Director of the Department of Psychiatry at St Vincent's Hospital in 1978. During his tenure at St Vincent's, the Hospital came to be regarded as one of the best psychiatric training centres in Victoria. Ball was President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists from 1979 to 1981 at a time of great controversy relating to professional standards and deep sleep therapy.
Details
Chronology
- 1953 - 1955
- Career position - Medical Officer, Royal Air Force, Ismailia, Egypt
- 1962
- Life event - Settled in Australia
- 1962 - 1965
- Career position - Deputy Superintendent, Larundel Psychiatric Hospital, Melbourne
- 1963 - 2012
- Career position - Foundation Member, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- 1965 - 1970
- Career position - Director, Mental Health Research Unit, Parkville teaching University of Melbourne
- 1970 - 1978
- Career position - Chief Clinical Officer, Victorian Mental Health Authority
- 1978 - 1992
- Career position - Professor of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne
- 1978 - 1992
- Career position - Director, Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
- 1979 - 1981
- Career position - President, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- 1992 - 2012
- Career position - Consultant psychiatric practice
- 1996 - 2012
- Career position - Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, St Vincent's Hospital
- 1997 - 2006
- Career position - Director, Carelink
- 2012
- Life event - Retired from practice
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Bloch, Sidney; and McLennan, Roger, 'Obituary: Professor Richard Ball (1928 - 2017)', Australasian psychiatry, 26 (2) (2018), 229-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856218765513b. Details
Newspaper Articles
- Bloch, Sidney and McLennan, Roger, 'Trailblazing researcher into transgender health: Richard Ball', Sydney Morning Herald (2017). https://www.smh.com.au/national/trailblazing-researcher-into-transgender-health-20171205-gzz0dk.html. Details
See also
- Who's who in Australia 2012 (Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd, 2012), 2430 pp. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 6 August 2019, Last modified: 14 August 2019