Born at Midhurst, Lower Road, Richmond, Surrey on 27 May 1858, the elder child and only son of Samuel Dougan Bird and his wife, *née* Tate. His father had been a surgeon on the staff of HH Omar Pasha and was the holder of the Crimean medal with clasp and the Turkish war medal. He emigrated to Melbourne on account of ill-health in 1861 and subsequently became professor of medicine in Melbourne University. Frederic was educated at the Scotch College in Melbourne, where he did so well that he was awarded a special gold medal as being the most brilliant scholar of his year in mathematics, Latin, and Greek. He entered the University of Melbourne, where he was captain of the rowing club, became a first-rate billiards player, and in 1880 was active in forming a society of medical students. From 1884 to 1887 he was a part-time demonstrator of anatomy. He came to England and took medical courses at King's College and at University College Hospital, London. On his return he was appointed surgeon to out-patients at the Melbourne Hospital, becoming surgeon in 1891. In 1896 he was lecturer and examiner in surgery at Melbourne University and in 1905 he was president of the surgical section at the Australasian Medical Congress which was held at Adelaide. He was also a vice-president of the section of surgery at the International Medical Congress held in London in 1913. He volunteered for active service on the outbreak of war in 1914, and undertook to bring with him a staff of trained nurses. He served for a short time in Egypt, was transferred to the RAMC in February 1915, and was made consulting surgeon to the British Forces in Egypt with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. He was thrice mentioned in despatches and his services were rewarded with the military CB in 1916. He was then appointed consulting surgeon to the Southern Command in England. Returning to Melbourne on the conclusion of war, he was elected in 1920 the first President of the Surgical Association. He married Miss Hopkins in 1880, who survived him with a daughter and a son. He died on 29 May 1929, having retired from practice in 1923, and was buried at Kew, Melbourne. Bird was a man of splendid physique, a fine surgeon, a facile wit, a clear thinker, and a good speaker, with much charm of manner. He had many interests outside his profession: books, history, architecture, botany, and walking alike claimed his attention.