Billcliff was born at Christchurch, New Zealand and was educated at Christchurch Boys High School; he attended the Otago Medical School and graduated in 1920. As a student he had a distinguished record in anatomy and later became graduate lecturer and examiner in that subject. He was a house surgeon and later assistant medical officer at Dunedin Hospital. In 1924 he took the post of medical superintendent at the Ashburton Hospital. During eighteen months postgraduate study-leave he came to the United Kingdom, and obtained his English Fellowship and also the Edinburgh Fellowship in 1928. When he returned to New Zealand he soon obtained the Australasian Fellowship while continuing in his previous post at Ashburton Hospital. In 1933 he resigned this post to take up private work in the town and built up a large general surgical practice. Impaired health brought about his retirement in 1952, and he went to live on a pleasant property at Wainu, Banks Peninsular. His recreation in earlier life was golf, but later he became interested in horticulture with special attention to the study of trees and shrubs. Billcliff served for two terms (1944-1950) on the Ashburton Hospital Board, where his experience and qualifications were a great asset. He died in Christchurch on 22 August 1966 at the age of 70, survived by his wife and two daughters.