Robert James Wherry Malcolm was born on 19 December 1902 at Dumaresq Island, New South Wales. He did very well at school, passing the Leaving Certificate Examination at the age of 15, so that when he went on to the University of Sydney he was able to graduate MB, ChM at 21, in 1924. He did his junior hospital appointments at the Sydney Hospital and then moved to the Prince Henry Hospital where he had his surgical training under Sir Alexander McCormick and Sir Hugh Poate. Malcolm came to England in 1931 and worked for 18 months at the Orthopaedic centre at Oswestry. In 1933 he took the FRCS, and on returning to Australia the FRACS in 1934. He was appointed senior resident surgeon at the Prince Henry Hospital in 1934 which gave him extensive experience in abdominal surgery, and in 1936 he became honorary assistant surgeon at Sydney Hospital. From 1937 to 1939 he was tutor in clinical surgery and in 1944 student supervisor. He had a large private practice in Macquarie Street. At school Malcolm did well at swimming and athletics, representing his College, and later the University in these sports. His chief recreation in later life was golf, and in 1929 he was champion of the New South Wales Golf Club, and Vice-Captain and Captain in 1952-1955. In 1940 he married Leila Clementina Capel, and when he died on 30 April 1967, after a cerebral thrombosis, his wife and two daughters survived him.