William Alan Liddell was born in Herbert, New Zealand, in 1921, the son of a doctor who had graduated in Edinburgh. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School before entering Otago Medical School, from which he graduated in 1945. During his student years he was awarded a blue for tennis and after qualifying took up house appointments at New Plymouth and Timaru before coming to Britain to study for the FRCS, which he obtained in 1949. While working for this examination he held a resident post at the Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith where he met his wife Peggy who was being trained as a radiotherapist. He then started his orthopaedic training working at the Royal National Orthopaeduc Hospital under Professor H J Seddon, Philip Newman, Jip James and David Trevor. After his return to New Zealand he passed the FRACS in 1954 and was resident surgeon at Wellington Hospital for two years before being appointed orthopaedic surgeon to Christchurch Hospital. Although his work covered the whole of orthopaedics, his main interest was in spinal disabilities and hip surgery. Together with Bill Utley and John Cunningham the first spinal injuries unit in New Zealand was opened in the late 1950s. He was involved in the establishment of the Canterbury Paraplegic Association and worked in the disabled sporting scene as medical advisor to the paraplegic Olympics. He was elected President of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association and attended the combined meeting of the English speaking orthopaedic associations in London in 1976. At the conclusion of this meeting the presidents of the orthopaedic associations were invited to Birkhall by the Queen Mother where they were presented with a symbolic sculpture of the Tree of Andry. His main recreations were tennis and golf. In 1987 he had a heart attack which was followed by heart surgery in Auckland. Despite failing health he continued to practice until his death at Christchurch on 18 October 1986. He is survived by his wife and four children, two daughters having graduated in medicine.