Born 14 April 1867 at Berwick, Victoria, Australia, third child and second son of Robert Buchanan, a landowner, and Jessie Spittal his wife, he was educated at Ballarat College, Victoria, qualified from Glasgow University in 1899, and was house surgeon at Glasgow Western Infirmary 1890-91. He worked at the London Hospital 1892-94 and after taking the Fellowship was assistant to Sir Arthur Mayo-Robson at Leeds, 1895-97. He returned to Australia and practised as a surgeon in Melbourne, latterly at 8 Collins Street. He was ultimately consulting surgeon to the Alfred Hospital and to the Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, and was a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He married Alfreda Hilda Gamble in 1897, and was survived by their two sons, one of whom became a Fellow of the College. He married secondly Sylvia Vesta Gray. He died at 15 Hopetoun Road, Toorak, Melbourne on 26 April 1952 aged 85.