Gordon Walter Mills was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, on 18 June 1927. He was educated at Hautapu Primary School, Hamilton High School, and the University of Otago. He obtained the MB ChB in 1953 and came to London in 1962 to specialise in otolaryngology. He spent some years at the Institute of Otolaryngology and worked with Cecil Hogg and Maxwell Ellis. On return to New Zealand he was appointed consultant surgeon to Green Lane Hospital (Auckland Hospital Board). He was President of New Zealand Part-time Medical Officers' Association from 1971 to 1972. His hobbies were rugby football, golf, tennis and farming. He married Olga Hift in 1955 and they had two sons and one daughter. He died in December 1978, aged 51 years.