Albert Arthur Wearne was born at Wollongong, New South Wales, on 13 September 1906, the son of Walter Wearne, a bookseller and Emilie, nee Greene. His early education was at Brisbane Grammar School and Fort Street Boys' High School, Sydney, from which he won an exhibition to Sydney University. He qualified in 1930 and after completing junior hospital appointments came to England where he was lecturer in anatomy at the Middlesex Hospital from 1937 to 1939. After passing the primary Fellowship he served in Emergency Medical Service hospitals in London from 1939 to 1942 under Rodney Maingot and passed the FRCS in 1941. In 1942 he joined the South African Medical Corps serving with the rank of Major, and after the war returned to Australia serving as resident surgical officer at Sydney Hospital and later as surgeon to out-patients. From 1946 to 1948 he was honorary surgeon to St George's Hospital, Sydney, and also to Crown Street Women's Hospital. In 1948 he became visiting surgeon to Canberra Community Hospital until his retirement. His services to the community and his profession were recognised by the award of Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem which was presented to him by the Governor-General of Australia. His outside interests were cricket, clay pigeon shooting and tennis in his earlier years; later in life he was accomplished at both bridge and snooker. He married Joyce Hamilton Tate, a nursing sister, on 19 March 1932 which was also the day of the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge. They had a daughter, Barbara Anne (later Hitchings) and a son, Peter Hamilton Wearne MB, BS, FRCS who is in surgical practice in New South Wales. His granddaughter Kathryn Wearne qualified in 1988. His wife predeceased him in 1967 and he died on 25 July 1984, aged 77.