James Pryor was born on 15 November 1928 in Horsham, Victoria, Australia, where his father, William Joseph Pryor, was the Town Clerk. His mother was Vera Florence née Cartwright. He was educated at Horsham State School and University High School, Melbourne, before going on to Melbourne University to study medicine at St Vincent's Hospital. After qualifying, he did junior posts at St Vincent's under Thomas King and Charles Coborn, before going to England to specialise in surgery. There he worked for Charles Heanley, was registrar in Worthing Hospital under John Addison and was clinical assistant to Ian Todd at St Mark's Hospital. He returned to Melbourne, as out-patient and subsequently in-patient surgeon at Ballarat Base Hospital. He was on the state committee of the Australian Association of Surgeons and was past President of the Provincial Surgeons Association of Australia. He published on gall-stone obstruction of the sigmoid colon. He married Marie Wilson in 1953. They had five sons and five daughters. Active in service clubs, he was a keen golfer and farmer. He died on 7 March 2002.