Antonie, Thomas Emanuel (1921 - 2007)
by
 
Paul Steedman

Asset Name
E009046 - Antonie, Thomas Emanuel (1921 - 2007)

Title
Antonie, Thomas Emanuel (1921 - 2007)

Author
Paul Steedman

Identifier
RCS: E009046

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2016-02-19
 
2016-05-11

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Antonie, Thomas Emanuel (1921 - 2007), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Antonie, Thomas Emanuel

Date of Birth
17 June 1921

Place of Birth
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Date of Death
13 January 2007

Occupation
General surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
MB BS Melbourne 1945
 
FRACS 1950
 
FRCS 1951

Details
Thomas Emanuel Antonie was a general surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne between 1961 and 1986. Tom Antonie was born in 1921 and received his secondary education at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, matriculating in 1940. He studied medicine at Melbourne University graduating in 1945. He spent some time at Newman College as a student. Tom Antonie spent his internship at St Vincent's with Frank Darcy, surgeon and also Leo Doyle, surgeon. Tom obtained his FRACS in 1950. He went to England as a ship's surgeon obtaining the FRCS England in 1951 and worked as the Ashford Hospital in Middlesex as a senior surgical registrar. On returning to Australia in 1952 he was appointed a clinical assistant to the outpatient's surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital. He was assistant to outpatients surgeon in 1954, became surgeon to outpatients in 1961 and finally surgeon to outpatients in 1973. He retired from St Vincent's in 1986. Tom was a general surgeon who showed considerable technical skills. Later on he became interested in pancreatic surgery. He was a keen teacher. Tom Antonie was elected chairman of the Senior Medical Staff just before his retirement in 1986. He had the difficult task of guiding the staff through a period when strike action by the hospital doctors appeared imminent. This situation was caused by the state government's refusal to implement the Lochtenberg Report which had addressed anomalies in the seasonal payment to the visiting medical officers. Fortunately the government saw reason and the strike was averted. Quite early on Tom enjoyed his private surgical practice operating mainly at the Mercy and Cabrini Hospitals. He also showed a great interest in medico-legal work and often said that if had not become a successful surgeon he would have been very keen to become a barrister. Initially he concentrated on the prosecuting side but then later changed mainly to representing defendants. He enjoyed both sides of this medico-legal work. Tom met his future wife Joan, who was a nurse at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, in 1948. They were married for fifty-five years. They had five children, four daughters and one son. At the present time there are seventeen grandchildren. Tom travelled overseas a lot, mainly to surgical meetings in the UK and US. On some occasions Joan stayed at home and Tom would take one of his children overseas with him. Tom and Joan's son Peter Antonie became an Olympic rower. Peter won a gold medal in the double skulls at Barcelona in 1992. He had won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh in 1986 and he won a gold medal in the World Championships as well. Tom and Joan had a lovely holiday home at Mt Eliza and after Tom retired from surgical practice he and Joan spent most of the time from Christmas to Easter at Mt Eliza. Tom was a very keen reader. In the latter part of Tom's life he had minor strokes and became quite disoriented. He eventually died at home after a long illness.

Sources
Helpful references from Ivo Vellar's book *Surgery and Surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne 1950's to 2000*
 
*In Memoriam* [http://www.surgeons.org/member-services/in-memoriam](http://www.surgeons.org/member-services/in-memoriam)

Rights
Republished by kind permission of the President and Council of The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099

URL for File
381229

Media Type
Unknown