Ronald Philip Quirk was an orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia who specialised in treating foot injuries. He was born in St Kilda, Victoria, the only child of Henry Philip (Phil) Quirk, a sales representative, and Alice Havilland Quirk née Nase, the daughter of a grazier. He was educated at St Kilda Primary and Elwood Central schools, where he won a scholarship to Wesley College. He went on to gain a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) scholarship to cover his medical studies at Melbourne University. He qualified in 1959 with the John Adey prize. He held junior posts at the Alfred Hospital and the Royal Children’s Hospital, and was then an orthopaedic registrar at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. In 1963, he joined the Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne. He then went to the UK, where he held a post at the Royal Northern Hospital and was (from 1965 to 1966) an orthopaedic registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. He gained his FRCS in 1965. He returned to Australia in 1967, where he was an orthopaedic registrar at the Royal Children’s Hospital. From 1967 to 1970 he was an honorary orthopaedic surgeon at Prince Henry’s Hospital, and from 1968 to 1969 also at Footscray and District Hospital. From 1970, he was an honorary orthopaedic surgeon at the Alfred Hospital. He gained his FRACS in 1967. He also established a private practice as an orthopaedic surgeon, with a particular interest in foot surgery. He was a consultant to the Australian Ballet and also treated elite sportspeople. He also established the Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. He remained in the RAAF reserve, rising to the rank of group captain. He enjoyed music, painting and reading. In 1963, he married Jill Park. They had a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Simon. Ronald Quirk died on 3 April 2009 of Parkinson’s disease. He was 76. He was survived by his widow Jacqui and his children.