David Stewart was an ophthalmic surgeon at Freemantle Hospital, Western Australia. He was born in Perth, Western Australia on 5 June 1942. His father, Andrew Malcolm Stewart, was an agricultural scientist at the University of Western Australia and a grazier; his mother, Halsted Noël Stewart née White, was an historian and a journalist on *The West Australian* newspaper. His uncle, Sir Hector Hamilton Stewart, and cousin, Ian Hector Stewart, were both surgeons. Stewart attended the local primary school in Nedlands on the outskirts of Perth and Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, and went on to study medicine at St George’s College, University of Western Australia. He was a gifted piano player and was highly commended by the judges in the state finals of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition in 1961, 1964 and 1965. As a medical student, he played concerto performances with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. After completing his degree, he went to India, where he visited Madras Eye Clinic and decided to specialise in ophthalmology. He travelled to Germany via the Khyber Pass and the Middle East and found employment with the Canadian Air Force. He moved on to the UK for surgical training, where he was influenced by Dermot Pierse, Patrick Holmes Sellors and Patrick Condon. He worked at the Croydon Eye Unit for two years, where he learnt cataract surgery. He was also influenced by Jörg Draeger in Hamburg and Jørn Boberg-Ans in Copenhagen. On his return to Perth, he set up practice in Subiaco. From 1975 to 1997 he was a visiting ophthalmic surgeon at the Fremantle Hospital, Western Australia, and a visiting ophthalmologist to Busselton and Northam hospitals in Western Australia. He was also a consultant to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In 1975, he introduced lens implantation following cataract surgery to Western Australia. He was a member of the council of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists from 1994 to 2007 and president from 2006 to 2007. He continued his interest in music. He played chamber music as a hobby and occasionally gave solo performances. He was a member of the board of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts from 1992 to 1997, and chairman of the advisory committee of Western Australian Conservatorium of Music from 1993 to 1997. He also enjoyed surfing and skiing and bred buffalo. He was a longstanding member of the North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club and a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia from 1952. He was married to Robin Ruth Gillett and they had two children, Venetia and Michael. They later divorced. David Stewart died on 7 December 2015 following a mountain bike accident in New Zealand in April 2015, which left him severely paralysed. He was 73.