Tony Cawkwell was born in Auckland and educated at Auckland Grammar school. At an early stage he showed great scholastic and athletic ability, and when seventeen he also became an Associate of the London College of Music. In 1933 he commenced the study of medicine at Otago University and joined fully in the social and sporting life of Selwyn College. His chief game was hockey, he represented Otago University during 1933-37 and was awarded a blue. In 1936 he was selected for the Otago hockey team to play All India. After qualification Cawkwell was the first RMO appointed to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital where he worked under Sir Carrick Robertson and Dr Cronin. He then decided on a surgical career, and proceeded to England, working at various hospitals before obtaining the Fellowship in 1942. Cawkwell joined the Army in 1942 and served with distinction in Egypt and Italy. After the war he served in the Territorial Forces, becoming Officer Commanding No 1 New Zealand Hospital, 1959-61. In 1946 Cawkwell returned to London to work at St Mark's Hospital, in order to gain further knowledge in what was becoming his chief interest, proctology. After returning to New Zealand he was appointed to the staff of Green Lane Hospital, and then commenced private practice as a general surgeon with a special interest in proctology. Between 1948 and 1963 Cawkwell contributed several articles to the surgical journals, including one on perineal hernia complicating abdomino-perineal excision of the rectum which was published in the *British journal of surgery* 1963, 50, 431. For many years he was the Secretary to the Auckland Division of the BMA, and in 1953 was secretary for the Biennial Conference of the New Zealand Branch of the Association. In 1946 he married Olwen Eirehis Jones at the Ton Pentr, Rhondda in Wales. Early in 1965 he developed signs of the cerebral tumour which eventually claimed his life and he died on 24 October 1965 at home, survived by his wife, one son and two daughters.