Geoffrey Rourke Welsford Latham was born in Sydney on 3 May 1927, the son of Dr Oliver Latham, who was a neuropathologist in the University of Sydney. He was educated at Knox Grammar School where he distinguished himself as an athlete and editor of the school journal, but at that early period developed the first signs of a chronic chest complaint which unfortunately shortened his life. Geoffrey graduated in medicine in Sydney University in 1951 and held a resident appointment at Balmain Hospital in 1952. The next year he came to England to train in neurosurgery, at the Southwick Neurological Centre, and in London at the Brook Hospital, and Guy's and the Maudsley where he was a registrar in 1959 and senior registrar from 1960-63. He was admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1959, and before returning to Sydney in 1964 he spent a while at Hartford Hospital in the United States. On returning home he was appointed neurological surgeon to Sydney Hospital, and was also on the staff of St Luke's Hospital, St George's Hospital and Hornsby and District Hospital. He was a tireless worker, a careful and skilful surgeon and an astute diagnostician. His keen intellect enabled him to make decisions rapidly, and his forthright manner left his assistants in no doubt about his wishes, but inspired confidence in his patients. He was a lucid teacher but his enthusiasm for his subject was sometimes rather over-powering for undergraduate students, though much appreciated by the residents. His manual skill was not confined to surgery, for he took great joy in his workshop at home where he turned out well-finished articles in wood and metal, and various electronic gadgets. He was also a keen photographer, and this accomplishment gave great pleasure to his family as well as to himself. When his health began to fail seriously his friends begged him to slow down, but this seemed impossible and he died on 14 March 1973 at the early age of 45, leaving his wife whom he had met when they were both working at Guy's Hospital, and three children, a girl and two boys, to mourn the loss of a husband and father who was constantly devoted to them.