Veluppillai Rasanayakam was born on 16 July 1925 in Ceylon, the son of Kailayar Rasanayakam, a farmer, and his wife Annappillai, née Palani. He was educated at schools in Jaffna and Colombo before entering the medical faculty of the University of Ceylon in 1945, from which he graduated MB BS in 1950

Gordon Stuart Baron-Hay was a consultant paediatric surgeon at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth, Western Australia. He was born in Perth on 26 June 1935. His father was George Kingston Baron-Hay, an agriculturalist; his mother, Vera, was a psychiatrist. He was educated at Wesley

Tony Low was born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, on 27 June 1940. His father, David Irving Low, was a general practitioner. His mother was Dorothy Campbell née Byrns. He was educated at the Scots College, Sydney, and St Andrew's College, University of Sydney. He did junior posts at the Royal Princ

Victor Fazio, or 'Vic' as everyone called him, defined colorectal surgery for a generation. For many he was 'the' colorectal surgeon, a dominating figure in the specialty, which he helped to develop and for which he provided leadership and inspiration. He was the youngest ever department chief when

Linsell Donald Richards (Lin) was born in Levin, New Zealand, and after early education at Horowhenua College entered Otago University for his medical studies, qualifying in 1959. His first house appointments were at Cook and Wellington Hospitals and during this time he decided to specialize in otor

Mark Saddler was born in Adelaide on 31 May 1942 and educated at Prince Alfred College and Adelaide University, at which he won a Commonwealth Scholarship. After qualifying MB, BS in 1966 he held training posts at the Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals gaining his FRACS in 1971. He went to

Francis Ian Hulme-Moir was born on 26 January 1938 in Sydney, the son of the Rev Frank Hulme-Moir who later became a Bishop and Chaplain-General of the Australian Armed Forces. He was the eldest of three children. He received his secondary education at Sydney Church of England Grammar School and gra

James Christie Anderson, third child and third son of James Alexander Anderson, a schoolmaster, and Jeanie (née Boswell), was born in Dundee on 4 December 1899. After early education at Butterburn School and Dundee High School he secured an entrance scholarship to St Andrew's University where he ori