• Home
  • About
  • Advocacy
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Surgical News
  • Sign In
RACS logo
  • Become a surgeon
  • Trainees
  • Fellows
  • SIMGs
  • Research & audit

Key Information

  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection process and requirements
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • International surgical training
  • View all

Resources

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Scholarships and grants

Resources

  • Training standards for surgeons
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • College events
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • View all

Key Information

  • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
  • The surgical training program
  • Surgical specialties
  • Examinations
  • Training post accreditation
  • View all

Education for Trainees

  • Skills training courses
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist training program
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information and resources

  • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Reports, guidelines & publications
  • Fellowship
  • Interest groups and sections
  • View all

Fellowship Education and Training

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Wellbeing
  • Professional development courses
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information

  • SIMG overview
  • Pathways
  • Apply
  • Contacts, guidelines and forms
  • View all

Education for SIMGs

  • Fellowship Examination
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional development courses
  • Library

Resources

  • Working in Australia and New Zealand
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Member benefits & services
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)

Key Information

  • Surgical mortality audits
  • Morbidity audits
  • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
  • Laparoscopic skills training
  • Trauma Verification program
  • View all

Resources

  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • My audits
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Books & merchandise
  • View all
RACS logo
  • RACS login
    Sign In
  • Become a surgeon
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • About specialist surgeons
      • How do I become a surgeon?
      • Selection process and requirements
      • Admission to Fellowship
      • International surgical training
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Scholarships and grants
  • Trainees
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
      • The surgical training program
      • Surgical specialties
      • Examinations
      • Training post accreditation
      • View all
    • Education for Trainees

      Education for Trainees

      • Skills training courses
      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Specialist training program
      • Library
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Training standards for surgeons
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • College events
      • Monitoring and Evaluation
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • View all
  • Fellows
    • Key Information

      Key Information and resources

      • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
      • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
      • Reports, guidelines & publications
      • Fellowship
      • Interest groups and sections
      • View all
    • Fellowship Education and Training

      Fellowship Education and Training

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Skills training courses
      • Wellbeing
      • Professional development courses
      • Library
      • View all
    • For Educators and Trainers

      For supervisors, educators and trainers

      • Academy of Surgical Educators
      • Supervisor Support Hub
      • RACS skills & education centre
      • Become a mentor
      • Post-fellowship training
      • View all
  • SIMGs
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • SIMG overview
      • Pathways
      • Apply
      • Contacts, guidelines and forms
      • View all
    • Education for IMGs

    • Resources

      Resources

      • Working in Australia and New Zealand
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • Member benefits & services
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • Research & audit
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Surgical mortality audits
      • Morbidity audits
      • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
      • Laparoscopic skills training
      • Trauma Verification program
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • My audits
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Books & merchandise
      • View all
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Surgical News
  • Library
In This Section
  • Bernard Catchpole
  • Bruce Neil Procter Benjamin
  • Donald Simpson
  • Richard (Dick) Clayton Bennett
  • Brendan John Dooley
  • Donald Marshall
  • Geoffrey Chiam
  • Neil Bright
  • Thomas Connelley
  • Patrick Cregan
  • James Downie
  • John Lester
  • William (Bruce) Conolly
  • Robert Smith
  • Dean Mackie
  • Brian Shearman
  • Solomon Levitt
  • James McKinnon Watts
  • George Wilson
  • James O’Collins
  1. HOME
  2. About RACS
  3. About the College of Surgeons
  4. In memoriam
  5. Obituaries
  6. John O'Brien

John O'Brien

Obituary of John O'Brien

John O'Brien
General Surgeon
17 June 1925 - 18 November 2017


Mr O'Brien has had many descriptions made about him, but as a young medical student I found him simply "scary". When I was a surgical registrar at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide he was still "scary". And as I took on the role of Director of Surgery at TQEH in 1993 and he retired, nothing had changed. It was not that he behaved in an inappropriate or intimidating fashion, it was his obvious command of the surgical specialty, his enormous expertise clinically, his extraordinary intellect, but mostly his mastery of the empire "TQEH Surgery" which he controlled. I guess many viewed him a bit like a four‐year‐old views Father Christmas - large, impressive, wise and overwhelming.

After John completed medical school he remained in Adelaide for a few years before heading over to the United Kingdom to gain his English Fellowship, returning in the mid‐fifties to begin at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Bill Proudman, in his yet to be released book "In the Beginning", which characterises the early days of The Queen Elizabeth, suggests that on his return to Adelaide he was most influenced by Russell Barbour, one of Adelaide's outstanding surgeons at the time with a deep understanding of anatomy. John O'Brien himself would go on to become a surgeon's surgeon, not only because of his technical skills, but more importantly his judgement. Even Bill Proudman, in his memoirs, sought John O'Brien as his source of a second opinion. Not many have that accolade placed.

There can be no doubting his surgical skill or judgement. But many great surgeons have these talents. It was perhaps more his enthusiasm for teaching, training and guiding medical students, surgical trainees, junior consultants and even peers. Mr O'Brien's opinions and observations were not to be taken lightly and never, in my experience, were. But his commitment to the next generations of doctors and surgeons didn't stop with his retirement. He seemed not to have grasped the fact that his car did not automatically drive to TQEH. For many years he attended weekly for student and trainee tutorials attended by the current generation of consultant surgeons in South Australia and Australia who, in turn, follow the example they saw him practise.

John was one of the foundation members of the honorary staff at TQEH in 1959. He saw the first patient in the Surgical Outpatient Department. The woman had right upper quadrant pain and he ordered a cholecystogram, well before the availability of ultrasounds. It turned out to be normal, so avoiding a cholecystectomy, but making history for TQEH.

John O'Brien became Honorary Assistant Surgeon, with Bill Proudman as his registrar. The two would have been a force to be reckoned with. I would like to suggest that those training under both of them would never forget the experience on the J R Magarey Unit on Ward 5A.

With the retirement of Noel Bonnin, John descended to 4A to be Head of Unit. I don't want to digress into a CV dissertation, but John O'Brien's interest and enthusiasm in hospital affairs was sustained not only to his retirement but well beyond. He was the first Secretary of the Medical Staff Society, later Chairman. He served on innumerable hospital sub‐committees. He served on TQEH Foundation, laying the base for what is now South Australia's most successful medical research fund raiser. Later he became State Chairman of the RACS State Committee, a post he held during the annual Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Scientific Meeting in Adelaide. He later became Director of Surgery at TQEH, retiring in 1992.

Although John O'Brien can date his association with The Queen Elizabeth from 1958, becoming at that time an Honorary Assistant Surgeon, I always enjoyed pointing out to him that I started there a year earlier, in 1957, being born at the newly opened Maternity Wing.

With retirement from TQEH, his connection with the hospital never lapsed. He was particularly assiduous in his convening and attendance at the retired surgeons (later expanded to provide a wider range of past medical staff), still scary but great fun and completely on top of the current issues. I have been often invited to attend these functions and on every occasion he would say to either the audience or those assembled at his table, "I know that many of you think I should have gone by now but, as you can see, I am still here". Unfortunately 2017 will mark the end of his membership.

On the 2nd April 2016, with the rebuild of six theatres at TQEH, it was a great pleasure to invite John and the family to see Theatre 1 formally named the "John O'Brien Theatre". The fact that 25 years after his retirement, the respect, affection and support of his colleagues and trainees was still so strong says volumes of his impact on so many.

We all only get one chance at a lifetime. As surgeons we care for patients, some of whom are robbed of a long life, and help those who must deal with declining health into old age. We all hope to leave a legacy over time, family, friends, work and thoughts. Others can speak far better than me about John O'Brien's broader contributions, but as a leader of surgeons and surgery he has few peers in South Australia and the legacy that started with the first outpatient seen by John at TQEH with right upper quadrant pain continues today in the start‐of‐the‐art "John O'Brien Theatre" in the theatre that he excelled in for 34 years while on staff.

He leaves high standards, consummate skills, strong leadership, and still remains a little scary.

 

This obituary was kindly provided by Professor Guy Maddern, FRACS.

Back to Obituaries
  • Bernard Catchpole
  • Bruce Neil Procter Benjamin
  • Donald Simpson
  • Richard (Dick) Clayton Bennett
  • Brendan John Dooley
  • Donald Marshall
  • Geoffrey Chiam
  • Neil Bright
  • Thomas Connelley
  • Patrick Cregan
  • James Downie
  • John Lester
  • William (Bruce) Conolly
  • Robert Smith
  • Dean Mackie
  • Brian Shearman
  • Solomon Levitt
  • James McKinnon Watts
  • George Wilson
  • James O’Collins
Back To Top
  • For Patients
  • Find a surgeon
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Corporate Partnerships
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign in
  • Surgical News
  • About RACS
  • About the College of Surgeons
  • About RACS offices
  • Global Health
  • Specialty societies & affiliated organisations
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Building Respect
  • College fees
  • Position papers
  • Policies
  • College events
  • Education
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional Development
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist Training Program
  • Become a Surgeon
  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection requirements
  • International surgical training
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • Fellowship
See all News

  • RACS: Let's make safe roads a shared priority every day, not just during National Road Safety Week
  • RACS makes submission regarding speed limit consultation on 16 Urban Connectors
  • RACS calls on all levels of government for reform
Indigenous motifs
Logo
  • ABN 29 004 167 766
  • Disclaimer and privacy