I had an appointment at the John Hunter Hospital again today and as David and I seem to have spent a lot of time there this year I thought I would post this collage about the hospital.
Top Left - Entrance to the John Hunter Hospital
Top right - Governor John Hunter 1737-1821
Bottom Left - John Hunter 1728-1792
Bottom right - John Irvine Hunter 1898-1924
The John Hunter Hospital is named in honour of three famous men who contributed to the development of medical science and also to this region of New South Wales.
The first and most obvious is Governor John Hunter, after whom the Hunter River and the Hunter Valley region are named.
Born 1737 in Edinburgh, Scotland, he assumed the office of Governor of New South Wales on 11 Sept 1795. During his time as Governor he was a strong advocate of private farming by convicts, much against the wishes of the British Government. On 28 September 1800 he handed over control of the young colony and returned to England where he maintained an interest in NSW until his death on 13 March 1821.
The name of the hospital also recognises the achievements of another John Hunter, the man credited as the founder of scientific surgery and pathological anatomy.
Born 1728 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was an early advocate of scientific investigation and experimentation, carrying out many important studies in comparative aspects of biology, anatomy, physiology and pathology.
He became a member of the Corporation of Surgeons in 1768 and began his own private lectures on the principles and practice of surgery in early 1770 and continued until his death in 1793. He is said to have attained for surgery the dignity of a scientific profession, basing its practice on a vast body of general biological principles.
Finally there is the Australian born John Irvine Hunter who, in 1923 at the age of 24, became the youngest professor ever appointed to the Chair of Anatomy at Sydney University (an achievement which still sands).
John Irvine Hunter was born in Bendigo in 1898 and became famous for his contributions to anatomical research. He contracted poliomyelitis in his infancy and didn't begin to walk properly until he was four years old and then only as a result of surgery.
His career began brilliantly and showed enormous promise until it ended tragically in London in 1924 when he fell victim to typhoid fever aged only 26.
A very interesting history of these three famous John Hunters Babs. A varied & interesting life they led sadly one ended too soon. Hope you don't have to spend too much more time there!
