Alfred Fay Maclure

  General Notes:

Who's Who in Australia 1922
MACLURE, Alfred Fay, O.B.E., M.B., Ch.B. Melb. 1907. Major A.A.M.C. European War. Address - 127 Collins St. Melbourne, Vic.


First World War Embarkation Roll
Alfred Fay Maclure
Rank Captain
Unit 3 Australian General Hospital and Reinforcements (May 1915 - April 1916)
Ship Name RMS Mooltan
Date of embarkation 18 May 1915
Place of embarkation Melbourne

Alfred Fay Maclure enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 1 May 1915. He is described as: - 5 feet 8 inches, weight - 10 stone 7 pounds, chest measurement - 33/37, complexion - fair, eyes - blue, hair - brown, religious denomination - Presbyterian
Alfred served in Egypt, France as a Medical Surgeon. He worked with patients who had lost limbs and helped to fit them with artificial limbs.
On the 1/1/1919 Alfred was awarded the O.B.E.
Alfred embarked on the "Windhuk" on 18/6/1919 to return to Australia.

Base Records Office, A.I.F.,
Melbourne, 14th June, 1919.
Dear Sir,
I have much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy of extract from Supplement No. 31092, to the London Gazette, dated 1st January, 1919, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by Lieutenant-Colonel (temporary) A. F. Maclure, 2nd Australian General Hospital.
"THE KING has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following promotion in, and appointment to, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for valuable services rendered in connexion with military operation in France and Flanders: -
To be Officer of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order: -
Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) ALFRED FAY MACLURE.
The above has been promulgated in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 61, dated 23rd May 1919.
Yours faithfully,
Major.
Officer i/c Base Records. B. Maclure Esq.,
Hay,
NEW SOUTH WALES.

Alfred Fay MACLURE
Date of birth13 August 1863
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationMedical practitioner
Address127 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation31
Next of kinBrother, H B Maclure, Hay, New South Wales
Enlistment date18 May 1915
Rank on enlistmentCaptain
Unit nameNo 3 Australian General Hospital
AWM Embarkation Roll number26/67/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board RMS Mooltan on 15 May 1915
Rank from Nominal RollLieutenant-Colonel
Unit from Nominal RollAustralian Army Medical Corps
Promotions Captain
Unit: MED AGH2
Promotion date: 1 May 1915 Major
Unit: MED AGH2
Promotion date: 27 April 1917 Temporary LTCOL
Unit: MED AGH2
Promotion date: 22 March 1918
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)
Mention in Despatches
Awarded, and promulgated, 'London Gazette' No. 30706 (28 May 1918); 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 165 (24 October 1918).
Mention in Despatches
Awarded, and promulgated, 'London Gazette' No. 31089 (31 December 1918); 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 61 (23 May 1919).
FateReturned to Australia 19 June 1919
Medals OBE
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 61
Date: 23 May 1919
Other detailsMedals: Order of the British Empire, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
© 2009
Copyright The AIF Project, UNSW@ADFA, 2008

Alfred Hospital Clinical Reports, Vol. 12 edited by A. V. Jackson. (Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, 1964)
ALFRED FAY MACLURE, O.B.E., M.D., F.R.C.S., F.R.A.C.S. by John A. McLean.
Thirty-six years ago at the Alfred Hospital, Mr. Maclure was my Honorary, but after being his resident for only a month, I left the wards to go to the Baker Institute. Although at this time I did not know him as well as other residents who were with him for the usual period of three or four months, a friendship began, which lasted for twenty-five years, until his death.
In writing this brief biography, I have been helped by many people, including relatives and friends of Fay Maclure, who have made my task pleasant and easy. In particular, Sir William Upjohn, who was with him during the First World War and Mr. Balcombe Quick, an intimate friend for many years, have given me information. Two portrait studies by Mr. Balcombe Quick (Fig. 1) illustrate two sides of the character of Fay Maclure. In one, he is stern and slightly forbidding, the mouth a little open, making some terse comment, while the other portrait shows the familiar smile, which was the true likeness known by his many friends.
The grandparents of Fay Maclure came from Scotland and both his grandfathers were civil engineers, who built bridges and roads in the early days of Melbourne. His father, Henry Barclay Maclure, was born in 1856 in Mordialloc and his mother, whose maiden name was Thomasina Massie, was born in 1857 in Lancefield.
In 1877, when aged twenty one years, Henry Maclure left Melbourne for health reasons and went to Gunbar Station in N.S.W. In 1880 he joined the firm of Meakes and Fay, storekeepers in Hay. The business prospered and five years later Mr. Meakes retired and Henry Maclure became a partner. In 1892 Henry Maclure bought out Mr. Fay's interests and traded as Henry B. Maclure, The Ringer Stores (Fig. 2). He developed further business interests in Hay, including a motor car company, now known as Hay Motors and in 1921 bought Tchelery Station, a 64,000 acre grazing property. Later the Maclure family was interested in several other pastoral properties in the Riverina, including Bundyulumbah, Gol-Gol, Wind Bar and Kilara. The latter was a million acre station extending 60 miles west of the Darling to the mythical Paroo river.
Henry Barclay Maclure was a man of character, who achieved considerable success in business and was a leading citizen of Hay during his long life (Fig. 3). He died in 1939 at the age of 83. His son Alfred Fay Maclure, born in 1883, was the eldest of seven children, four boys and three girls. A photograph (Fig. 4), taken in the eighties, shows Mrs. Maclure with four of her children: two of Fay's sisters, Mrs. Butterworth and Mrs. Briggs are still alive, one brother and a sister died of tuberculosis and another brother was killed in the First World War. His youngest brother Noel was a doctor and died fairly recently.
Fay Maclure spent his boyhood in the Riverina and returned there frequently during his life-time, to inspect the family properties. Fig. 5 is a photograph outside Gunbar Hotel, taken in 1925 and shows Fay Maclure talking to a local character, who could have come from "Such is Life". The following lines were written by Joseph Furphy about the time Fay Maclure was born.
"Mile after mile we go at a good walk till the dark boundary of the scrub country disappears northward in a glassy haze and in front, southward the level black soil plains of the Riverina proper, mark a straight skyline, broken here and there by a monumental hump or pine ridge and away on the horizon, southward still, a geodesic curve carries that monotony across the zone of salt bush, myall and swamp box, across the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee and on, to the Victorian border, say 250 miles."
A photograph, taken in 1915 (Fig. 6), shows a picnic in the Riverina, Fay Maclure boiling the billy, his father standing by with Noel and Dr. J. Glendinnen in the background.
As a boy, Fay Maclure spent spare time fishing, shooting and boating on the Murrumbidgee. He once captained a junior cricket team, which went by train to play Narrandera. He was educated at the local state school and later at Hay Grammar School, of which he was dux in 1897.
In 1898 he won a Wesley College scholarship and he was a boarder for four years. He had a brilliant scholastic career, winner of the Waugh and Draper scholarships, the Argus prize and the Walter Powell scholarship. He was keen on sport, and played in the 1901 Wesley football team, which was equal to Scotch college in the premiership. In his final year he was dux of the school and in the matriculation examination he gained first class honours in mathematics and the exhibition with first class honours in physics and chemistry.
In honour of this scholastic feat, a half holiday was granted to the school by the Headmaster, Mr. M. P. Hanson, a well-known educationalist, was interested in Australian literature and with D. McLachlan, edited a book on Australian verse. In a testimonial regarding Fay as a school boy, he said that Maclure was of the stuff of which good scholars are made and he had character and the power of leadership.
In 1901, Fay Maclure sat for an entrance scholarship to Ormond College and was placed first in mathematics and second in physics. He was granted a resident scholarship and was a student or Ormond College from 1902 to 1906. He was popular and prominent in College life and played football and cricket. He was a member and secretary of the Ormond College student club and had an outstanding scholastic career.
In his first year in medicine in 1902, he obtained first class honours and the exhibition in chemistry, first class honours in natural philosophy and second class honours in biology. In his second year he obtained first class honours and the exhibition in physiology and histology. In 1904, his third year medicine, he obtained first class honours and divided the exhibition in anatomy and second class honours in physiology ; in fourth year, first class honours in therapeutics, dietetics and hygiene and second class honours in pathology and bacteriology. He passed his final year in 1906.
He applied for a Rhodes scholarship, but was beaten by David Rivett. In the final honours examination he had not been so successful as previously and obtained second class honours in medicine and obstetrics and second class honours in surgery. The exhibition in surgery was won by Hugh Devine and the exhibitions in medicine and obstetrics by Miss Margaret Jamieson, who was approximae accessit in surgery and came top of the year. She was the mother of Dr. Mildred Green.
Fay Maclure was not high enough on the honours list to get an appointment at the Melbourne Hospital, so he went to Kyneton Hospital as a resident medical officer. He worked there for twelve months with a well-known, capable Scottish surgeon, Dr. Duncan. It must have been a happy year, because here he met Nurse Molly Kennedy, who later became his wife. He was popular at Kyneton and when he left, the nurses went to station to see him off ; they shouted, when the train began to leave the platform ; "When are you coming back?" He waved and shouted ; "I will be back, to marry her!" --pointing to Nurse Kennedy, who was rather embarrassed. Nurse Kennedy was the sister of Dr. John Kennedy.
In 1908, Fay Maclure began his association with the Alfred Hospital. He became a house surgeon to Hamilton Russell, who was his idol. According to an eye witness, Miss Davis, who was a ward sister at the Alfred, Hamilton Russell thought a lot of Fay Maclure. Even at this time, Fay had a reputation as a diagnostician. Miss Davis told me of one case : A young man who had an accidental fall from an office stool, developed abdominal pain. Hamilton Russell thought it was appendicitis. Of course, this was at a time when appendicitis was a very rare disease. Fay looked surprised at this diagnosis and Hamilton Russell said : "You don't think so, Maclure?" Fay politely disagreed and his contrary opinion was confirmed by operation, which revealed a perforated viscus, resulting from the accident. A photograph taken in the operating theatre at the Alfred Hospital, shows Mr. Hamilton Russell assisted at an operation by Fay Maclure (Fig. 7).
The long association between Hamilton Russell and Fay Maclure has been described by Sir William Upjohn in a previous article in the Clinical Reports (1957). Sir William said : "There was a great resemblance between them in their unhurried, thoughtful approach to every surgical problem, in their apparent oblivion to their surroundings. Their regard for each other was like that between father and son. Each devoted time and affection to hospital work, each of them added lustre to the reputation of a great institution, which was their main interest in life. Each has a great and lasting influence for good as a teacher and was an inspiration to his students."
There were three other resident medical officers at the Alfred in 1908, namely, John Kennedy, Arthur Sherwin and G. A. Paton (Fig. 8).
After a year at the Alfred, Fay went to the Women's Hospital as a resident. A photograph (Fig. 9), taken in November 1909 shows Dr. Reg Morrison in the centre, Fay Maclure and five medical students, including Stuart Cross, who founded the Melbourne Radiological Clinic and W. Crowher, who went to Hobart and became a well-known medical historian.
Fay Maclure after leaving the Women's Hospital, had thought of going to Western Australia to practice, but he changed his mind and sat for the M. D. examination, which he passed in June 1910. He went to England and worked at the Middlesex Hospital in London. Mr. Gordon Taylor was a lecturer and many years later wrote a tribute to Fay Maclure in the British Medical Journal (1956), in which he said : "Almost half a century has passed since I might have helped, in some small fashion, to steer him through the examinations, which preceded the acquisition of the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, which he obtained in 1911." He said : "The surgical tradition of the Alfred was founded by Hamilton Russell, who was Lister's last house surgeon at the King's College Hospital and if it be Hamilton Russell who brought Lister's lofty idealism to the Alfred, it was his devoted acolytes, like Fay Maclure and Balcolm Quick, still in youthful vigor, who carried the torch that Hamilton Russell lit."
When he arrived back in Melbourne, Fay Maclure acted as a locum tenens for Dr. Reg Morrison in Toorak for six months. He later commenced consulting practice in Collins Street and in 1912 obtained an appointment at the Alfred Hospital as an outpatient surgeon. For several years he lived with Dr. Crawford Marshall in Mitford Street, St Kilda. Dr. Douglas Aitchison, who was a brother-in-law to Crawford Marshall, told me a story illustrating Fay Maclure's absent mindedness ; Fay frequently left his car somewhere and forgot about it, so one night, when he had left it in Mitford Street, his friends woke him and told him to put his car away. Fay had to get up and put his car in the garage and Dr. Aitchison said "that cured him".
His first patient in Collins Street was Sister Laura Pratt, who had been a theatre sister at the Alfred when he was a resident. She told me that Fay Maclure called her either the "perfect lady" or the "perfect larrikin", according to his mood--P.L. being her initials in reverse. On the day that Mr. Maclure commenced practice, Sister Pratt happened to be in Collins Street, calling on a friend, Sister Gordon, at Dr. Orr's rooms. Sister Gordon told her that Fay had just started practice, so they decided to pay him a surprise visit. Sister Pratt disguised herself with dark glasses. She then went to Mr. Maclure's rooms, the door was opened by an old Alfred nurse, who fortunately did not recognize her. She was then shown into the consulting room. Fay took a careful history and when he came to examine her wrist, which she said was injured, he saw the inscription in red ink "Perfect Lady". He had been completely taken in and was greatly amused. During the war, several years later, Sister Pratt was Sub-Matron in Harefield Military Hospital in England, where she met Mr. Maclure again. She also saw him at Sidcup where, she said, there was a wonderful spirit throughout the hospital. Fay joked with his patients, as being patrons of his beauty parlour.
Just prior to the First World War, there was published in the Australian Medical Journal (1914) and article entitled "Etiology and Diagnosis of Pyelonehritis". It is an excellent description of an uncommon condition and eight histories given illustrate Fay Maclure's rare clinical acumen.
On the first of May, 1915, Fay Maclure enlisted in the First World War and on the 15th of May he left Australia on the "Mooltan" as a Captain in the A.A.M.C. His finance, Nurse Kennedy, was also on the same troopship and, among his friends, Blois Lawton and William Upjohn. They expected to go to France, but on reaching England, were kept in London for six weeks and then sent to the Dardanelles. Fay was stationed at Lemnos with the second Australian hospital and remained there for five months.
Nurse Kennedy was also stationed at Lemnos ; at the time she was married to Fay Maclure, but this was not generally known, as the marriage had been secretly performed in London. Soon after the arrival of the "Mooltan". Fay disappeared one day and when his fiancee asked him where he had been, he said he was looking for a Presbyterian Church--rather hard to find in London. It seemed odd, as he did not attend church very often. However, his search was successful and they were married on the 9th of July in a Presbyterian Church in Regents Square, London. Major William Upjohn, Captain Blois Lawton and Nurse Davis were the only persons present. A photograph, taken at Lemnos, Christmas 1915, shows Fay Maclure and his wife (Fig. 10).
Early in 1916, Fay went to Egypt with the third A.G.H. and was stationed at a general hospital at Abyssia. He is shown in the photograph of the group (Fig. 11) which includes Captain Blois Lawton and Captain St. Clair Steuart. Fay was eight months in Egypt and was then transferred to France.
He was with the second A.G.H. at Boulogne. His senior was Lieut. Colonel William Upjohn, who had previously been with him at Lemnos, but had not gone to Egypt because of illness. When Fay arrived in France, he did not agree with the current practice of extensive wound excision and was much more conservative. However, according to Sir William Upjohn, he soon changed his ideas. They worked together and got on very well. Fay mixed excellently with the other officers in the mess and was a great chess player. They were stationed at a casualty clearing station on the Somme before the big German push, when the fifth army was broken. Charles Littlejohn was nearby in a British unit and the three of them were often together.
A photograph of Fay Maclure operating in a casualty clearing station in France was an Official War Photograph (Fig. 12).
Upjohn and Maclure were sent from the A.I.F. to study Carrel-Dakin treatment of septic wounds. They also went to Paris together on leave and spent time watching French surgeons at work. One of Fay Maclure's hobbies was rather unusual-according to Sir William Upjohn, he visited junk-yards, looking at secondhand machinery in the same way that other people take an interest in secondhand book shops. Later in Melbourne, Mr. Maclure once told me about junk-yards where all sorts of interesting machinery and other odd objects could be found.
Sir Victor Hurley, speaking of Fay Maclure's war service, said that he was well fitted for military service by reason of his imperturbable temperament, courage and unlimited capacity for work under the most trying and desperate conditions. His efficiency, together with his kindly nature, always gained the confidence and appreciation of staff and patients. Always dependable in an emergency, he was a master of organisation and in getting things done. He was an early exponent of the teachings of Robert Jones in the treatment of mutilating and severe bone injuries, which were so frequently met with and proficient in the use of Thomas's splints, at a time when there was a tendency to depart from them. (1957).
He was mentioned twice in despatches and was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Towards the end of the War, it was evident that there would be much plastic surgery to be done to the wounded after their return to Australia. To deal with these cases, the British Authorities had established a special plastic surgery centre at Sidcup, under the direction of Sir Harry Gillies. The director of medical services arranged for an A.I.F. team to be attached to the staff of this hospital. The team consisted of Henry Newland and Fay Maclure as surgeons, Kenneth Russell and George Finlay as dental officers and Daryl Lindsay, as artist and recorder. Fay was at Sidcup for six months, doing mostly facio-maxillary plastic surgery. Fig 13, a photograph taken at Sidcup, shows Fay Maclure, Daryl Lindsay and an anaesthetist, "Digs" La Touche, from Sydney.
In the Stawell Oration of 1958, Sir Daryl Lindsay spoke of five famous men. including Fay Maclure. He said: "I first met him at Sidcup and the friendship lasted until I saw him a few days before his death. At Sidcup he was known as "Peter Doody", because of his rather unmilitary appearance, and a habit of drooping his mouth when thinking. He was one of those rare people, born knowing most of the answers. He had a quiet sense of humour, deep understanding of humanity and an amazing fund of common sense." (1958). At a dinner of the Alfred Old Residents and Graduates Association, at which he was a guest speaker, Sir Daryl Lindsay told the following story. At the bed-side of a soldier, who had his lower jaw blown off, two eminent English and American surgeons were discussing the case at length. The patient could see and hear, but he could not speak. Maclure sat on the bed and just watched his face. The others left after fifteen minutes, nodding their heads. Maclure sat on, looking and thinking and after a time, his face lit up and he leaned across to the patient and said: "We'll fix you laddie!" The Expression on the patient's face changed like a dog being patted and his eyes lit up. Maclure and Lindsay left the room and outside Sir Daryl said: "What can you do?" Fay replied: "I don't know, but we have to do something and I have an idea." Needless to say, the idea worked! Sir Daryl Lindsay said: "What struck me so forcibly, was the humanity of the incident-giving the patient hope". Years later when he was a director of the National Gallery, Sir Daryl Lindsay made a drawing, indicating the scope of plastic surgery applicable to the nose, which he sent to Fay as a Christmas greeting (Fig 14).
In a letter recently received from Sir Henry Newland regarding his association with Fay Maclure at the Princess Mary Hospital at Sidcup, Sir Henry said: "Fay Maclure as a colleague and an old friend, was of the salt of the earth. As a surgeon, his wisdom, judgement and mechanical gifts were just what was needed to deal efficiently with the manifold problems of gunshot wounds to the face and jaws. To these problems he applied his heart and his mind too, thus he gained the trust and affection of those whose deformities so greatly troubled them, which he so skilfully reduced or abolished. To my mind he was a man of the surgical image of Lister and Hamilton Russell; Fay Maclure revered them both."
On his return to Australia after the war, Fay Maclure served for several years as one of the surgeons at the Repatriation Hospital, Caulfield. Many years later after the Second World War, when Mr. B. K. Rank first came to the Repatriation Hospital, he met Fay Maclure who said: "I have a bit of a reputation for this sort of surgery; this is my ward and these are my patients, but you can do what you like with them.
In 1919, Mr Maclure bought a house in Punt Road, just across the road from the Nurses' Home. His object was to be nearby when doing emergency operations. One evening after seeing a patient he was walking along the corridor, towards his home, when a nurse took him by the arm and said: "You are going the wrong way, old man", and turned him back. At another time, when he was in the corridor of the hospital in his dressing gown, he was stopped by a junior nurse, who took him into a small room off the ward, put him into bed and locked the door. At the time, a mental case was loose and the nurse ran up to the sister and said: "I've got him sister!" Fay enjoyed such episodes of mistaken identity, which he rather encouraged by passive participation!
There used to be a lawn tennis court, where the Margaret Coles Wing is now situated and the Honoraries and residents frequently played tennis together. Fig. 15 shows Mr. W. Dunlop, Hamilton Russell, Dr. Mackeddie, Dr. Rupert Downs, Dr. George Foreman, Mr. Fay Maclure and Dr. G. James.
In 1923, when Dr. Edgar King, now Professor of Pathology, was resident to Fay Maclure, he was greatly impressed by Fay's ability in making a diagnosis from what seemed very little information. Edgar would telephone him about difficult cases and he usually got the right answer. Once he rang about a new patient, whom he thought should be operated on immediately: to his surprise, however, Mr. Maclure said he would not come to see the patient, but would see him in the morning. When he did see the patient, he said: "Operation would do no good." The patient remained very seriously ill and a number of physicians, surgeons and specialists were called in consultation. Dr. Mackeddie saw the patient several times and tried to get Mr. Maclure to operate. In exasperation he said: "What do you think the diagnosis is, Fay?" Fay said: "A ruptured dissecting aneurism of the aorta." Mr. Mackeddie was greatly amused by this diagnosis, but finally prevailed upon Fay to operate. "It was a dissecting aneurism-in those days a very rarely diagnosed condition, and as predicted the operation did not do any good."
Towards the end of his time, Edgar King thought he had made a bad impression. However, he was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Maclure invited him to a fishing party. They went to Gipsy Point near Mallacotta Inlet and Edgar noticed that whether it was fishing in the river or in the sea, Fay was always the most skilful and caught the most fish.
At this time Mr. Maclure was at 81 Collins Street. A photograph (Fig. 16), shows him walking towards his rooms in company with his brother, Dr. Noel Maclure.
In the twenties, Mr. Hamilton Russell was dean of the medical school at the Alfred Hospital, while Fay Maclure was subdean. Together they wrote a small book for guidance of students. As a teacher, Fay Maclure was a martinet. Dr. John Searls told me on one occasion, when he was a student at the Alfred and arrived late on a Monday morning for a clinic. Mr. Maclure spoke sharply" Searls, you are late" you have not shaved either." John Searls replied that he was late because he had been away fishing over the weekend. Fay immediately changed his mood and said: "How many did you catch, what bait did you use?" Next week, he brought along his trout gear and gave a demonstration of fly fishing on the front lawn. Later, when Dr. Searls was in practice in Bairnsdale, he would telephone Mr. Maclure about difficult cases. In his first case of "Bairnsdale Ulcer", the ulceration was travelling rapidly along the deep facia of the leg and Dr. Sears telephones Mr. Maclure, who suggested a "firebreak" around the ulcer to be packed with formalin paste. The patient was photographed recently and the print showed where the "firebreak" had stopped the spread of infection.
Mr. Maclure's thoughtful approach to all medical problems was illustrated in his treatment of varicose ulcers. At a meeting of the Victorian Branch of the B.M.A., held on October 7th, 1925, Fay Maclure read a paper on the treatment of chronic ulceration of the leg. The purpose of the paper, which was published in the Medical Journal of Australia (1926), was to establish that the cause of the chronicity was a failure of the venous and lymphatic circulation and a method of treatment was described, which restored the normal circulation. In the opening discussion, Mr. Hamilton Russell said that Mr. Maclure's work in this field was excellent,
On his return from the First World War, Mr. Maclure commenced what was to become a long and close association with the dental profession. In 1926 he was appointed medical representative of the Dental Board and in 1929 he became Chairman of the Dental Board and in 1929 he became Chairman of the Dental Postgraduate Teaching Committee, a position he held until 1936, when he resigned and was created an Honorary member of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Dental Association. A well-known dentist, Dr. George Finlay, now living in England, has written about Fay Maclure as follows: "I first met Fay at Sidcup maxillo-facial hospital at the end of the First World War. I was a junior dental officer at Sidcup, attached to the unit. Our friendship began then and lasted until his death. I spent many holidays with him and also went with him when he visited his properties in N.S.W. We had fishing holidays together, both sea and fresh water and he was also an excellent artist with the gun; one shot, one duck. He was a loving son to his mother and he told me with glee, how he handed her his first golden sovereign, received as a medical fee. After the war I worked with him at Caulfield Military Hospital in the maxillo-facial unit." In the Australian Journal of Dentistry, Fay Maclure published an original article entitled "Fractures of the Lower Jaw". It is illustrated by drawings, done by Sir Daryl Lindsay and is a comprehensive description of different types of fracture and includes a section on bone grafting. (1920).
In 1930 Mr. Maclure was invited to deliver a Listerian Oration in Adelaide. He gave a paper entitled "A Study of Certain Principles of Mechanics in the Production and Treatment of Fractures", (1930), which was a thoughtful and clear representation of the subject, well illustrated with excellent x-ray pictures of various fractures.
In 1931, when Mr. Maclure and Mr. Zwar were examining final medical students in a surgical oral, they examined a student named Robert Officer. Mr. Zwar turned to Mr. Maclure and said: "That boy has more character and intelligence than anyone else in his year and if you can, I advise you to get him as your resident." Later Bob Officer came to the Alfred and became a resident. On Christmas day, 1931 he commenced duty with Fay Maclure and did not leave the hospital until Good Friday, 1932. At this time, Mr. Maclure's receiving day was Friday and if he was receiving new cases over the weekend, it was not uncommon for eighty patients to be under his bed card.
In Robert Officer, Fay Maclure found someone after his own heart; they both put the patient's illness above everything else and concentrated all their energies in helping him. A very close association developed between the two men. When he finished as a registrar at the Alfred, Bob Officer was advised by Mr. Maclure to go out into the country and do a year's work in general practice, so that he would understand the problems facing the general practitioner, who would some day be referring patients to him. So Bob went to Camperdown for a year and then to England, where he obtained the F.R.C.S. He became a registrar at St. Mark's Hospital and was so highly regarded that, had he stayed in London, he probably would have obtained a senior appointment. However, Fay Maclure wrote to him in 1937 and told him to return to Melbourne before he would be forgotten.
Mr. Robert Officer came back and was appointed an Associate Surgeon to the Alfred Hospital and commenced consulting practice at 81 Collins Street with Mr. Maclure.
Just before the Second World War, Mr. Maclure gave two postgraduate lectures, entitled "Mechanical Principles in the Causation and Treatment of Disease". In the first lecture (1939) the problems of the circulation, elasticity and tone are considered in relation to the treatment of chronic ulceration, burns, sinuses and fistulae. In the second lecture (1940), fibrous tissue scars, skin grafting, structure of the biliary system, duct anastomosis and gastrectomy are discussed.
Mr. Maclure had been due to retire at 1943, but he stayed on as an Honorary Surgeon at the Alfred. It was a very busy time for him and the extra work and worry may have been a factor in the cerebro-vascular accident, which occurred suddenly in 1947. He was about to examine a patient in St. Andrew's Hospital, when he fell and lost the use of his right arm and leg, but was not unconscious. He regained muscular power and was able to walk and carry on activities of various kinds, but he was never able to resume medical practice. He spent a considerable amount of time in his workshop, which was well fitted for machine work. He made medical equipment and surgical instruments, also ornaments for his friends and toys for the children of his friends. Throughout his life he had always shown a great affection for children and it was a personal tragedy, that he did not have a family of his own.
Mr. Maclure was a member of various clubs; The Melbourne Club, Royal Melbourne Golf Club and The Melbourne Cricket Club. He played golf regularly on Wednesday afternoons with medical friends and took part in the annual match against the Melbourne Hospital, where he usually had a blood battle with Mr. Zwar. His main hobby was trout fishing and he spent many weekends and holidays in the outback, wading in the rivers, lakes and streams of Victoria and N.S.W., casting the red tag fly, which was his favourite.
For years he went to Apollo Bay for a holiday and stayed at "The Falls". My cousin, Angus McLean, told me this story: At breakfast every morning, Fay would ask "Where will you take me today, the Barham, Skene Creek or the Wild Dog?" Of course Mr. Maclure himself would decide where to go, and he would take my cousin to a selected trout stream and tell him where to fish. Fay himself would go further upstream, but never seemed to have much luck, while my cousin always had a full bag. When this happened several times, Angus realized that he was sent to the best part of the stream, whilst Fay went elsewhere. Mr. Maclure usually accompanied her husband on fishing exhibitions; she would never cast a fly, but just threw in a line over a log and often caught a bigger trout than Fay. Mr. Balcombe Quick was also a keen trout fisherman and he and Fay Maclure had many weekends together (Fig. 17).
An old friend, Dr. Thomas Campbell, was in general practice at Kew. He consulted Mr. Maclure in all difficult cases and said that as a diagnostician, Fay Maclure was a genius, who never made a mistake. Later, when Fay Maclure, became ill, Dr. Campbell was his devoted friend. Fig. 18 shows Fay Maclure, standing at the door of his home with Mr. R. Officer and Dr. Campbell. Another photograph was taken about this time when he was aged 70 years (Fig. 19).
Mr. Maclure was an inpatient surgeon at the Alfred for 25 years and he trained about 75 house surgeons. He gave them the basic knowledge and ability to perform surgical operations, but more than that, he gave them a humanist approach to the sick patient and in a masterly way demonstrated the art of diagnosis. By his example he showed them a way of life, which was a lasting inspiration to the fortunate few who worked with him. A list (incomplete) of resident medical officers is as follows:
Dr. Trevor Barnett, Professor Rupert Willis, Dr. J. E. Shilliday, Professor Edgar King, Mr. Leonard Ball, Dr. Donald Brown, Dr. Alan MacKay, Sir Clive Fitts, Dr. T. a'Becket Travers. Dr. M. Deane, Dr. Geoffrey Kaye, Dr. Russell Buchanan, Mr. H. Anthony Phillips, Mr. Graham Godfrey, Dr. Eric Eddy, Mr. Robert Officer, Dr. Boyd Penfold, Dr. L. Kirsner, Dr. Campbell Duncan, Dr. E. S. Green, Dr. Alex Sinclair, Dr. H. Roland, Dr. A. J. Gumley, Dr. A. T. H. Jolly, Dr. L. Langmore, Dr. R. Smibert, Dr. D. Oldmeadow, Dr. J. Love, Dr. Donald Duffy, Major General W. Refshauge, Dr. Marie Williams, Dr. R. Read, Dr. R. Baker, Dr. C. Coghlan, Dr. A. W. Burton, Dr. Elizabeth Turner, Dr. J. Wales, Dr. C. Gale, Professor J. Bornstein, Dr. J. Davies, Dr. D. Phillips, Dr. Kathleen Inglis, Dr. L. Satchell, Dr. J. Ackerman, Dr. Colin Galbraith, Dr. J. Gooch, Dr. M. Ingram, Dr. Ron Smyth, Dr. Jenny Pascheove, Dr. J. Storey and his last resident, December to March, 1946, Mr. G. McCloskey.
Fay Maclure took a great interest in the Alfred Hospital Old Residents' Association, which was founded by Hamilton Russell in 1926. He was President of this society from 1945 to 1948. His final act as President was to unveil the Honour Board to fallen residents and medical officers, which is placed above the curving graceful stairway in the entrance hall of the Hospital. He gave a memorable address in which he said:
"The tablet is panelled of wood from the old oak tree, which for many years cast a shade on the residents' dining room and whose removal was necessary for the erection of the new building. Its timber, preserved and fashioned into this honour board, now forms a link with the old hospital and the days of the First World War, the whole is symbolic of the spirit and the tradition of the Alfred. Above is the crest of the hospital with its emblem of the lighted lamp and its motto of "Service and Care". Beneath are the names of those whose sacrifice typifies its great tradition of 'Service before Self'.
"The tablet remains n ever present reminder to the call to duty in its fullest sense and all the high endeavour which that call entails. In these days of unrest, struggle and uncertainty, it is easy, by yielding to specious argument plausible sirens of self-advancement and self-interest, to place yourself in a position where your conduct may be called in question. See to it, then, that your ethical standards are such that they may be worthy of the high sense of duty that is presented in this tablet."
He spoke of the privileges and obligations of doctors and nurses, expressed in the French adage - noblesse oblige - which applied in its highest degree to the senior members of the staff. Finally he said: "I bid you dismiss, to carry on with your various duties, sure in the belief that the heritage handed on to you is safe in your keeping, and that you will guard and guide it, so that the Alfred will flourish and grow until it reaches its predestined place as a centre of nursing and clinical training, as a font of medical knowledge and research and as a source of ever-ready help to the sick and suffering of the community." (1948)
In the Medical Journal of Australia of April 25th, 1957, there appeared an appreciation of Fay Maclure's life by Mr. Robert Officer, Sir Victor Hurley and Sir Daryl Lindsay. The concluding paragraph by Mr. Robert Officer was as follows: "In 1947 after a long and arduous career in surgery, a cerebral thrombosis commenced a period of invalidism, which lasted for 9 years. Throughout this period he bore his disability with patience and courage and his constant interest in medical students and nurses never flagged. Their friendship throughout was a great help to him in maintaining his cheerfulness despite his enforced inactivity" (1957).On the 4th October, 1956, Alfred Fay Maclure died in Hamilton Russell House at the age of 73.
References: Gordon-Taylor, G. (1956), Brit-Med.J. ii 1121. Hurley, V. (1957). Med J. Aust., !, 588. Lindsay, D. (1958), Med. J. Aust., 1, 61. Maclure, F. (1920), Aust J. Dent., 24, 227. Maclure, F. (1926), Med. J. Aust., 1, 29. Maclure, F. (1930), Med. J. Aust,. 2, 715. Maclure, F. (1939), Aust. N.Z. J. Surg., 9, 66. Maclure, F. (1940), Aust. N.Z. J. Surg., 10, 64. Maclure, F. (1949), Med. J. Aust., 1, 223. Officer, R. (1957, Med. J. Aust., 1, 587. Upjohn, W.S.D. (1957), Alfred Hosp. clin. Rep. (Melbourne), 7, 1.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Medical Surgeon.

• Birth Certificate: (11743/1883).

Alfred married Mary Christina (Molly) Kennedy, daughter of David Thompson Kennedy and Christine Mary Hill, on 9 Jul 1915 in Presbyterian Church, Regent Square, Grays Inn Rd, St Pancras, London England. (Mary Christina (Molly) Kennedy was born about 1883 in Longwarry, Victoria Australia.)