Sir Alexander Gillies (26 September 1891 – 19 February 1982) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

orthopaedic surgeon who played a major role in establishing

orthopaedics Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

as a surgical speciality in New Zealand. One of the first to practise hip replacement in New Zealand, he was prominent in the foundation of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association and became its first president. He was associated with a number of humanitarian causes including the New Zealand Red Cross Society of which he was chairman and latterly president.

Early life

Gillies was born in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand, on 26 September 1891. His father Gilbert Wilson Gillies and his mother, Agnes Gibson had emigrated to New Zealand from Scotland. He was educated at

Otago Boys’ High School Otago Boys' High School (OBHS) is a secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools. Originally known as Dunedin High School, it was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 188 ...

from where he went on to the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, Dunedin, where he studied medicine. As an undergraduate, he gained a blue for rugby union. While still a student he was called up for service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1916, serving with the New Zealand expeditionary forces( NCEF) in Egypt, Palestine and Syria. Photographs of his activities during this time are held in the

National Library of New Zealand The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

. He was awarded an NCEF scholarship, awarded to demobilised New Zealand soldiers, and this enabled him to study medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

where he graduated

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

in 1923. Three years later he was elected a fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

(FRCSEd).

Career

Gillies had originally considered specialising in public health but chose instead a career in the developing surgical speciality of orthopaedics. He trained under Sir Robert Jones, one of the leaders in this new speciality. Initially he worked under Jones as assistant orthopaedic surgeon at the Shropshire Orthopaedic Hospital,

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

, and at the

Royal Southern Hospital The Royal Southern Hospital was located in Caryl Street, Liverpool. It was established in 1842 and closed in 1978. History The hospital had its origins in the Southern and Toxteth Hospital in Greenland Street which opened in January 1842. A concer ...

, Liverpool. In 1927 he gained further surgical experience at the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

in Rochester, Minnesota with William Mayo and the following year was appointed orthopaedic surgeon at the Lockwood Clinic in Toronto. When he returned to New Zealand in 1929, he was appointed orthopaedic surgeon at Wellington Hospital. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the founding of the

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and New Zealand. Known by its common acronym RACS, it is a not-for-profit organisation, sup ...

in 1927 and became a fellow of the College in 1932. Gillies returned to Liverpool in 1936 to take the degree of

Master of Surgery The Master of Surgery (Latin: Magister Chirurgiae) is an advanced qualification in surgery. Depending upon the degree, it may be abbreviated ChM, MCh, MChir or MS. At a typical medical school the program lasts between two and three years. The p ...

in orthopaedics (MCh Orth) from the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

. He returned again to the UK in 1940, acting as resident commissioner for the

British Red Cross Society The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

and the

Order of St John of Jerusalem The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

. He was a founder member of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association and served as its first president. Gillies is remembered for his role in establishing orthopaedics as a surgical speciality in New Zealand. He was among the first to perform hip replacement in New Zealand. He was also devoted to several humanitarian causes such as the New Zealand Red Cross Society of which he became chairman then president. Along with

Wilfred Wallis Wilfred Stanley Wallis (15 May 1891 – 20 September 1957) was a New Zealand doctor of orthopaedics and medical administrator, who served as a medical officer during the First World War. Born in Christchurch, he studied medicine at the Un ...

, he helped establish the New Zealand Crippled Children Society and founded the New Zealand Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He became patron of the New Zealand Physical Education Society, which became Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ). Gillies was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

, for services to orthopaedic surgery, in the

1959 Queen's Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1959 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate ...

. His name is commemorated in the Sir Alexander Gillies Gold medal which is awarded for distinguished and outstanding service to PENZ.

Family

Gillies married Effie Lovica Wooler (née Shaw) in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, on 21 September 1920; she died in 1972. Two daughters from that marriage predeceased him. He married Joan Mary Kennedy in 1978 and died in Wellington on 19 February 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillies, Alexander 1891 births 1982 deaths New Zealand orthopaedic surgeons Health professionals from Dunedin University of Otago alumni Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School New Zealand Knights Bachelor People educated at Otago Boys' High School 20th-century surgeons