Sir Randal Forbes Elliott (12 October 1922 20 July 2010) was a New Zealand

eye surgeon Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, by an ophthalmologist or sometimes, an optometrist. Eye surgery is synonymous with ophthalmology. The eye is a very fragile organ, and requ ...

and a

campaigner A civil society campaign is one that is intended to mobilize public support and use democratic tools such as lobbying in order to instigate social change. Civil society campaigns can seek local, national or international objectives. They can be r ...

for

safety glass Safety glass is glass with additional safety features that make it less likely to break, or less likely to pose a threat when broken. Common designs include toughened glass (also known as tempered glass), laminated glass, and wire mesh glass (al ...

Early life and education

Elliott was born in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

into a family with a long medical history. His father, Sir James Elliott, was a doctor and medical journalist, editing the

New Zealand Medical Journal ''The New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ)'' is a peer review, peer-reviewed medical journal. It is the official journal of the New Zealand Medical Association. Description The ''NZMJ'' was established in September 1887 by the New Zealand Branch of ...

for many years, and both of his brothers trained as doctors. He was educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican c ...

and later studied at

Victoria University College Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

and

University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine The Dunedin School of Medicine is the name of the School of Medicine that is based on the Dunedin campus of the University of Otago. All University of Otago medical students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year prog ...

where he graduated with a

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 1947. In 1949, Elliott married Pauline June Young, and the couple went on to have seven children.

Work

After medical school, Elliott trained at the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

, and moved to the Institute of Ophthalmology in London for instruction in eye surgery. Elliot served as chairman in 1971–1972, and President in 1977, of the

New Zealand Medical Association The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) is an association representing some doctors and medical students in New Zealand. It was officially founded after a meeting in April 1886 at Dunedin Hospital. From 1896 to 1967, the NZMA was considered as ...

. He played a part in making laminated windscreens compulsory in cars and banning plate-glass or mesh-glass in public areas because of the danger to people walking into them.

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served with the 1st Battalion, Wellington Regiment, and the Otago University Medical Corps. He was later a medical officer with the

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

achieving the rank of

Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

and serving in Sarawak, Sabah and Vietnam.

Order of St John

Elliott served the Order of St John for many years and was Chancellor of St John in New Zealand from 1980 to 1986. His father was also Chancellor of St John. He also performed several tours of duty to the St John Eye Hospital in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Ophthalmic Surgeon Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

Honours

Elliott was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the

1976 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1976 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. They were announced on 1 January 1976 to celebra ...

, for services to medicine, especially ophthalmology. In the 1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours, he was promoted to

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, for services to medicine. In 1978, Elliott was appointed a

Knight of the Order of St John 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 promoted to Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John in 1987 in recognition of his significant contribution to the order of St John.''London Gazette'', No. 50990, 9 July 1987
Retrieved 12 February 2013. His father was also promoted to Bailiff Grand Cross. Bailiff Grand Cross is the highest award in the St John Honours system. This honour is limited to only ten people, outside the Royal family, worldwide.

References

24 July 2010 NZ Herald21 July Otago Daily TimesOrder of St John NZ Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliot, Randal 1922 births 2010 deaths New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England New Zealand ophthalmologists New Zealand Medical Association People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School University of Otago alumni