 |
|
Emeritus Consultants Biographies
Miles de Courcy Clarke was born in Perth in February 1920, the son of Professor E de Clarke after whom was named the E. de Clarke Geological Museum at the University of Western Australia. He was educated at Hale School and Adelaide University and entered the Army Medical Corps in 1944 serving in Queensland and New Guinea. Post war he practiced in Kalgoorlie where in 1953 he descended into a 183m mine shaft to help rescue several trapped miners. While in Kalgoorlie he commenced a fifty year involvement with the St John Ambulance Brigade culminating as State Commissioner 1977-81. Moving to Perth in 1956 he commenced General Practice which continued until a few years before his death. He gave many years service as a physician at The Royal Perth Hospital and was a member of the Board for 10 years from 1973. He was a member of the Board of Visitors at Greylands Hospital from 1970 to 1992. He thrived on obstetrics and was well known for delivering a baby in the middle of the night and arriving next morning with a freshly-picked rose from his garden to present to the new mother. Dr Clarke was lively with an engaging personality and a whimsical sense of humour. He was famous for his home grown vegetables and beautiful roses and for hand feeding magpies. An avid bee keeper he would joke "I'm going to label it 'Honey - better by Miles'". He had a great love of classical music, carpentry and his dogs, Fred and Angus, who accompanied him at his Saturday surgery. He was very close to his brothers John and Stuart and with his wife delighted family gatherings. Mrs. Clarke died in 1995 just after their golden wedding anniversary. For his exemplary contribution in both his volunteer work for St John Ambulance and in his medical practice he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1999. He died in Perth in August 2001. |
