Emeritus Consultants Biographies

Lancelot Graham Bowser CUMPSTON, K. St. John University of Melbourne MB BS (Melb) 1928 MFA RACS (Foundation) 1952 DA (RCP&S) England 1954 FFARACS 1956 Consultant Anaesthetist

Graham Cumpston was born in Perth in 1902, the son of Louis Bowser Cumpston, architect, and Amie Muriel (nee) Love.

He was educated at Perth Boys School and was a prominent Sea Scout, being the first to be awarded the Cornwell Badge for courage in 1920.  After graduating in Medicine at Melbourne University in 1928, he returned to Perth and was appointed Junior Resident Medical Officer at the Perth Hospital.  He practiced for a time in Leonora and Dwellingup and then returned to Perth in 1936.

In 1938 he was appointed Honorary Anaesthetist to the Perth Hospital, a position he held until his resignation in 1961. In 1976 the Board of Management, in recognition of his long service to the Hospital, appointed him Foundation Emeritus Consultant Anaesthetist.  He also held appointments as Honorary Anaesthetist at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, the King Edward Memorial Hospital and the Perth Dental Hospital.

Graham was a lecturer in Anaesthesia for the Faculty of Dental Science at the University of W.A, and lecturer in Obstetric analgesia at the King Edward Memorial Hospital for the Nurses Registration Board.

He served as a Captain in the 13th Field Ambulance during the second World War and was a member of the St John's Brigade for many years, becoming Commissioner in 1966.  He was made a Knight of St John in 1976.

Graham Cumpston. was responsible for introducing the Foregger (Australian Midget) anaesthetic machine which used Cyclopropane to Perth and inaugurated the group anaesthetic practice.  He wrote a number of papers which were published in the medical press.

In 1931 he married Rosalie Jean (nee Goilan) and they had two children: Rosalie Janice and Graham Neil.  Neil studied medicine and was appointed Consultant Cardiologist to the Royal Perth Hospital in 1968.

Outside of medicine he was interested in aviculture, numismatics and philately.  He was also a keen gardener.

Graham Cumpston died in 1981 in the hospital he had served for so long; a few days after giving his last anaesthetic.