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Emeritus Consultants Biographies
Philip Goatcher was born in Perth in 1921, the son of James Goatcher, a painting and decorating contractor, and Margaret nee Healy. He spent his university years at Wesley College of the University of Adelaide. Later he went to England for some of his general surgical training and was a Senior Registrar in Urology at St Paul's Hospital, London, in 1952. In 1953 he married Dr Phyllis Cook and they returned to Western Australia in 1954 when he was appointed to the Honorary Consultant Staff in Surgery. From then until 1982, the date of his retirement, he made a major contribution to the Division of General Surgery and it is to be noted that in 1965 he performed the greatest number of surgical operations of any surgeon at Royal Perth Hospital and this was paralleled by similar service to St John of God Hospital, Subiaco. He has been over the years a most valued contributor to many medical committees, not only at the Royal Perth Hospital but also for the BMA and then the AMA and the Medical Board of Western Australia. He taught surgery not only to many generations of medical students but also to dental students and nurses, giving freely of his time. In his presentationm a whimsical and gentle humour was appreciated by all. He was the first West Australian to be appointed to the Court of Examiners of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and served in that capacity for ten years. All his committee work left him little time for extra-professional interests which include membership of the West Australian Historical Society and painting. He and his wife Phyllis have a son and a daughter, the latter is a State Registered Nurse. He has many publications to his credit in the British Medical Journal, the British Journal of Surgery, British Journal of Urology and the ANZ Journal of Surgery. |
