Lorimer Fenton Dods LVO MD (1900 - 1981)

Born 7 Mar 1900 in New Farm, Queensland (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Kathleen (Walsh) Dods — married 26 Feb 1927 in Southport, Queensland, Australia

Died 7 Mar 1981 at age 81 in Edgecliff, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Lorimer Dods LVO MD is Notable.

Lorimer Dods LVO MD was born in the Colony of Queensland (1859-1900)

Lorimer Fenton Dods was born on 7th March 1900 in New Farm, Queensland (Australia). He was the only son of Robert 'Robin' Smith Dods, a New Zealand-born architect, and United States-born Mariam King. ^[1] The family soon after settled at Southport, on Queensland's Gold Coast.

At the beginning of 1914, when he was thirteen, his family moved to Sydney and he was enrolled at Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore), where he remained until 1917. After Shore, Lorimer entered the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney, from which he graduated with the dual medical degrees Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (ChM) in 1923.

After graduation, Lorimer spent a few months in the surgical wards and pathology department of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before a one-year appointment as senior resident medical officer at Royal Newcastle Hospital. In December 1925, he sailed on the SS Moreton Bay between London and Sydney as the ship's surgeon. When he returned to Sydney in 1926, he began to work as a general practitioner at 233 New South Head Road, living in a flat behind the surgery.

Lorimer married Margaret Walsh on 26th February 1927 in the St Alban’s Church of England Chapel, The Southport School. ^[2] The couple subsequently had two children:

1. daughter, Rosemary Lorimer Dods, born 17th November 1927
2. son, Robert Lorimer Western Dods (known as Robin), born 11th August 1930

He obtained his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Sydney in 1936. In 1936, after 11 years, Lorimer gave up private practice, spending a year working as a child specialist at the Children's Hospital, Birmingham, England. In 1937 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP).

Lorimer Dods LVO MD is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1939-1945
2/1st Australian General Hospital

On 12th October 1939 Lorimer was commissioned as a medical officer, with the rank of Captain, in the Second Australian Imperial Force. ^[3] In the early stages of the war he was stationed at the 1st Australian General Hospital in Gaza, Palestine. From 1942 he was stationed at hospitals on the Australian mainland and at Port Moresby, Papua. He was demobilised on 19th March 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; returning to private practice the following year. At that time he became personal paediatric physician to then Governor-General of Australia, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and his two young boys. On 25th February 1947 he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for his service to the Duke of Gloucester. ^[4]

In the New Year Honours 1962 Lorimer was created Knight Bachelor in recognition of service to medicine, particularly in the field of paediatrics. ^[5]

On 7th June 1977, his wife died of a cerebral haemorrhage at their Palm Beach home, aged 74. ^[6] On 12th February 1981, at his home in Edgecliff, New South Wales, Lorimer fell and fractured two ribs. He was admitted to St Luke's Hospital, however, his condition deteriorated. He passed away on 7th March 1981, the 81st anniversary of his birth, in Edgecliff, New South Wales. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #1900/B/564
2. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1927/B/385
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX35 Lieutenant Colonel Lorimer Fenton Dods; accessed 16 Dec 2023
4. ↑ Australian Honours: LVO; accessed 16 Dec 2023
5. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 16 Dec 2023
6. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #13833/1977; registered at Sydney
7. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #5406/1981; registered at Sydney

See also

• Wikipedia: Lorimer Dods; accessed 16 Dec 2023.
• Yu, John. 'Dods, Sir Lorimer Fenton (1900–1981)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2007; accessed online 16 Dec 2023.