Alfred Murray CLARKE

CLARKE, ALFRED MURRAY (b. Kiugkiang, China, 11 Jan 1909; d. Melbourne, Vic, 14 Aug 1987). Surgeon.

Clarke's parents were missionaries in China sent by British Brethren Assemblies: his father a printer from Birmingham, England, his mother Marina More, a teacher from Melbourne.

The family went to England in 1920 on furlough and moved to Australia in 1921, where the two eldest boys were enrolled as boarders at Caulfield Grammar School, and where they were cared for by several aunts and their families during the vacations. Murray Clarke was always a good student, and took part in all games and sporting activities.

During his medical course at the University of Melbourne he became closely associated with fellow students including Leslie Griffiths, Cyril Cato, Norman Burns, Hedley Millikan, and others in the establishment of the Evangelical Union, which followed the visit of Howard Guinness (q.v.). He graduated MB, BS in 1932, and worked at Melbourne Hospital (1932) and the Children's Hospital where he spent two busy and happy years. Clarke then worked his way to London as a ship's doctor on a passenger liner. There he studied for his FRCS (London) - he was also later to become FRACS. He was then appointed as house surgeon at the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. His work there determined the direction his professional life would take.

During his period in London he experienced the warm friendship of Dr Douglas Johnson, IVF general secretary, and his wife, Dorothy, and would frequently be invited to Sunday dinner with the family at Epsom; the friendship continued over the years, and Clarke has acknowledged, 'I owe more than I can say to his influence when I was most impressionable, naive and uncertain'. In Australia he became a loyal supporter of the graduates' fellowship of the IVF and of the Christian Medical Fellowship. He always seemed to know when a well-known visitor was coming to Australia, and he would arrange appropriate gatherings. His interest and support for IVF, later AFES, continued to the end.

Returning to Australia he married Helen Eggleston on 27 Feb 1940, and decided to settle in Perth, and he was appointed to the Perth Hospital and the Perth Children's Hospital. With the onset of war in the Pacific area, he joined the army, and was posted to Melbourne for training in plastic surgery at the Heidelberg Military Hospital. After this, he was posted to 2/1 AGH on Bougainville Island, where the Japanese were being repulsed by the Australian and American forces.

After the war he returned to Melbourne with his wife, Helen, and their growing family. He was appointed as surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital, and by 1952 seemed to be spending a large part of the day and part of the night at the hospital. He established the Burns Unit which was the first of its kind in Australia. This led on to the Burns Research Unit, which analysed the causes of burn injuries in children, hence pointing to the means of avoiding them. For several years he was chairman of the division of surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital, and a member of the Faculty of Medicine at Melbourne University.

He was a founding member of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Society, and co-editor of the journal. He saw his patients suffering from accidents or burns, as victims of preventable injuries which could be reduced in frequency, if not prevented, by better design in homes and domestic equipment, and avoidance of inflammable articles of clothing or toys. He worked closely with CSIRO and the Standards Association, which drafted suitable legislation. He was made an OBE in 1981 for these services.

His minister spoke of him as a 'Christian gentleman, not merely by tradition, or in any formal way, and not because he was the son of missionary parents, but by deep personal conviction and commitment. He really believed in God, he knew Christ as Saviour and Lord, and believed Him to be the Saviour of the world'.

J ERIC CLARKE