Robert Scot Skirving facts for kids

Robert Scot Skirving (born in 1859, died in 1956) was a famous doctor and surgeon who worked in Australia. He was born in the United Kingdom. The University of Sydney created the Scot Skirving Prize for students studying Medicine and Surgery to honor him.

A Young Life and Big Changes

Robert Scot Skirving was born on December 18, 1859, on a farm in Scotland. His family later moved to Edinburgh, a big city in Scotland. His family had a strong Scottish religious background.

He went to Edinburgh Academy for school. After that, he trained at a special naval academy. He ended up working in the merchant navy, which means he worked on ships that carried goods, not military ships.

Adventures at Sea

When he was 16, in 1875, Robert joined a mail ship called the SS Tantallon Castle. This ship was heading to Port Adelaide in Australia. On the way back to Britain, he got very sick with a disease called beriberi. This illness made him weak and tired.

Spending time in the hospital made him think about his future. He decided he wanted to become a doctor!

Becoming a Doctor

In 1876, he started studying Medicine at Edinburgh University. He graduated in 1881. Some of his classmates became very famous, including Arthur Conan Doyle, who later wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories! Robert also studied more in Dublin and Vienna to learn even more about medicine. He then worked at a new hospital in Edinburgh.

Moving to Australia

In 1883, Robert went back to Australia as a doctor on a ship carrying people who were moving there. In November, his old friend from university, Dr. Thomas Anderson Stuart, gave him an important job. Robert became the Medical Superintendent at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. This meant he was in charge of the doctors and medical care there.

He also started his own private doctor's office in Sydney in 1884. He worked at the Hospital for Sick Children too, but he had some disagreements there and left in 1889. After that, he became a surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and taught at the University of Sydney.

Serving His Country

Robert Scot Skirving also helped during wars. During the Second Boer War (a war in South Africa), he worked with Australian soldiers. In the First World War, he went back to Britain. He was a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He helped treat wounded soldiers at hospitals in Essex and London. He returned to Sydney in January 1919.

Robert Scot Skirving passed away at his home in Bellevue Hill, Sydney, on July 15, 1956. He was cremated, and a traditional Scottish song was played at his service to remember his Scottish roots.

Important Roles and Achievements

Robert Scot Skirving held many important positions during his life:

• He was the President of the New South Wales branch of the British Medical Association from 1891 to 1892. This is a big group for doctors.
• He was the Chief Medical Advisor for a large insurance company called the Australian Mutual Provident Society from 1911 to 1936.
• He was a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. These are special honors for top doctors and surgeons.
• He was also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

His Family

Robert Scot Skirving married Lucy Susan Hester in January 1886. They had three sons, but one of them sadly died when he was a baby.

His brother, Archibald Adam Scot Skirving, was also a notable person.

One of Robert's sons, Archibald Waller Scot Skirving, was a Captain in the army. He was killed during the First World War at a place called Gallipoli. His body was never found.

His oldest son, Robert Scot Skirving, also became a doctor and worked in Britain. He married Leila Stephanie Barton, whose father, Sir Edmund Barton, was the very first Prime Minister of Australia!