Sir Fred Bowerbank

SIR FRED T BOWERBANK OBE KSTJ KBE 

1880 - 1960

MB CHB (EDIN) 1904, MD (EDIN) 1917, MRCP (EDIN) 1925, FRCP (EDIN) 1929, FRACP 1936  

Fred was appointed HS at the Royal Free Hospital, London in 1905.   He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907 and set up practice in Newtown.

He was appointed Honorary Physician, Wellington Hospital in 1912.
Fred went back to the UK in 1924 for postgraduate training.  He spent several weeks attending the National Heart Hospital in London, and on occasions acted as locum RMO.  He spent a lot of time in the basement studying the thousands of ECGs available.

Returning to NZ in 1926 he was appointed the first cardiologist at Wellington Hospital.  As recalled by the Medical Superintendent of the day (D MacDonald Wilson), "investigation of heart disease was put upon a more scientific basis with Dr Fred Bowerbank appointed cardiologist with a Cambridge electrocardiograph machine on which to make investigation of cardiac cases. This department was installed in the original private ward suites off the main corridor. With the help of Mr C W Bland, electrician, certain beds in medical wards 5 & 6 were connected up by suitable wiring with the Cardiology Department so that an ECG record could be made on patients unable to attend in person."

Fred Bowerbank resigned his appointment to the staff of Wellington Hospital in 1939 and he became heavily involved with military service during WW2 as Director of Medical Services Army and Air Medical and Dental.