Dr John Henry Harbison

BM BS 1926 - 2022

Dr John Henry Harbison was born on 10 May 1926 in the home of his grandfather, Wallaroo mayor Dr William Harbison.

The house was called ‘Kirribilli’, meaning ‘good fishing place’ an appropriate start for John Henry.

John’s mother, Violet Mary Harbison, was attended by a Dr Harbison. This was inevitable as her father-in-law, Dr William Harbison; his brother, Dr David Harbison; her husband, Dr Ernest Harbison; and his brother, Dr Alan Harbison had the Copper Triangle pretty well sewn up. John’s life’s direction was pretty clear from the get-go.

Dr Ern and Violet, known as ‘Lizzie’, took baby John to live at Terowie, on the Broken Hill Line, where, three years later, Peter (later urologist Dr Peter Harbison) was born.

The family then moved to a practice in Jamestown, where Ern could indulge his passion for sport, business and doctoring.

When the 2nd World War came, Ern returned to the Army, having first enlisted in 1918. He was promoted to Major and ran camp hospitals for the 2nd Battalion.

By this time John had been sent to St Peter’s College in Adelaide, as a boarder. With Ern away at the war and John away at school, Lizzie packed up young Peter and moved to Adelaide.

John and Peter’s ties with the country stayed strong, and their holidays were typically spent at their grandfather’s big house at Wallaroo.

Ern didn’t come back from the war, dying of a heart attack in 1945 shortly before the armistice. John won a scholarship to study medicine at Adelaide University and was given permission to take it up even though he was only 17.

John found university hard at first, but the older students, returned soldiers like Don Beard and John Skipper, showed him the way.

He excelled at athletics and was state title holder for the high jump, hurdles and pole vault.

In 1950, John married Ina Patricia (Pat) Thyer, daughter of Dr and Mrs Lewis Thyer of Kadina.

Flush with a medical degree and a marriage certificate, Pat and John headed for Fremantle, where John had landed the job of chief medical officer at Fremantle hospital, a job he always said was the best job in the world.

In July 1951, Pat gave birth to Bill.

In 1953, John accepted the job of medical officer at the Woomera Rocket Range in far northern South Australia.

Pat and John made Woomera fun. They just ignored the atomic tests happening around them and the heavy atmosphere of the Cold War. Pat started an art club and brought noted and garrulous artists like John Dowie from Adelaide to inspire club members.

As a doctor, John was an Honorary Captain and could drink in the Officers’ Mess. But security was very tight. Every three years, all personnel had to move on. So, in 1956, and with second child Michael having joined them, they headed to Kadina.

Bill and Michael, aged three and five, were deposited with Pat’s parents, while John and Pat caught a cargo ship for London, John working his passage as ship’s doctor before doing further medical studies in London.

They returned to South Australia and set off for John’s new chapter of some 60 years as ‘Doctor Harbison of Gawler’.

During this time he was a town councillor, Rotary member, church warden and medical director of Gawler Hospital –although hunting, fishing and golf were his passions.

John bought a share in Dr Hannan’s practice in Murray Street and they lived in a trust home in Rice Avenue on the river flat. Dr Gillan came and went, Dr Hannan retired and Pat’s cousin, Dr Curtis Deland, joined the practice.

With the entrepreneurial pharmacist John Duncan, they built the first multidisciplinary health centre, combining pharmacy, dentists, doctors and dry cleaner in one large, modern new building.

At 92, John finally retired from medicine, as the oldest registered general practitioner in Australia.

In his last year, he lost his wife his brother, Peter, and his best friend Harry Brown. But he also travelled a great deal and spent a lot of time with his children, who learned how genuinely interested he was in his at that time eight, and soon to be 10, great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his four children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Michael Harbison