LEGGATT, Dr Robert Andrews (1930-2016)
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'Bob' Leggatt, doctor and surgeon, was notable at Geelong College for his all-round abilities in both academic and sporting fields. He attended Mornington State School before his enrolment as a boarder at Geelong College on 13 February 1941 continuing to December 1948. He was a member of the Under 14 Football Team in 1943, member and captain of the Under 16A Football Team in 1946, and a member of both the 1st Football XVIIIs and Cricket XIs of 1947 and 1948. He was School Athletics Captain in 1948 and a member of the 1st Tennis VIII of 1946. At various times he was a member of the Music, PFA, Cricket, Football and Tennis Committees. In 1948, he was House Vice-Captain, a School Prefect and awardee of the Dr Gus Kearney Memorial Prize. He was also a Corporal in the College Cadet Corps and played the trumpet in the Cadet Corps Band.
'Bill' Huffam and 'Don' Murphy who knew 'Bob' well contributed the following tribute to him. 'It is a privilege to write a tribute to Mr Robert Leggatt who was born on 18 July 1930, the son of the distinguished soldier and parliamentarian Sir William Leggatt and the very active Lady Dorothy Leggatt. He was educated at the Geelong College where he was actively involved in everything. He represented the school in the 1st football and cricket teams and won the long jump in the combined public schools athletic competition. His school career culminated as the 'The Very Model of a Modern Major General' in the school production of the 'Pirates of Penzance'.
He commenced his medical course at the Mildura Branch of Melbourne University in 1949 before moving to Ormond College and graduated MB BS in 1954. He spent two years as a resident medical officer at Prince Henry’s Hospital Melbourne. In 1957, as did many of us; he proceeded to London with a letter of introduction to that doyen of British surgery and great supporter of Australian surgery Sir Gordon Gordon Taylor. Correspondence relating to this meeting is now in the RACS archives. Sir William Leggatt was then Victorian agent general in London, Bob therefore had a more comfortable base than many postgraduate students. He quickly passed the first part of the fellowship examination and gained further surgical experience in SHO and registrar positions at the Miller Hospital Greenwich as well as at the Epping and Bedford hospitals. He completed the Edinburgh fellowship in early 1960 and then worked as registrar to the Urological unit at the Edgware district hospital on the original Roman road to the north, Watling Street.
While at Edgware he made the re-acquaintance with Mr Jim Peters the consultant urologist at Prince Henry’s Hospital and returned to Australia to an appointment on the urological staff of Prince Henry’s Hospital and also as an assistant in Mr Peters private practice. He obtained his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of surgeons in 1963 and in 1964 came to Geelong as the first urological surgeon to live and work in Geelong.
The Geelong Hospital had been founded as the Geelong infirmary and benevolent asylum in 1851 and in the early 1960s had started to evolve from a district hospital into the specialist orientated teaching hospital that it is today. A number of well-qualified specialists were appointed around this time. Leggatt was involved in the evolution of modern urological techniques during his career in Geelong. He coped with an extremely large workload until joined by Mr Donald Murphy in 1977 and by the time of his retirement from active practice in 2000 the urological service had grown to five consultants plus trainees.
Following retirement he continued to be very active, playing golf and bridge. He is survived by his wife Sue, four sons and his grandchildren. An asthmatic, he had always coped remarkably well with this illness but more recently suffered severe respiratory problems and died on 16th June 2016 of respiratory failure, the month before his 86th birthday.
A gentleman, surgeon, colleague, friend and mentor to many. Vale 'Bob'
His father: Sir William Watt Leggatt, MC DSO (1894-1968); brother: Thomas Henry Leggatt (1931-1995); and sons: 'Tom, OGC 1984; Will, OGC 1985; Duncan, OGC 1986; and Stuart, OGC 1987; were all educated at Geelong College.
'Bob' Leggatt, doctor and surgeon, was notable at Geelong College for his all-round abilities in both academic and sporting fields. He attended Mornington State School before his enrolment as a boarder at Geelong College on 13 February 1941 continuing to December 1948. He was a member of the Under 14 Football Team in 1943, member and captain of the Under 16A Football Team in 1946, and a member of both the 1st Football XVIIIs and Cricket XIs of 1947 and 1948. He was School Athletics Captain in 1948 and a member of the 1st Tennis VIII of 1946. At various times he was a member of the Music, PFA, Cricket, Football and Tennis Committees. In 1948, he was House Vice-Captain, a School Prefect and awardee of the Dr Gus Kearney Memorial Prize. He was also a Corporal in the College Cadet Corps and played the trumpet in the Cadet Corps Band. 'Bill' Huffam and 'Don' Murphy who knew 'Bob' well contributed the following tribute to him. 'It is a privilege to write a tribute to Mr Robert Leggatt who was born on 18 July 1930, the son of the distinguished soldier and parliamentarian Sir William Leggatt and the very active Lady Dorothy Leggatt. He was educated at the Geelong College where he was actively involved in everything. He represented the school in the 1st football and cricket teams and won the long jump in the combined public schools athletic competition. His school career culminated as the 'The Very Model of a Modern Major General' in the school production of the 'Pirates of Penzance'.He commenced his medical course at the Mildura Branch of Melbourne University in 1949 before moving to Ormond College and graduated MB BS in 1954. He spent two years as a resident medical officer at Prince Henry’s Hospital Melbourne. In 1957, as did many of us; he proceeded to London with a letter of introduction to that doyen of British surgery and great supporter of Australian surgery Sir Gordon Gordon Taylor. Correspondence relating to this meeting is now in the RACS archives. Sir William Leggatt was then Victorian agent general in London, Bob therefore had a more comfortable base than many postgraduate students. He quickly passed the first part of the fellowship examination and gained further surgical experience in SHO and registrar positions at the Miller Hospital Greenwich as well as at the Epping and Bedford hospitals. He completed the Edinburgh fellowship in early 1960 and then worked as registrar to the Urological unit at the Edgware district hospital on the original Roman road to the north, Watling Street.
While at Edgware he made the re-acquaintance with Mr Jim Peters the consultant urologist at Prince Henry’s Hospital and returned to Australia to an appointment on the urological staff of Prince Henry’s Hospital and also as an assistant in Mr Peters private practice. He obtained his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of surgeons in 1963 and in 1964 came to Geelong as the first urological surgeon to live and work in Geelong.
The Geelong Hospital had been founded as the Geelong infirmary and benevolent asylum in 1851 and in the early 1960s had started to evolve from a district hospital into the specialist orientated teaching hospital that it is today. A number of well-qualified specialists were appointed around this time. Leggatt was involved in the evolution of modern urological techniques during his career in Geelong. He coped with an extremely large workload until joined by Mr Donald Murphy in 1977 and by the time of his retirement from active practice in 2000 the urological service had grown to five consultants plus trainees.Following retirement he continued to be very active, playing golf and bridge. He is survived by his wife Sue, four sons and his grandchildren. An asthmatic, he had always coped remarkably well with this illness but more recently suffered severe respiratory problems and died on 16th June 2016 of respiratory failure, the month before his 86th birthday.
A gentleman, surgeon, colleague, friend and mentor to many. Vale 'Bob'
His father: Sir William Watt Leggatt, MC DSO (1894-1968); brother: Thomas Henry Leggatt (1931-1995); and sons: 'Tom, OGC 1984; Will, OGC 1985; Duncan, OGC 1986; and Stuart, OGC 1987; were all educated at Geelong College.