Dr J. L. R. Carter

OBITUARY

Australian ophthalmologists were saddened to know that Dr J. L. R. Carter died in Launceston on 15th October, 1979. Known to all his multitude of friends as “Buzz”, he had been an identity in Australian ophthalmology for over half a century. The origin of this nickname is uncertain but it certainly characterised his busy, darting manner so like the honeybee, and few people knew his real name was James Leontine Roy.

My first introduction to Buzz was as a ‘rookie’ R.A.A.F. Medical officer, when I was posted to No.1 Recruiting Centre in Melbourne as his assistant ophthalmologist; he took me under his wing and with kindliness and patience steered me through the many pitfalls that await the new recruit. To all his activities he brought a keen sense of humour and boundless energy that made him a joy to work with.

Buzz was born in North Carlton, Melbourne on 25th May, 1899. Both his father and mother were Victorians, but his grandparents were of Cornish stock, who migrated to Victoria soon after it separated from New South Wales.

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As a student at Caulfield Grammar School, Buzz was remembered as a warm hearted, amusing personality who was greatly liked and got on well with everyone. He matriculated in 1915, and commenced his medical course the following year at the University of Melbourne. World War 1 intervened and he joined the first A.I.F. and was posted overseas soon afterwards. However, the war ended before he could leave Australia and he returned to civilian life to continue his medical course. He was therefore older than most of the other medical students and this together with his warmth of personality and keen sense of humour made him a sort of senior prefect among the students, This was much appreciated by the honorary Medical Staff, students and patients alike. On graduation he was resident medical officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for one year. Having decided on ophthalmology as a career he obtained an appointment as resident medical officer at The Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

In the years between the wars it was not

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customary, as it later became, for those aspiring to senior posts in ophthalmology to go overseas for further training after completing their resident year in hospital. Rather, a system of apprenticeship prevailed under which the young ophthalmologist took a-post of paid assistant to one of the seniors in the profession. This had many advantages in the days when travel overseas was slow, arduous and time consuming. The apprentice learned much from his more experienced master in the art of ophthalmic medicine and surgery, in the management of patients and the technique of running a practice. The master benefitted by the contact with a young and often more enterprising junior. It was a happy and useful symbiosis. Thus, Buzz became assistant to the late Dr W. F. On, a leading Melbourne ophthalmologist at that time, succeeding the late Dr Archie Anderson. It was a fruitful union and Buzz was always full of anecdotes of his time with Dr Orr with whom he stayed eight years. During this period he also served as clinical assistant to The Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. He then commenced practice in Launceston in February 1935, where he took over the practice of Dr G. H. H o g . Within a very short time he had developed a very large practice, both medical and surgical. He was appointed honorary ophthalmologist to the Launceston General Hospital in 1935 and in 1938 .ophthalmologist (part-time). He continued at the hospital until he retired in 1964.

At the outbreak of World War 2, Buzz joined the R.A.A.F. Medical Service and was appointed Flight Lieutenant in April 1940. He served as an ophthalmologist attached to the No. 1 Recruiting Centre in Melbourne but returned to Launceston in 1941 as Northern Tasmania at that time had no ophthalmologist to attend to either civilian or service personnel.

In 1958, Buzz was elected President of the Ophthalmological Society of Australia, the predecessor to the present Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, and presided over the annual congress held in Hobart in 1959. His presidential address was on a subject in which he always had had a great and abiding interest, ‘The position and responsibility of the Ophthalmologist to the Community’. In it he stressed the importance of industrial ocular safety and social ophthalmology - both subjects in which Tasmania, lead by Buzz and the late Bruce Hamilton, were pioneers in Australia.

Buzz was fortunate in a happy home life and it was a great joy to him that his only daughter, Mary. shared his interest in ophthalmology and became one of Australia’s leading orthoptists. His only son, Robin, is employed by the Department of Agriculture in Tasmania. Buzz’s first wife, Molly, died in 1953. He later remarried and to his second wife, Jess, and his family we extend our deepest sympathy.

Hugh Ryan

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