Dr. (Captain) Basil Lloyd HART
Basil Lloyd Hart was born on 17 February 1877, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His father, Graham Lloyd Hart, was 37 and his mother, Sarah Ellen Cooper Roberts, was 29. He died on 30 May 1957, in his hometown, at the age of 80.
His early education was undertaken at Brisbane Grammar School and later St. Paul’s College. He was awarded a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Sydney in 1900 and Master of Chirgurgiae (Surgery) from the same institution one year later.
In 1912 Dr. Hart commenced practice at Ipswich Hospital as Visiting Surgeon and at St Andrew’s Hospital, Ipswich in partnership with Dr. John Alexander Cameron later to be joined by Dr. Mervyn Stuart Patterson and Dr. Benjamin Gilmore Wilson. In 1924 this group of distinguished Ipswich Doctors formed the first Board of Directors of St Andrew’s Hospital.
In February 1918 Dr. Hart volunteered for the AIF and departed in July of that year to arrive in London in September, where he was attached briefly to 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1AAH) at Harefield prior to being transferred to 3 Australian General Hospital (3AGH) in Abbeville France in October. However, he soon went down with Influenza. Following his recovery, he was posted to 2 Field Ambulance in December and detached to 1 Field Artillery Brigade (1FAB) in January 1919, subsequently being transferred to 1 Field Ambulance in February.
In April 1919 Captain Hart returned to England, being posted to 1 Group at Longbridge Deverill as Adjutant to the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) Training Depot. He returned to Australia in September and resumed his appointments at Ipswich Hospital and St. Andrew’s Hospital.
He became a well-respected General Practitioner in Ipswich and as one of the founders of St. Andrew’s Hospital his memory persists in the naming of the Basil Hart Ward. He passed away in 1957 at the age of 80.
Author: Dr Stewart Parkinson MB BS (Qld), ANZSHM.
