James Graham (physician)
Encyclopedia
Sir James Graham was a Scottish
-born physician and public man, active in Australia
, Mayor of Sydney in 1901.
Graham was born in Edinburgh
, son of Thomas Graham, marble polisher, and his wife Jane, née Square. Graham graduated M.A. at University of Edinburgh
in 1879 and M.B. and C.M. in 1882. Graham migrated to Sydney
in 1884 but then returned to Europe in August 1888 and studied at Berlin
, Vienna
and Paris
. He obtained the M.D. degree of Edinburgh University and a gold medal for his thesis on "Hydatid Disease in its Clinical Aspects". Returning to Sydney he was appointed superintendent of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
which, largely by his influence, became an excellent training-ground for the medical profession. From 1897 he was lecturer in midwifery
at the University of Sydney
(working under Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart
) and held this position until 1912. He was founder of the Surgical Appliances Aid Society, the Women's Hospital, the Trained Nurses' Association, and was the first president of the New South Wales Dental Board.
In spite of these activities Graham found time to do much public work. He was elected a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for Sydney-Belmore
in 1894 and held the seat until 1901. In 1898 he became a member of the Sydney city council
and took a prominent part in a successful reform movement. His professional knowledge was also of great use during the plague scare in 1900. Graham was Mayor of Sydney in 1901 during the visit of the Duke of York
and was knighted by him. In 1906 Graham opposed Chris Watson
for the Federal seat of South Sydney but was defeated. Graham was again elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly, this time for Surry Hills
in 1907 but lost his seat at the 1910 election. He was for several years vice-president of the Liberal and Reformist Association, later the Liberal Association. Graham died at Sydney on 8 March 1913 and was buried in the Anglican section of Waverley cemetery. He married in 1890 Fanny, daughter of the Rev. G. W. Millard in 1890, who survived him with a son.
Graham was an able, sympathic man of high ideals. His death at a relatively early age was a loss to the public life of his state.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born physician and public man, active in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Mayor of Sydney in 1901.
Graham was born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, son of Thomas Graham, marble polisher, and his wife Jane, née Square. Graham graduated M.A. at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 1879 and M.B. and C.M. in 1882. Graham migrated to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1884 but then returned to Europe in August 1888 and studied at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He obtained the M.D. degree of Edinburgh University and a gold medal for his thesis on "Hydatid Disease in its Clinical Aspects". Returning to Sydney he was appointed superintendent of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
which, largely by his influence, became an excellent training-ground for the medical profession. From 1897 he was lecturer in midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
(working under Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart
Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart
Sir Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart was a Scottish-born professor of physiology, founder of the medical school, University of Sydney.-Early life:...
) and held this position until 1912. He was founder of the Surgical Appliances Aid Society, the Women's Hospital, the Trained Nurses' Association, and was the first president of the New South Wales Dental Board.
In spite of these activities Graham found time to do much public work. He was elected a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for Sydney-Belmore
Electoral district of Sydney-Belmore
Sydney-Belmore was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1904, when it was replaced by Belmore.-Members for Sydney-Belmore:...
in 1894 and held the seat until 1901. In 1898 he became a member of the Sydney city council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
and took a prominent part in a successful reform movement. His professional knowledge was also of great use during the plague scare in 1900. Graham was Mayor of Sydney in 1901 during the visit of the Duke of York
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and was knighted by him. In 1906 Graham opposed Chris Watson
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson , commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician, was the third Prime Minister of Australia...
for the Federal seat of South Sydney but was defeated. Graham was again elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly, this time for Surry Hills
Electoral district of Surry Hills
Surry Hills was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1904 and named after and including Surry Hills. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into the multi-member electorate of Sydney. It was...
in 1907 but lost his seat at the 1910 election. He was for several years vice-president of the Liberal and Reformist Association, later the Liberal Association. Graham died at Sydney on 8 March 1913 and was buried in the Anglican section of Waverley cemetery. He married in 1890 Fanny, daughter of the Rev. G. W. Millard in 1890, who survived him with a son.
Graham was an able, sympathic man of high ideals. His death at a relatively early age was a loss to the public life of his state.