Charles George McDonald

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles George McDonald (25 March 1892 – 23 April 1970) was an Australian physician, army officer and academic. He was noted for his work as a physician in the field of Tuberculosis and during the Second World War served in Greece and Palestine as a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Imperial Force. On his return to Australia, he served in various academic positions culminating in his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Sydney in 1964.

Early life and education McDonald was born at Newcastle, New South Wales, the youngest of five sons of Irishman William McDonald and Australian Mary, née Slattery. He attended preparatory schools in Singleton, first the Convent School of the Sisters of Mercy and later Singleton Superior Public School, where the headmaster tutored him privately in Latin and French. Following his family's removal to Sydney, he attended Sydney Boys High School from which he graduated in 1910 after having co-founded the school magazine, the Record, and serving as Senior Prefect (1909–10). He would later go on to be President of the Sydney High School Old Boys' Union. He enrolled in Medicine at the University of Sydney where he debated, edited the Sydney University Medical Journal for four years and presided over the Medical Society.

Career as a physician Graduating from the Sydney Medical School in 1916, he went on to serve as Assistant-Editor of the Medical Journal of Australia, publishing tens of papers and editorials, most of them on the subject of tuberculosis. From 1920 he was honorary assistant-physician in the tuberculosis clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he remained as an honorary physician until his death, serving on its board from 1964 until 1970. He also worked as a physician at various other hospitals throughout Sydney before setting up in practice with Professor A. E. Mills in Macquarie Street, Sydney.

McDonald served as member of the State Medical Board from 1946 to 1962 and as Chairman of the Australian Rheumatism Council from 1953 onwards.

Academic career McDonald lectured in Clinical Medicine at the University of Sydney from 1938 but the outbreak of war saw him involved in foreign campaigns until 1943 when he resumed lecturing, continuing until 1952. like his father; John, a paediatrician; and Fr Charles McDonald, SJ, a Jesuit priest and long-term debating master at Riverview; as well as a daughter, Molly, who was Head Girl of Sacred Heart Convent, Rose Bay and Senior Student at Sancta Sophia College, University of Sydney.

He was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1951, Knight bachelor in 1962, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George in 1970.

Sir Charles McDonald died on 23 April 1970 in Sydney.