Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

John Walter Browne was born on the 7th June 1873. He was educated in Belfast and completed his residency at Nottingham Children’s Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth. He then immigrated to Australia, and, on the 6th April 1904, married Melicent Dove, the daughter of Archdeacon Dove at St Andrews Church, Walkerville SA. However he did not register as a medical practitioner in SA until 1905. Browne developed a special interest in chest diseases, and became Medical Superintendent of the Kalyra Sanatorium at Belair in the Mt Lofty Ranges; the first sanatorium to be established in South Australia. He was appointed later an assistant physician in infectious diseases at the Adelaide Hospital.  He was commissioned in the AMF in November 1913 and posted as RMO of 78th INF Regt (Adelaide Rifles).

Browne volunteered for the AIF in October 1915 and was granted the rank of major.  He was 42 years old, 5ft 8ins tall, just over 10st in weight, eye sight corrected from 6/60 to 6/6 with glasses. He could ride and had a fair knowledge of French. His wife was named as his next of kin and they lived in Hutt Street, Adelaide. He was classified as a senior specialist in diseases of the chest for hospital duty. Browne embarked for the Middle East in November 1915 with 2 ACCS, and went on to France with the unit in April 1916. Following short attachments to 1 AGH and 2 FdAmb he was formally posted to 1 AGH in Rouen in September 1916. He returned to Australia in October 1917 on duty as Ship Staff and in November he was “Struck off Strength”, but continued to serve with Home Forces until July 1918.  He was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal

Browne’s expertise in the treatment of tuberculosis was recognised and he became an Honorary Clinician TB Clinic at the Adelaide Hospital, and he had rooms at 8 North Terrace Adelaide. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s the names of Dr and Mrs J Walter Brown appear frequently in the Adelaide press in the company of prominent couples at social functions at Government House and Society Balls. Their son George was at Cambridge University in 1928 as an Arts undergraduate in the company with other undergraduates from South Australia including the sons of Steele Scott, Bonython, Parsons, Downer, Hawker and Birks. John Walter Browne died on 13th November 1948; he had lived at 2 South Esplanade, Somerton SA. He was survived by his wife Melicent and his son.