Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Dr John Charleton "Charlie" Yeatman , 1914-2006

 From his Obituary by Dr Tony Seymour

John Yeatman, who died on February 26 2006,aged 91, was the last of three generations of general practitioners who served South Australia

for more than 100 years.  His grandfather, John Walter, practised in Auburn (where his father Edward Kelson had been Rector), and his father Charlton practised in Port Pirie andUnley Park, as well as serving with the Australian Army during and after both World Wars.

John was born at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where Charlton was medical superintendent, and educated at St Peter’s College before completing his MB BS at the University of Adelaide
where he edited the student newspaper On Dit. After graduation he worked as a locum tenens in country South Australia. 

In 1940, after a period of soul searching because of his strong pacifist belief, he joined the army, convinced that civilization was in danger and that this war was both inevitable and necessary. However, he remained a pacifist and opposed all subsequent wars. With the 2/48 Battalion he fought in Africa and then New Guinea where he was wounded in the hip, the damage being lessened by a copy of
Plato’s Republic in the path of the bullet.  He returned to Adelaide for treatment, which prevented him from rejoining the unit until the war ended.

He then took up general practice in Goodwood, in partnership with his father, Gordon Turnbull and John Steele Scott, later moving his practice to Unley Park and becoming senior partner.

John was devoted to his patients and they to him (several ex-patients attended his funeral almost 20 years after he retired). He was also active in the establishment of the Royal Australian
College of General Practitioners and mentored several medical students who remained in touch long after the mentoring period was over. His contribution to general practice was recognized in 1961, when he travelled in Britain and North America as the first Australian Nuffield Fellow in General Practice. He believed that the working practitioner should contribute to the education of new doctors and, from 1962 to 1964, served on the Faculty of Medicine and the Postgraduate Committee of Medicine.

His contributions to these bodies were such that he was asked to run for the Council of the University of Adelaide, sitting on the Council from 1976 – 1980 and then from 1982 until 1990. After retiring at the age of 72, he retained an active interest in medicine for the next 20 years, especially in new developments in general practice. 

This brief summary of his professional life gives little insight into John’s personality and passions. He was, with my mother, a foundation subscriber of Musica Viva, had close friendships with many in the Arts faculty of the University of Adelaide (especially in the Department of English), was intimately associated with the development of the Adelaide Festival and for many years was unofficially the general practitioner on call for visiting artists at the Festival Centre.

But his real passion was for the pictorial arts and, especially, the Art Gallery of South Australia. A member of the Art Gallery Foundation, he played a significant role in the purchase of additions to the
collection, in particular the prints of Goya and Rouault, and maintained written conversations with many artists, most recently Judy Cassab in Sydney.

From 1964 to 1979 he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Art Gallery of South Australia, declining an offer to be Chairman, and was a major contributor to the evolution of the
Gallery’s collection and philosophy.

John was, in addition to his medical skills and accomplishments, a devoted friend and adviser, a passionate lover of the arts and a political animal dedicated to peace and support for the
disadvantaged. He leaves his brothers, Morgan and Kit, daughters Anna and Ruth, stepson Tony and grand daughters Joanna and Katie.

Dr Tony Seymour
Tony Seymour, stepson of John Yeatman,is a histopathologist in parttime private practice in Adelaide.

YEATMAN John Charleton MB BS FRACGP

1914-2006

John Charleton Yeatman was born in Adelaide, on 6th July 1914. His father was Charleton Yeatman, a medical practitioner who served in both WW1, WW2 and in Japan with BCOF. His mother was Mignonette des Vignes, nee Jacob. He was educated in St Peter’s College and was one of three who tied for the Tennyson Medal in the Leaving Examinations. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide while residing at St Mark’s College, and graduated in 1938. He completed his residency at the RAH in 1939.

Yeatman joined the AAMC as an honorary captain, on 20th March 1940, and named his father of 188 Cross Road, Malvern as his next of kin. He was initially attached as a MO to 3rd Light Horse in Mount Gambier, and served at the Loveday Camp. Yeatman transferred to the 2/AIF, on 8th December, and his rank of captain was confirmed. Granted six days pre-embarkation leave, he was attached to 6th Reinforcements 9 AGH, and transferred to 3 MD, in Melbourne, for embarkation to the Middle East. Yeatman left on 28th January 1942, arriving in the Middle East 17th February 1942. He was attached to AAMC Trg Bn before being posted to 2/3rd FdAmb on 17th March 1942. He was admitted to 2/8th FdAmb with enteritis on 4th August, and after discharge, he was detached to the 2/48 Bn and attended a tropical medicine course on 5th December. Yeatman had another admission to the 6th British AGH, on 24th December 1942, for pharyngitis.  He returned to Australia, on 31st January 1943, arriving in Melbourne, on 25th February 1943, and returned to 4MD, Adelaide, for leave. After his leave, he went to QLD in preparation for deployment to PNG. With his unit 2/48 Bn, he embarked for PNG in Townsville and arrived in Port Moresby on 6th August 1943.  Yeatman was reported as wounded in action on 22nd November 1943 and left Finschhafen for Australia on 3rd January 1944. He relinquished his appointment as RMO to 2/48 Bn and was appointed as Coy Commander 2/8th FdAmb on 2nd February 1944, during his journey back to Australia. Following a short time with 2/8th and also 2/11th FdAmb he was posted to 105 AMH, Adelaide, on 29th May 1944. He was posted to 116 Convalescent Depot on 16th July 1945 and then transferred to Inter-Services Medical Wing South Australian LoC, on 25th September 1944. Posted to 71 ACH in Western Command on 14th October 1945, he returned to SA, on 23rd February 1946, where he was granted 90 days training leave. His appointment was terminated on 29th May 1946, and he was placed on the Reserve of Officers.

Yeatman had married Elizabeth Hyman Seymour, nee Elliot, on 4th March 1944. She was the widow of Stanley Liddelow Seymour, who was killed in action, on 25th October 1942, in North Africa. Her parents were Gordon Earle Elliot of Montreal, Quebec, Canada and Edna nee Hyman. Yeatman and Betty had two daughters. He was appointed a clinical assistant in medicine at the RAH and ACH in 1947. Yeatman was the first Australian Nuffield Scholar in General Practice in 1961. He was a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and an active general practitioner in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Yeatman was a member of the Adelaide University Medical Faculty and Medical Postgraduate Committee from 1960 to 1962. He was also a Trustee of the National Gallery of South Australia until 1979. His recreation activities included reading, listening to music and going to theatre and films.  He was made a Life Member of the Australian Medical Association. He was also a Commissioner on the Commonwealth Committee of Inquiry in South Australia. John Charleton Yeatman died on 26th February 2006, survived by his two daughters and is interred at Centennial Park Pasadena. His wife pre-deceased him in 2002 There is an extensive holding in the State Library of SA, of the Yeatman family’s papers and memorabilia.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019. 

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD

Biography written by Bich-Loan Nguyen from Our Lady Sacred Heart College, SA is attached as a document. Winning entry for 2020 Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize.