Raphael Cilento
Encyclopedia
Sir Raphael West Cilento (2 December 189315 April 1985), often known as "Ray", was a notable Australia
n medical practitioner
and public health
administrator
.
in 1893, son of Raphael Ambrose Cilento, a stationmaster (whose father Salvatore had emigrated from Naples
, Italy in 1855), and Frances Ellen Elizabeth, née West. His younger brother Alan Watson West Cilento (born 1908) became General Manager of the Savings Bank of South Australia
from 1961 to 1968. He was educated at Prince Alfred College
, but although he was determined from an early age to study medicine, he was initially thwarted in doing so due to lack of money. Therefore he trained first as a school teacher, sponsored by the Education Department, from 1908 and taught at Port Pirie in 1910 and 1911. He eventually entered the University of Adelaide
Medical School on borrowed funds, but while there he won so many scholarships and other prizes that he ended his course with a respectable bank balance.
which superseded the German
administration after the First World War. Later he joined the British
colonial service in Malaya
.
On his return to Australia he was Director of the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine in Townsville, Queensland
, from 1922 to 1924.
. He held that role from 1928 to 1934.
In 1934 Queensland's Forgan Smith
Government set out to create one of the world's first universally free public health systems, and then Minister for Health, Ned Hanlon, recruited Dr Raphael Cilento to achieve this goal as Director-General of Health and Medical Services. Cilento, despite his subsequent identification with the political right wing, never lost his belief in government-funded health care. To assist in his policy-making objectives, he studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 1939.
As Director-General (a position he held till 1945), and combined with the presidency of the state's Medical Board (as well as with the medicine professorship at the University of Queensland
), he firmly opposed the anti-polio methods of Elizabeth Kenny
, although at first he had spoken politely enough of her work to give the impression that he favoured it.
Cilento was knighted in 1935 (when only 42 years old) for his contributions to public service and tropical medicine. He briefly achieved international fame after the Second World War for his work in aiding refugees with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
. In July 1945 he was the first civilian doctor to enter Belsen concentration camp, after doing considerable work on malaria control in The Balkans. He was Director for Refugees and Displaced Persons from 1946 to 1947, and from 1948 was director of disaster relief in Palestine but resigned in 1950 after expressing sympathy with dispossessed Palestinian refugees. He returned to Australia in 1951.
during the 1950s and 1960s in particular, and his continued public support for the White Australia Policy
long after this doctrine had ceased to be part of the Australian party-political mainstream.
In a letter in The Courier-Mail (18 May 1965) on Australian clergy's attitude to the Vietnam War he said 'I am not a practising Christian - I am sorry for it...I regret that I have not the gift of faith'.
He died on 15 April 1985 in the Brisbane suburb of Oxley, Queensland
and was survived by his wife and six children. Although he had been married in a Church of England service, he was brought up Catholic and was buried with Catholic rites.
, he became engaged to, and on 18 March 1920 at St Columba’s Church of England, Hawthorn
he married, Dr Phyllis McGlew
, who also became a well-known medical practitioner and medical writer. They briefly set up in general practice in Tranmere
before departing for Malaya in October.
Together they had three sons and three daughters. The three sons and Ruth became medical practitioners, Margaret became an artist, and Diane became an actress.
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...
n medical practitioner
Medical practice
A medical practice or practice of medicine is the practice of medicine, as performed by a medical practitioner—a physician...
and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
administrator
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
.
Early life and education
Raphael Cilento was born in Jamestown, South AustraliaJamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...
in 1893, son of Raphael Ambrose Cilento, a stationmaster (whose father Salvatore had emigrated from Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy in 1855), and Frances Ellen Elizabeth, née West. His younger brother Alan Watson West Cilento (born 1908) became General Manager of the Savings Bank of South Australia
Savings Bank of South Australia
The Savings Bank of South Australia was founded in 1848, trading from a single room in Gawler Place, Adelaide. In 1984 it merged with the State Bank of South Australia, with the merged entity taking the latter name...
from 1961 to 1968. He was educated at Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
, but although he was determined from an early age to study medicine, he was initially thwarted in doing so due to lack of money. Therefore he trained first as a school teacher, sponsored by the Education Department, from 1908 and taught at Port Pirie in 1910 and 1911. He eventually entered the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
Medical School on borrowed funds, but while there he won so many scholarships and other prizes that he ended his course with a respectable bank balance.
Early career
For the earlier part of his working life, Cilento's interests were mainly in public health and, specifically, tropical medicine. He served with the Australian Army's Tropical Force in New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
which superseded the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
administration after the First World War. Later he joined the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial service in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
.
On his return to Australia he was Director of the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine in Townsville, Queensland
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, from 1922 to 1924.
Middle career
Following a further term in New Guinea, he became Director of the Commonwealth Government's Division of Tropical Hygiene in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. He held that role from 1928 to 1934.
In 1934 Queensland's Forgan Smith
William Forgan Smith
William Forgan Smith , generally known as Forgan Smith, was Premier of the Australian state of Queensland from 1932 to 1942. He came to dominate politics in the state during the 1930s, and his populism, firm leadership, defence of states' rights and interest in state development make him something...
Government set out to create one of the world's first universally free public health systems, and then Minister for Health, Ned Hanlon, recruited Dr Raphael Cilento to achieve this goal as Director-General of Health and Medical Services. Cilento, despite his subsequent identification with the political right wing, never lost his belief in government-funded health care. To assist in his policy-making objectives, he studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 1939.
As Director-General (a position he held till 1945), and combined with the presidency of the state's Medical Board (as well as with the medicine professorship at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
), he firmly opposed the anti-polio methods of Elizabeth Kenny
Elizabeth Kenny
Elizabeth Kenny was an unqualified Australian nurse who promoted a controversial new approach to the treatment of poliomyelitis in the era before mass vaccination eradicated the disease in most countries.-Youth:...
, although at first he had spoken politely enough of her work to give the impression that he favoured it.
Cilento was knighted in 1935 (when only 42 years old) for his contributions to public service and tropical medicine. He briefly achieved international fame after the Second World War for his work in aiding refugees with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. In July 1945 he was the first civilian doctor to enter Belsen concentration camp, after doing considerable work on malaria control in The Balkans. He was Director for Refugees and Displaced Persons from 1946 to 1947, and from 1948 was director of disaster relief in Palestine but resigned in 1950 after expressing sympathy with dispossessed Palestinian refugees. He returned to Australia in 1951.
Later life
His later life in his native land was characterized by frustration at being unable to find appropriate employment in government service or academia. This failure was at least partly the consequence of his increasingly ultra-conservative views, exemplified by his involvement with the Australian League of RightsAustralian League of Rights
The Australian League of Rights is a long-lived far right and anti-semitic political organisation in Australia founded by Eric Butler with its basis in the economic theory of Social Credit expounded by C. H. Douglas. It describes itself as upholding the virtues of freedom...
during the 1950s and 1960s in particular, and his continued public support for the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
long after this doctrine had ceased to be part of the Australian party-political mainstream.
In a letter in The Courier-Mail (18 May 1965) on Australian clergy's attitude to the Vietnam War he said 'I am not a practising Christian - I am sorry for it...I regret that I have not the gift of faith'.
He died on 15 April 1985 in the Brisbane suburb of Oxley, Queensland
Oxley, Queensland
Oxley is a south-western suburb of Brisbane located approximately 11 km from the Brisbane CBD. It was named after the early Australian explorer John Oxley. The suburb supports a mix of residential, retail and industrial land use....
and was survived by his wife and six children. Although he had been married in a Church of England service, he was brought up Catholic and was buried with Catholic rites.
Family
In 1918, whilst they were both studying medicine at the University of AdelaideUniversity of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, he became engaged to, and on 18 March 1920 at St Columba’s Church of England, Hawthorn
Hawthorn, South Australia
Hawthorn is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Mitcham. It is bounded to the north by Cross Road, to the south by Grange Road, to the west by Sussex Terrace and to the east by Belair Road.The Belair train line runs through the suburb....
he married, Dr Phyllis McGlew
Phyllis Cilento
Phyllis Cilento, Lady Cilento was an Australian medical practitioner and journalist.-Personal life:Phyllis Dorothy McGlew was born on 13 March 1894 at Rockdale, Sydney, New South Wales, the daughter of Charles Thomas McGlew and Alice Lane . She grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. She married...
, who also became a well-known medical practitioner and medical writer. They briefly set up in general practice in Tranmere
Tranmere, South Australia
Tranmere is an eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Campbelltown.-History:The name Tranmere was adopted in 1838 by David Wylie, who owned this portion of land...
before departing for Malaya in October.
Together they had three sons and three daughters. The three sons and Ruth became medical practitioners, Margaret became an artist, and Diane became an actress.
- Raphael C F Cilento, born February 1921 in Malaya, became a neurologist. He married Billie Solomon on 31 January 1947, and his daughter Adrienne Ruth was born in January 1948. He took over his mother's practise in Brisbane in 1949. From 1963-2007 he was licensed to practise in New York.
- Phyllis Margaret Cilento (1923-2006), born 23 December 1923 in Sydney, became a painter and printmaker. She grew up in Brisbane, moved to Syned in 1943, and joined her father in New York in 1945. She spent most of the 1950s and early 1960s in Europe, marrying Geoffrey Maslen in 1963, and returned to Brisbane in 1965 to raise their family. She took up art again seriously around 2000, holding several exhibitions. She died 21 November 2006 in Melbourne.
- Ruth A Yolanda Cilento was born in Adelaide in 1925 and graduated in medicine and surgery from Queensland University in 1949. She became engaged to Westall David Smout in November 1949, took up duty at Cairns Base Hospital in December 1949, and married in Brisbane on 14 July 1950. In addition to a medical career, she has three children, is a sculptor, a sketcher, has an angora goat stud and wrote a children's book, Moreton Bay Adventure in 1961, which elder sister Margaret illustrated.
- Carl Lindsay Cilento (1928-2004) was born in August 1928 in Brisbane. On 16 April 1952 he married Diana Lauderdale Maitland. They had six children: Peter (1953), Miranda (1955), Joanne and Belinda (1957), Richard (1961) and Madeline (1966).
- Diane CilentoDiane CilentoDiane Cilento was an Australian theatre and film actress and author.-Biography:Cilento's parents, Sir Raphael Cilento and Lady Phyllis Cilento, were both distinguished medical practitioners....
(5 October 1933 - 6 October 2011) was born in Mooloolaba, Queensland. She was a famous actress who, for eleven years, was married to Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, and was the mother of actor Jason ConneryJason ConneryJason Joseph Connery is an English actor.-Early life:Connery grew up in London. He attended Millfield School, a co-educational independent school in Somerset, England, and later at the independent Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He was later accepted into the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
.
- David Cilento was born ca. 1937.
Other interests
- He twice attempted to enter parliament, once as a Democratic Party candidate for the SenateAustralian SenateThe Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in the 1953 electionAustralian Senate election, 1953Half-senate elections were held in Australia on 9 May 1953.-See also:*Candidates of the Australian Senate election, 1953*Members of the Australian Senate, 1953–1956-References:* election results in Australia since 1890...
, and as an Independent Democrat for the House of RepresentativesAustralian House of RepresentativesThe House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of McPhersonDivision of McPhersonThe Division of McPherson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1948 and is named for the McPherson Range, which forms one of the divisional boundaries...
in 1954Australian federal election, 1954Federal elections were held in Australia on 29 May 1954. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, no Senate election took place...
.
- He was a member of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and its president in 1933–34, 1943–45 and 1953–68.
- He was member of the National TrustNational Trust of AustraliaThe Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
of Queensland and president from 1966 to 1971.
Publications
Sir Raphael Cilento's publications include:- Cilento, Raphael (1920) Climatic conditions in North Queensland : as they affect the health and virility of the people Brisbane : A.J. Cumming, Government Printer
- Cilento, Raphael (1925a) Preventive medicine and hygiene in the tropical territories under Australian control Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. Wellington : Govt. Printer
- Cilento, Raphael (1925b) The white man in the tropics : with especial reference to Australia and its dependencies Service publication (Australia. Division of Tropical Hygiene) ; no.7. Melbourne : H.J. Green, Govt. Printer
- Cilento, Raphael (1936) Nutrition and numbers Livingstone lectures. Sydney : Camden College
- Cilento, Raphael (1944a) Blueprint for the health of a nation Sydney : Scotow Press
- Cilento, Raphael (1944b) Tropical diseases in Australasia: a handbook . Brisbane : W.R. Smith & Paterson. (2nd Edition)
- Cilento, Raphael & Lack, Clem (19459) "Wild white men" in Queensland : a monograph. Brisbane : W.R. Smith & Paterson for the Royal Historical Society of Queensland
- Cilento, Raphael& Lack, Clem. & Centenary Celebrations Council (Qld.) (Historical Committee) (1959), Triumph in the tropics : an historical sketch of Queensland / compiled and edited by Sir Raphael Cilento ; with the assistance of Clem Lack ; for the Historical Committee of the Centenary Celebrations Council of Queensland Smith & Paterson, Brisbane, Qld.
- Cilento, Raphael (1963) Medicine in Queensland : a monograph Council of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. Brisbane : Smith & Paterson.
- Cilento, Raphael (1972) Australia's racial heritage : an address Australian League of Rights Seminar, Melbourne, September 1971. Adelaide : Australian Heritage Society,
Sources
- Fisher, Fedora (1994), Raphael Cilento, A Biography, University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
Press, ISBN 0-7022-2438-3 - Martyr, Philippa J. (2002), Paradise of Quacks: An Alternative History of Medicine in Australia, Macleay PressMacleay PressMacleay Press is a small press Australian publishing company founded in 1993 by Keith Windschuttle.Authors published include Leonie Kramer, Michael Connor and Windschuttle.-Publications:Publications include:...
, Sydney, ISBN 1-876492-06-6