William Refshauge
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir William Dudley Refshauge, AC, CBE, ED
, FRSH
(3 April 1913 – 27 May 2009) was an Australia
n soldier and public health administrator. He was Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II
(1955–64), Director-General of the Commonwealth Department of Health (1960–73), and Secretary-General of the World Medical Association
(1973–76).
on 3 April 1913, where his father was headmaster of the Wangaratta High School
. One of his four siblings was Dr Joan Refshauge, OBE
(1906–1979), a medical practitioner and administrator who did significant work in Papua New Guinea
. The family was of Danish
extraction and are descendants of Peder Pedersen Refshauge. The family moved to Hampton
, Melbourne
when his father became ill. He was involved in the Boy Scouts
movement, and later with the sport of rowing
.
and was selected in the First Eight for the Melbourne Head of the River
while still aged only 15, and rowed in three subsequent years. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne
, was awarded a University Blue for Rowing, and graduated in 1938. He became Resident Medical Officer at The Alfred Hospital
the following year.
started, he joined the Australian Imperial Force
as a medical officer with the rank of Captain in the 2nd Field Ambulance. He saw service in the Middle East, the Battle of Bardia
, the capture of Tobruk
, the Greek campaign
, the Battle of Crete
, New Guinea and Borneo. He was promoted to Major in 1942 and later to Lieutenant-Colonel. He was mentioned in dispatches four times and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
in 1944. In Syria
, he took charge of a hospital where he treated the local sex workers for sexually transmitted disease
s, which caused the incidence of disease amongst the local soldiers to drop.
and gynaecology
and became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
. He was appointed the first permanent Medical Superintendent of the Women's Hospital (now Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
) in 1948.
In 1951, during the Korean War
, he rejoined the Australian Army and was appointed Deputy Director-General of Army Medical Services and promoted to Major-General. In 1955, at the age of 42, he was appointed Director-General with the rank of Major-General. He assisted in the establishment of the Army School of Health at Healesville, Victoria
, and adopted a system of training and recruiting medical officers. He attended the nuclear testing sites of Bikini Atoll
and Enewetak
. He was not consulted during the British nuclear tests at Maralinga
, where he would have insisted on greater protective measures.
. In 1960, he was appointed Director-General of the Commonwealth Department of Health, serving until 1973. He was also Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council
, the Commonwealth Council for National Fitness, the National Tuberculosis Council and various other advisory bodies. From 1961 to 1966, he was also Joint Services Medical Adviser in the Department of Defence
and Chairman of the Defence Forces Medical Services Rationalization Committee. From 1962 to 1973 he was Deputy National Coordinator for the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
. He maintained his interest in rowing, and was a member of the Organising Committee for the 1964 Australian Rowing Championships
and Olympic Trials on Lake Burley Griffin
, Canberra
.
In the international field, he attended many meetings of the World Health Organization
as Chief Australian Delegate. He was chairman of the two main Committees of the World Health Assembly
, Chairman of the Executive Board of WHO, and President of the 24th World Health Assembly in 1971.
In 1973 Sir William Refshauge became Secretary-General of the World Medical Association
, near Geneva, a post he held until 1976. He instigated the move of the Secretariat from New York
to Geneva
to work more closely with the office of the WHO. He rewrote the Helsinki Declaration of Ethics
for the WHO but eventually resigned because of a lack support from his board.
He was a National Trustee of the Returned and Services League
(RSL) 1962–1973 and again from 1977. He led the RSL Tour of the Battlefields of Europe to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Remembrance Day
on 11 November 1978.
He was a Member of the National Committee of the Menzies Foundation 1979–1983, and was Deputy Chairman of its Research Advisory Committee. From 1979 to 1988 he was Honorary Consultant to the Australian Foundation on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
, the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators (he was Censor-in-Chief 1968–1973) and a Foundation Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and a Life Member of the Australian Dental Association
. He was a member of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
.
In 1983 he was Chairman of the Interim Board to develop and establish the Menzies School of Health Research
in Darwin, Northern Territory
, and became Chairman of the Board of Governors 1985–87. In 1987 he was appointed Chairman of a Planning Committee to develop a Menzies Centre for Population Health Research within the University of Tasmania
. From 1986–1988 he was Chairman of the Research Into Drug Abuse Advisory Committee for the Commonwealth Government's Drug Offensive.
. In 1980 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
(AC) and in 1988 he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine by the University of Sydney
. In 1990 he was awarded the RSL's ANZAC Peace Prize for his contribution to world health and world peace. This was presented by the then Governor-General
, Bill Hayden
. In 1991 he was awarded the RSL's highest award, the Meritorious Medal.
, John Howard
, calling for the lifting of economic sanctions against Iraq
.
He was a member of the Honour Roll in the 2007 National Drug and Alcohol Awards of the Australian Drug Foundation
. Long aware of the obscenity of the effects of war War#Effects of war, in 1989 Sir William became and remained until his recent death, Patron of the Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)http://www.mapw.org.au .
, a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales
, and Richard Refshauge, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir William Dudley Refshauge, AC, CBE, ED
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
, FRSH
Royal Society for the Promotion of Health
The Royal Society for Public Health is an independent charity formed in October 2008 following the merger of the Royal Institute of Public Health and the Royal Society of Health -- two of the oldest professional bodies in the world....
(3 April 1913 – 27 May 2009) was an 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...
n soldier and public health administrator. He was Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
(1955–64), Director-General of the Commonwealth Department of Health (1960–73), and Secretary-General of the World Medical Association
World Medical Association
The World Medical Association is an international and independent confederation of free professional Medical Associations, therefore representing physicians worldwide...
(1973–76).
Early years
William Dudley "W.D." Refshauge was born in Wangaratta, VictoriaWangaratta, Victoria
Wangaratta is a cathedral city of almost 17,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the...
on 3 April 1913, where his father was headmaster of the Wangaratta High School
Wangaratta High School
Wangaratta High School is a secondary education institution in Wangaratta, Victoria. It was the 2002 winner of the Kool Skools award. It has three campuses, and is a public school. It currently has approx. 1300 students attending the school. They are building new campuses to accommodate for the...
. One of his four siblings was Dr Joan Refshauge, OBE
Joan Refshauge
Dr Joan Refshauge, OBE, MJC, MB, BS was an New Guinean-based Australian medical practitioner, administrator and schoolteacher.-Education:...
(1906–1979), a medical practitioner and administrator who did significant work in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The family was of Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
extraction and are descendants of Peder Pedersen Refshauge. The family moved to Hampton
Hampton, Victoria
Hampton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km south east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Hampton had a population of 11,825.Hampton is located in a wealthy bayside area of Melbourne, wedged between the...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
when his father became ill. He was involved in the Boy Scouts
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is an organisation for children and young adults from 6 to 26 years of age. Scouts Australia is part of the global Scouting movement and has been a national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1953...
movement, and later with the sport of rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
.
Education
He attended Scotch College, MelbourneScotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and was selected in the First Eight for the Melbourne Head of the River
Head of the River (Australia)
The Head of the River is a name given to annual Australian rowing regattas held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia...
while still aged only 15, and rowed in three subsequent years. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, was awarded a University Blue for Rowing, and graduated in 1938. He became Resident Medical Officer at The Alfred Hospital
The Alfred Hospital
The Alfred, also known as Alfred Hospital or The Alfred Hospital, is a major hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria, and the oldest Melbourne hospital still operating on its original site...
the following year.
World War II
In 1939, when World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started, he joined the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
as a medical officer with the rank of Captain in the 2nd Field Ambulance. He saw service in the Middle East, the Battle of Bardia
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
, the capture of Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
, the Greek campaign
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, New Guinea and Borneo. He was promoted to Major in 1942 and later to Lieutenant-Colonel. He was mentioned in dispatches four times and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1944. In Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, he took charge of a hospital where he treated the local sex workers for sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s, which caused the incidence of disease amongst the local soldiers to drop.
Post-WWII
After the war, Refshauge decided to specialise in obstetricsObstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
and became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
. He was appointed the first permanent Medical Superintendent of the Women's Hospital (now Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
The Royal Women's Hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, is Australia's largest specialist women's hospital, offering a full range of services in maternity, gynaecology, neonatal care and women's health. It also offers complementary services such as social work, physiotherapy and...
) in 1948.
In 1951, during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, he rejoined the Australian Army and was appointed Deputy Director-General of Army Medical Services and promoted to Major-General. In 1955, at the age of 42, he was appointed Director-General with the rank of Major-General. He assisted in the establishment of the Army School of Health at Healesville, Victoria
Healesville, Victoria
Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
, and adopted a system of training and recruiting medical officers. He attended the nuclear testing sites of Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
and Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...
. He was not consulted during the British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1955 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, in South Australia. A total of seven major nuclear tests were performed, with approximate yields ranging from 1 to 27 kilotons of TNT equivalent...
, where he would have insisted on greater protective measures.
Affiliations
From 1955 to 1964 he was Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. In 1960, he was appointed Director-General of the Commonwealth Department of Health, serving until 1973. He was also Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council
National Health and Medical Research Council
The National Health and Medical Research Council is Australia's peak funding body for medical research, with a budget of roughly 700 million dollars a year...
, the Commonwealth Council for National Fitness, the National Tuberculosis Council and various other advisory bodies. From 1961 to 1966, he was also Joint Services Medical Adviser in the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
and Chairman of the Defence Forces Medical Services Rationalization Committee. From 1962 to 1973 he was Deputy National Coordinator for the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
. He maintained his interest in rowing, and was a member of the Organising Committee for the 1964 Australian Rowing Championships
Australian Rowing Championships
The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's rowing champions and the rowers who will make up Australia's rowing teams at the Olympic Games...
and Olympic Trials on Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
In the international field, he attended many meetings of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
as Chief Australian Delegate. He was chairman of the two main Committees of the World Health Assembly
World Health Assembly
The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization is governed by its 194 member states. It is the world's highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states....
, Chairman of the Executive Board of WHO, and President of the 24th World Health Assembly in 1971.
In 1973 Sir William Refshauge became Secretary-General of the World Medical Association
World Medical Association
The World Medical Association is an international and independent confederation of free professional Medical Associations, therefore representing physicians worldwide...
, near Geneva, a post he held until 1976. He instigated the move of the Secretariat from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to work more closely with the office of the WHO. He rewrote the Helsinki Declaration of Ethics
Declaration of Helsinki
The Declaration of Helsinki is a set of ethical principles regarding human experimentation developed for the medical community by the World Medical Association . It is widely regarded as the cornerstone document of human research ethics...
for the WHO but eventually resigned because of a lack support from his board.
He was a National Trustee of the Returned and Services League
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
(RSL) 1962–1973 and again from 1977. He led the RSL Tour of the Battlefields of Europe to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
on 11 November 1978.
He was a Member of the National Committee of the Menzies Foundation 1979–1983, and was Deputy Chairman of its Research Advisory Committee. From 1979 to 1988 he was Honorary Consultant to the Australian Foundation on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, or RACP, is the organisation responsible for training, educating, and representing over 9,000 physicians and paediatricians in Australia and New Zealand. It was founded in 1938....
, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is the body responsible for training and examining surgeons in Australia and New Zealand. The head office of the College is in Melbourne, Australia....
, the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators (he was Censor-in-Chief 1968–1973) and a Foundation Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and a Life Member of the Australian Dental Association
Australian Dental Association
The ', established on 19 June 1928, is an Australian professional organisation of dentists which has as its aim the encouragement of the dental health of the public and the promotion of the art and science of dentistry. There are Branches of the Association in all States and a Provisional Branch in...
. He was a member of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research is Australia's oldest medical research institute.In 2011, the institute is home to more than 650 researchers who are working to understand, prevent and treat diseases including blood, breast and ovarian cancers; inflammatory diseases such as...
.
In 1983 he was Chairman of the Interim Board to develop and establish the Menzies School of Health Research
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and became Chairman of the Board of Governors 1985–87. In 1987 he was appointed Chairman of a Planning Committee to develop a Menzies Centre for Population Health Research within the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
. From 1986–1988 he was Chairman of the Research Into Drug Abuse Advisory Committee for the Commonwealth Government's Drug Offensive.
Awards
In 1959, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to the Army and in 1965 was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (ED). In 1966 he was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
. In 1980 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AC) and in 1988 he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine by 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...
. In 1990 he was awarded the RSL's ANZAC Peace Prize for his contribution to world health and world peace. This was presented by the then Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, Bill Hayden
Bill Hayden
William George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the...
. In 1991 he was awarded the RSL's highest award, the Meritorious Medal.
Legacy
In 1999 the annual Sir William Refshauge Lecture was inaugurated. In 2001 he was one of 43 prominent Australians who were co-signatories of a letter to the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, calling for the lifting of economic sanctions against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
He was a member of the Honour Roll in the 2007 National Drug and Alcohol Awards of the Australian Drug Foundation
Australian Drug Foundation
The Australian Drug Foundation is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. The ADF's work is inclusive of both legal and illegal drugs on a national level and focuses on primary and secondary prevention...
. Long aware of the obscenity of the effects of war War#Effects of war, in 1989 Sir William became and remained until his recent death, Patron of the Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)http://www.mapw.org.au .
Family
In 1942 he married Helen Elizabeth Allwright, a senior nursing sister at the Alfred Hospital, and they had four sons and a daughter. Two of their sons are Andrew RefshaugeAndrew Refshauge
Andrew John Refshauge was an Australian politician and Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005.Refshauge was born in Melbourne, the son of Major-General Sir William Refshauge AC CBE ED , who later became Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II 1955–64 and Director-General of the...
, a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales
Premiers of New South Wales
The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...
, and Richard Refshauge, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
.