Obituary: Sir William Manchester

By ROB FENWICK

Plastic surgeon. Died aged 88

Sir William Manchester was a father figure of plastic surgery in New Zealand and a world authority on reconstructive surgery for conditions of cleft palate and cleft lip.

For nearly 30 years until his retirement from general practice in 1979, Sir William ran the 72-bed plastic surgical unit at Middlemore Hospital. The first New Zealand unit specialising in plastic and reconstructive surgery, it achieved international acclaim.

Sir William was a member of the Auckland Hospital Board during the health reforms of the 1980s.

He held numerous international positions, was a visiting professor at 11 universities of medicine and was general secretary of the International Confederation for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for four years from 1967.

Born in South Canterbury and educated at Timaru Boys High and Otago University, Sir William joined the New Zealand Medical Corps in 1940 and served with the 2nd Echelon as battalion medical officer.

The same year he was seconded for training in plastic and reconstructive surgery under leading New Zealand surgeons Sir Harold Gillies and Sir Archibald McIndoe.

After the war, during which he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he converted his 30-bed military unit at Burwood into a 60-bed civilian hospital. It was the first multi-disciplined plastic unit in the New Zealand Public Hospital Service.

Sir William was appointed first plastic surgeon to the Auckland Hospital Board in 1950 and set up the plastic surgical unit at Middlemore Hospital where he worked until his retirement.

He was chairman of the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Vice-President of the 5th International Congress of Plastic and Re-constructive Surgery.

In 1977 he was appointed first Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Auckland University. He was knighted in 1987 for services to medicine.

Surgeon colleague John Williams says Sir William had made a profound contribution to surgery in New Zealand and his skill and judgment in the operating theatre was legendary.

Outside medicine, Sir William had a passion for classical music and roses. He was also a motorsport enthusiast and during the 1960s and 1970s was an honorary medic for the NZ Grand Prix Association.

He was an outstanding raconteur with a profound love for the English language. His addresses on medical matters are still judged masterpieces.

Sir William's wife, Lois, a prominent interior designer and founder of Habitat in Parnell, died in 1991. They had no children.