Archibald Watson

Archibald Watson was born on 27 July 1849 at Tarcutta, New South Wales, eldest son of Sydney Grandison Watson, pastoralist, and his wife Isabella (d.1861), née Robinson. Educated at a national school in Sydney and in 1861-67 at Scotch College, Melbourne, Archibald excelled in scripture and was a champion light-weight boxer. 

In 1873 he travelled to England and Germany where he studied medicine at the Georg-August Universität of Göttingen (M.D., 1878) and the Université de Paris (M.D., 1880). In England he obtained the licentiate (1880) of the Society of Apothecaries, London, and became a member (1882) and fellow (1884) of the Royal College of Surgeons. 

Appointed Elder professor of anatomy at the University of Adelaide in 1885, Watson also became lecturer in pathological anatomy (1887-1903) and in operative surgery (1887-1919). Using vivid language and rapid blackboard sketches, he taught with dramatic intensity. Following a dispute in 1895 over a nursing appointment involving Margaret Graham, the government did not reappoint the board of the (Royal) Adelaide Hospital and the honorary doctors resigned in protest. Watson became consultant surgeon, hoping to continue the teaching of medical students there. After the arrival of Dr William Ramsay Smith and Dr Leith Napier, the new board dismissed Watson for criticizing Napier, but later reinstated him.

 He died on 30 July 1940 on Thursday island and was buried there with Anglican rites. A memorial lecture at the invitation of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons commemorates him; his portrait by W.B. McInnes hangs in the University's anatomy department. 

Adapted from The Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, (MUP), 1990.