Harry Swift

Harry Swift was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, the son of John Swift, of "Woodhouse", Ely. He was educated at King's School, Ely and afterwards at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, then was attached to St George's Hospital, London. He gained his M.B. at Cambridge in June 1883 and M.D. in 1887, and was attached to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, 1885–1886.

Swift emigrated to South Australia, arrived in Adelaide in December 1887, and joined the practice of Dr. Charles E. Todd, a son of Sir Charles Todd.

In 1891 he was appointed Assistant Physician to the Adelaide Hospital, then was in charge of the skin department for many years.

In 1910 he was promoted to Senior Physician, which position he held until 1921 when he was made a consulting physician to the hospital.

In 1912 Swift was appointed clinical lecturer on diseases of children at the University of Adelaide. In December 1915 he succeeded Sir Joseph Verco as lecturer on the principles and practice of medicine, which position he retained until 1922, when he retired.

He succeeded Verco as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, serving from 1924 to 1926.

In 1890 he was appointed to the honorary medical staff of the Adelaide Children's Hospital, and remained connected to that institution until 1918, when he was appointed a consulting physician. 

Swift was a daily visitor to the hospital, acting as general adviser. In 1914 Dr. Swift read a paper at the BMA congress held in New Zealand, describing a disease in children which had not previously been described, and which he called erythroedema, but became better known as "pink disease" or "Swift's disease."

Dr Swift died at his home in North Adelaide, aged 79.