{{Short description|Scottish-New Zealand surgeon}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox medical person | name = Carrick Robertson | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL||size=100%}} | image = File:Carrick Robertson.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Carrick Hey Robertson | birth_date = {{birth date|1879|08|27|df=y}} | birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|1963|07|14|1879|08|27|df=y}} | death_place = Auckland, New Zealand | death_cause = | residence = | nationality = | citizenship = | education = University of London, Guy's Hospital | occupation = Surgeon | years_active = | known_for = | relations = | website = | profession = | field = Neurosurgery | work_institutions = | specialism = | research_field = | notable_works = | prizes = | child = | module2 = | signature = }} '''Sir Carrick Hey Robertson''' (27 August 1879 – 14 July 1963) was a Scottish-born New Zealand surgeon who specialised in goitre and neurosurgery. He practised at Auckland Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.
== Early life and education == Robertson was born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1879.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> He attended St Dunstan's College in London and then trained at Guy's Hospital and the University of London where he graduated in 1902.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Bush |first=Graham W.A. |title=The History of Epsom |publisher=Epsom & Eden District Historical Society |year=2006 |isbn=0473111020 |location=Auckland |pages=194}}</ref><ref name="DNZB Robertson">{{DNZB|title=Carrick Hey Robertson|first=Rex Wright-St|last=Clair|id=4r22|accessdate=23 April 2017}}</ref>
== Career == Robertson practiced in Natal, South Africa for two years before emigrating to New Zealand where he took up the position of surgeon at Waihi Hospital.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> He spent five years as superintendent of the hospital before moving to private practice in Auckland as well as an honorary surgeon at Auckland Hospital.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="DNZB Robertson" />
In the First World War Robertson served as a temporary major from 1915 to 1916 in the New Zealand Medical Corps on board the hospital ship ''Marama''.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Carrick Hey Robertson |url=https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C54073 |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=Auckland War Memorial Museum |language=en}}</ref>
Robertson was a recognised expert in surgery for goitre (then common in New Zealand) and was a national pioneer of neurosurgery.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> He and Dr Casement Aickin performed the first heart operation in Auckland and probably New Zealand in 1927 but the patient did not survive.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Roche |first=Edward |title=Green Lane Saga |last2=Roche |first2=Anthony |publisher=Ray Richards |year=1983 |isbn=0908596189 |pages=29}}</ref> He developed surgery at Auckland Hospital and played an influential role in the development of surgical services at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.<ref name=":1" /> In 1937 he retired from his position as honorary surgeon at Auckland Hospital but continued as a surgeon at the Mater where he was a lecturer at the nursing school.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> He was medical superintendent at the Mater from 1937 to 1953.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Belgrave |first=Michael |title=The Mater: a history of Auckland's Mercy Hospital 1900-2000 |year=2000 |isbn=0473071282 |location=Palmerston North |pages=230}}</ref>
In 1924 Robertson was made an honorary fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He was a founding fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and in 1947 made an honorary fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.<ref name=":1" />
== Honours and awards == Robertson was awarded the British War Medal 1914–1920.<ref name=":0" /> He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1929 New Year Honours and knighted at an investiture in St James's Palace, London.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> In 1938 he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="DNZB Robertson" />
== Personal life == Robertson was married twice and had four children with his first wife Constance who died in 1950. He married his second wife Delta Clark in 1957.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> Robertson lived at ''Rannoch'' a historic house in Almorah Rd from 1932 to 1963.<ref name="NZHPT Ranch">{{NZHPT|7198|Rannoch|1 July 2025}}</ref>
From 1936–37 he was president of the Auckland Institute and Museum.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" />
== Death and legacy == Robertson died on 14 July 1963 at the Mater Hospital.<ref name="DNZB Robertson" /> He was buried at Purewa Cemetery in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank.<ref>{{cite web |title=Notable graves |url=https://www.purewa.co.nz/notable-graves/ |access-date=15 February 2021 |publisher=Purewa Trust Board |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307203554/https://purewa.co.nz/notable-graves/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Carrick Robertson Prize is a surgery prize awarded to a student at the University of Auckland Medical School.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carrick Robertson Prize - The University of Auckland |url=https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/scholarships-and-awards/find-a-scholarship/carrick-robertson-prize-p638-fmhs.html |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=www.auckland.ac.nz}}</ref>
== Selected publications ==
* {{cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=C. H. |title=Acute Pancreatitis Followed by Pancreatic Abscess: Operation: Recovery |journal=British Medical Journal |date=1909 |volume=1 |issue=2508 |pages=211–212 |doi=10.1136/bmj.1.2508.211 |pmid=20764267 |pmc=2317898 }} * {{cite journal |last1=Sweet |first1=G. B. |last2=Robertson |first2=C. |title=A Case of Congenital Atresia of the Jejunum (With Recovery) |journal=Archives of Disease in Childhood |date=1927 |volume=2 |issue=9 |pages=186–188 |doi=10.1136/adc.2.9.186 |pmid=21031694 |pmc=1974959 }} * {{cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=Carrick |title=Malignant Exophthalmos or Exophthalmic Ophthalmoplegia |journal=Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery |date=1945 |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=262–265 |doi=10.1111/j.1445-2197.1945.tb02953.x}} * {{cite journal |last1=Robertson |first=C. |title=Thyrotoxicosis |journal=Postgraduate Medical Journal |date=1948 |volume=24 |issue=277 |pages=571–578 |doi=10.1136/pgmj.24.277.571 |pmid=18105125 |pmc=2529825 }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Sheehan JP, Sheehan JM, Ellegala DB, Furneaux C. (2005) "Pioneers in the development of neurological surgery in Auckland, New Zealand: Robertson, Wrightson, and Mackenzie." ''Neurosurgery''. 57(2):364-8; discussion 364-8. doi: 10.1227/01.neu.0000166685.43504.4a. PMID: 16094168.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Carrick}} Category:1879 births Category:1963 deaths Category:New Zealand surgeons Category:Medical doctors from Glasgow Category:Scottish emigrants to New Zealand Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War I Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour Category:New Zealand recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:New Zealand Knights Bachelor Category:Burials at Purewa Cemetery Category:People educated at St Dunstan's College