Joan O'Brien: Yes, yes.

Laurie Muir: He was Bernard's hero and, in many ways, best friend in the profession. And having heard the doctors speak, I think I can see why they [Bernard and 'Weary’] were so close. They were loners within the profession, determined to do their own thing in their own way. I’ve been shocked [previously] to hear from some learned members of the profession how they begrudged 'Weary’ his greatness, a greatness that came from the physical challenges of war and of heroism. Now Bernard didn’t come up quite the same way, but he had the same qualities of being a determined loner within the profession. And he ended up with quite a lot of critics within the profession.

The one he used to talk to the Board [of the Microsurgery Foundation] about was somebody in Sydney who was trying to set up a Foundation of the same name.[44] Bernard didn't have a good word to say about him. I don’t know what has happened to him. It was always Bernard’s greatest worry.

Can I just take a moment longer. 'Weary' Dunlop did cross all the boundaries and it was terribly important that he was Bernard’s friend. He didn’t ever miss a meeting. He’d leave a crowded surgery and come up. We used to meet in Eastern Hill which was Bernard’s own building and Bernard, for security reasons, had to lock up at 6 o’clock. And there we were up on the first floor having our meeting and 'Weary’ hadn’t arrived. He was usually a bit late, but we didn’t hold that against him. And suddenly, Bernard said, “Down fellows” because there was a rat-a-tat-tat on the window. And we thought some schrapnel or some such thing was being fired in our direction. So we all got down under the table for a while. And it repeated itself. So gradually I put my head up and looked down, and there was 'Weary’ throwing two shilling pieces at the window. (laughter) A very innovative man. And we duly let him into the meeting. But he was a great man.

One other story. I have seen Bernard in action as the field marshal in the operating theatre, because I had a very deep and a very thick melanoma on my back which he diagnosed and said must be removed instanta. And from the discussion afterwards, he had eight microsurgeons in there, determined to look after his friend. I think the operation was actually done by Allan [MacLeod]. Bernard, as some of you will know, had failing eyesight for a very long time, and he had to become the field marshal in the operating theatre, rather than the operator. But he went on with absolute determination and saved a lot of lives.

Geoff Renton: Can I ask on that era how Sir William Kilpatrick came to the Board, and Justice Monohan? [45]

Laurie Muir: They were Bernie's friends. Bill Kilpatrick had headed up the National Heart Foundation Appeal of the mid-1960s, would that be right? The first appeal. And there was a subsequent national appeal that Bill was involved in. And Bernard realised that he had great fund-raising potential. He [Bill Kilpatrick] was at the stage of just having sold his own family business, so Bernard felt he would have some time. And he approached him and was successful in the approach.

Mr Justice Monohan was very active in advising on the legal affairs of St Vincent's Hospital, and Bernard approached him. I don’t know that either of them produced the results in the extraordinary way Bernard wanted them to. But they were terribly important in the public face of our fund-raising. And 'Weary’ was particularly important in that regard too, signing letters and acknowledging people.

Witness to the History of Australian Medicine