Donald Dowie

Station	Year	Season	Job
Mawson	1956	Winter	MO

I would like to report the death of Donald Alexander (Don) Dowie in Adelaide
a few days ago in Adelaide. Don was MO at Mawson Base in 1956.

Don and I entered the Adelaide University Medical School in 1948,
me straight from school, he returned from WW2 having spent most of the time
as a prisoner of war, having been the only survivor when his bomber was shot
down in the Pacific near Kota Baru. Before the war he had trained as a fitter
and turner, skills he put to use during his year at Mawson. His major legacy
was his large part in building the new aircraft hangar on the East Arm.
I followed Don as MO at Mawson the following year. During change-over
we spent a significant amount of time chewing the fat and sipping sherbert
in the little 2 bed hut that was, at that time, the surgery. After his return from
Antarctica he specialised in Rehabilitation Medicine, and was a dab hand
at helping people with their prosthetic limbs.

He died at 99, just 4 months short of the “ton” that would have been his
final achievement. He is survived by his wife Jill and his talented children.