Raphael Cilento 2033998 225125713 2008-07-12T00:31:52Z JackofOz 33566 Phyllis columnist '''Sir Raphael West Cilento''' ([[2 December]], [[1893]] - [[14 April]], [[1985]]), an important [[Australia]]n medical doctor and administrator, was born in [[Jamestown, South Australia]]. Although he was determined from an early age to study medicine, it seemed at first that he would be thwarted in doing so, because of sheer lack of money. Therefore he trained first as a school teacher sponsored by the Education Department. He eventually entered the [[University of Adelaide]] Medical School on borrowed funds, but while there he won so many scholarships, and other prizes, that he ended his course with a respectable bank balance. For the earlier part of his working life, Cilento's interests were mainly in public health and, specifically, tropical medicine. He served with the Australian Army's Tropical Force in [[New Guinea]] which superseded the [[Germany|German]] administration after the [[First World War]]. Later he joined the [[United Kingdom|British]] colonial service in [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. On his return to Australia he was Director of the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine in [[Townsville]], from [[1922]] to [[1924]]. Following a further term in New Guinea, he became Director of the Commonwealth Government's Division of Tropical Hygiene in [[Brisbane]]. He held that role from 1928 to 1934, whereupon he worked as the Queensland Health Department's Director-General. In this position (which he held till 1945, and combined with the presidency of the state's Medical Board as well as with the medicine professorship at the [[University of Queensland]]), he firmly opposed the anti-polio methods of [[Elizabeth Kenny]], although at first he had spoken politely enough of her work to give the impression that he favoured it. Knighted in 1935 (when only 42 years old), Cilento briefly achieved international fame after the [[Second World War]] for his work in aiding refugees; at the [[United Nations]], he was Director for Refugees and Displaced Persons from 1946 to 1947. He returned to Australia in 1951. His later life was characterised by frustration at being unable to find appropriate employment in government service or academia. This was at least partly due to his strongly held extreme right-wing views exemplified by his involvement with the ''[[Australian League of Rights]]''. His wife, Phyllis, Lady Cilento, was also a well-known medical practitioner who also wrote a column ''Medical Mother'' in the [[Brisbane]] newspaper ''[[The Courier-Mail]]'' for over 50 years. Their daughter [[Diane Cilento]] became a famous actress, who for eleven years was married to [[Sean Connery]]. ==Publications== * ''The White Man In The Tropics'', 1925 ==Further reading== * Fedora Gould Fisher, (1994), ''Raphael Cilento, A Biography'', [[University of Queensland]] Press, ISBN 0-7022-2438-3) * Philippa J. Martyr, (2002), ''Paradise of Quacks: An Alternative History of Medicine in Australia'', [[Macleay Press]], Sydney, ISBN 1-876492-06-6 [[Category:1893 births|Cilento, Raphael]] [[Category:1985 deaths|Cilento, Raphael]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor|Cilento, Raphael]] [[Category:Australian doctors|Cilento]]