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Armidale health teams remember Dr Harold Royle
28 March 2008 Namesake of Armidale Hospital Library, the much respected Dr Harold Royle who died earlier this week, will be remembered by Hunter New England Health staff as the man who started pathology services in Armidale and effectively promoted the medical library service. While Dr Royle had many strings to his bow, it was his work at the Armidale Hospital which gained him huge respect from local medical staff. As a visiting medical officer at the hospital for more than 40 years, his efforts to improve and develop the hospital resulted in the availability of a widening range of specialist services from the 1950’s. Retired pathologist Dr Arthur Beresford said Dr Royle was regarded as a leader and senior doctor by his colleagues. Dr Beresford recalls the efforts of Dr Royle in developing Pathology services from scratch and his keen interest in library services and ongoing medical education. "In the years of the late 1950’s to mid 1970’s he was Emeritus Pathologist, campaigning to have me appointed as a specialist Pathologist in 1975. "Dr Royle was heavily involved in medical education and actively promoted the development of a medical library service. A basic library was established but was without the presence of a qualified librarian until the 1980’s on a part time basis," Dr Beresford said. He said the original library was established in what is now the physiotherapy department and subsequently relocated in an area adjacent to the staff dining area. The library was named in his honour in 1987 in recognition of his services. Carol Higginbottom, Practice Manager at Dr Royle’s old practice, in her research of Dr Royle found he graduated from Sydney University in 1941, married Joan Zouch a theatre nurse in 1942 and signed up for the Army Medical Corps, serving in both New Guinea and Singapore. On his return he ran the dermatology ward at Hearne Bay Military Hospital in Sydney and moved to Armidale in 1946, where he worked primarily as a GP until poor health demanded his early retirement in 1988. "Dr Royle started a pathology laboratory at the Armidale Hospital on 5 August, 1946 with a bit of glassware acquired from Hearne Bay Hospital and his student microscope," Mrs Higginbottom said. "In November 1946 he gained a pathology assistant and eventually in 1953, a full time technician was appointed. He continued helping at the weekends with blood work and started the first blood donor's club in Armidale, often having to drive to the blood donor’s homes to take blood," she said. The Armidale Health Service is extremely grateful for the work and dedication to the health of the Armidale community undertaken by Dr Royle. He will be remembered.
Contact: Kay Cope
Phone: 6776 9817
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