MacLaurin, Henry Normand

Born: Kilconquhar, Fife, Scotland

Died: Following surgery in July. Buried Waverley Cemetery.

Family: Father, James MacLaurin (parish schoolmaster); Mother, Catherine Brearcliffe (5 children, 2 sons surviving)

Married: 6 October 1871, St James Church, Sydney, Eliza Ann Nathan (dec. 7 November 1908) (5 sons)

Education:
At home
University of St Andrews
1854 MA
University of Edinburgh (Medicine)
1857 MD

Career:
While a university student, he assisted his father in running the parish school
His brother, Rev. James MacLaurin, help him with his fees for Medicine (James died at Malaga, Spain on 3 January 1858 from tuberculosis)
1858 Normand wound up his brothers affairs
3 August 1858 Commissioned in the Royal Navy as assistant surgeon; served on 8 ships and spent 2 years at Greenwich Hospital
4 February 1868 arrived Port Phillip
1 October 1868 Registered with the Medical Board of NSW
Late 1870 Returned to England
December 1870 Promoted to Surgeon of the Fleet
Spent 1 month gaining midwifery experience at Queen Charlottes Lying-in Hospital
May 1871 Obtained 12 months leave on half pay; returned to Sydney
Practiced medicine in Parramatta; Physician to The Kings School
September 1872 Moved to Macquarie Street
January 1873 Dropped from the navy list
February 1873 Honorary physician, Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary
1873 Examining Medical Officer to the Police Department; ophthalmic surgeon to out-patients, St Vincents Hospital (resigned 1874)
1874 Surgeon, Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary
1874 to 1876 Honorary physician, St Vincents Hospital
From 1876 Examiner in medicine, University of Sydney
January 1882 Offered the first chair of anatomy and physiology, University of Sydney (public protest because it wasnt advertised and MacLaurin withdrew - Anderson Stuart appointed after advertisement)
1882 Physician, Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary; Member, Board of Health
1883 Elected fellow, University of Sydney Senate
January 1884 Retired from active staff of Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary
1885 to 1889 Chairman, Board of Health; government medical adviser and chairman, Immigration Board
From August 1886 Justice of the Peace
1887 to 1889 and 1895 to 1896 Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney
October 1896 Became Chancellor, University of Sydney (one of the longest serving at a time when the honorary post included a heavy burden of executive responsibility); a great supporter of Anderson Stuart; preserved private funds by shrewd investment policies; helped university acquire numerous neighbouring properties, and others in the city [including the land in Martin Place on which Challis House was built in 1907 and the land in Phillip Street on which Wigram (later University) Chambers was built in 1912]; persuaded the government to pay for the Fisher Library building in 1910 (later named MacLaurin Hall); he and his vice-chancellor, Alfred Backhouse, were exempted when 5 year terms (instead of life tenure) were introduced for Fellows of Senate
As Chancellor, was ex officio a director of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a trustee of Sydney Grammar School and of the Public Library of NSW
Trustee, St Andrews College
1888 President, Royal Commission into schemes for extermination of rabbits in Australasia; honorary LLD, University of St Andrews
January 1889 Section president at the Inter-colonial Medical Congress of Australasia, Melbourne
1889 Visited Europe with his family
1890s Became know for his sound financial judgment
1892 Visited Europe with his family
April 1893 to August 1894 Vice-President, Executive Council (under Dibbs)
1895 to 1901 President, Highland Society of NSW
1896 to 1914 Director, Colonial Sugar Refining Co.
1899 to 1900 Vigorous anti-Federation campaigner
1900 to 1914 Director, Bank of New South Wales
1902 Knighted
1903 Honorary LLD, University of Edinburgh
1904 to 1905 and 1912 to 1913 President, Bank of New South Wales
To 1905 Continued in private practice
1908 to 1914 Chairman, Mutual Life and Citizens Assurance Co. Ltd
Member, Royal and Linnean societies of NSW, British Medical Association; medical witness at numerous public enquiries; Chairman, Mutual Life Association of Australasia; Director, Commercial Union Assurance Co. Ltd, Gloucester Estate Ltd; Member, the Australian Club
Portraits by Ronald Gray (1902) and Ethel A. Stephens (1911), a bronze-relief medallion by Dora Ohlfsen (1919), and a stained glass panel by A.K. Nicholson (1920-21) held by the University of Sydney. Another portrait by Gray is in the Mitchell Library