Ross Graham Dreadon was born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Joseph Dreadon, a farmer, and his wife Anne Bull, whose father owned a gold mining battery. He was educated at the Papatoetoe Primary School and Auckland Grammar School, and then entered the University of Otago to study medicine. His clinical studies were undertaken at Dunedin Hospital and Auckland Hospital, and on graduation he took up a post as house physician in Auckland Hospital, from 1941-42.

In 1942, during the second world war, he enlisted as a medical officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and saw service in the Pacific Zone, until 1945. On demobilization, he became medical registrar at the Auckland Hospital until 1948, when he decided to come to the UK for postgraduate training. He was appointed medical registrar at Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1948, and during this period obtained his membership of the College and his diploma in child health. On return to New Zealand and Auckland, he became visiting physician to the Middlemore Hospital, 1950-62, and then physician to the Greenlane Hospital which he served until his retirement.

In 1973 he was president of the Auckland branch of the Medical Association of New Zealand.

He married Mary, daughter of John Berry, in 1955 and they had two children, a son and a daughter. He had few interests outside medicine and his family, but he was a keen collector of antiques, with a special interest in English porcelain.

Sir Gordon Wolstenholme
V Luniewska