Thomas Greenaway was educated at North Sydney Boys High School, Australia, gaining his leaving certificate at the early age of 15, and winning a University exhibition. In 1918 he enlisted in the AIF, when only 16 years old, and reached France before the war ended. On demobilization, he entered the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney in 1920, graduating in 1925. From 1925 to 1926 he was resident medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, afterwards entering general practice with CC McDonald at Hurstville, where he remained until 1934. He was appointed clinical assistant in medicine at the Royal Prince Alfred in 1928, and honorary assistant physician in 1929.

‘TMG’ married Lavinia Figtree, daughter of a local medical practitioner. They had three children; a son, John, now a senior physician at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and two daughters, Judith and Patricia. They were a very happy family, extremely loyal to one another, and held open house for generations of students and residents, whom ‘TMG’ was always ready to help and advise.

In 1934 he came to London for postgraduate study, obtaining his MRCP in the same year. On his return to Sydney he practised as a consultant physician in Macquarie Street. He retained his appointment at the Royal Prince Alfred, and was also appointed consultant physician to Marrickville, Ryde and St George Hospitals. As a consultant he was much sought after, being regarded by his peers, patients and students as an outstanding clinician and teacher. He was a foundation fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and helped to shape it.

During the second world war he was selected to remain at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, running his own unit, and filling in for some of his colleagues and serving part-time in the Army. After 1946 the department of medicine underwent an active period of development, in the initiation of sub-specialty units and postgraduate activities, and ‘TMG’ played an important part in this. He was a first class general physician with a special interest in endocrinology. In 1944 he was appointed to the board of censors of the RACP, was censor in chief from 1954 to 1958, a member of council for eight years and president from 1960 to 1962. From 1963 to 1973 he was a member of the Medical Board of NSW, and was appointed honorary fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 1968. He was knighted for his services to medicine and medical education in the same year.

‘TMG’ was a brilliant, well balanced physician, with enormous clinical expertise, an excellent teacher, lecturer and examiner, and a keen advocate of continuing medical education. Significant features of his personality were courtesy and a keen sense of humour. He was said ‘never to have a mean thought in his head’. He was a student of the Bible and Shakespeare and loved to quote passages at appropriate times. At his memorial service in the hospital chapel, Geoffrey McDonald quoted St Paul’s words ‘Luke, the beloved physician’. They were well applied to Thomas Greenaway.

SJM Goulston
Sir Gordon Wolstenholme