6 April 1924 – 15 March 2014
Dr Humphry Cramond, beloved husband of Emeritus Professor Tess Cramond, was a committed doctor, devoted family man and lover of rugby union. He was a committed member of the Australian Pain Society, and a regular attendee at annual scientific meetings of the society over many years.
Humphry was born in Townsville to Stuart and Mary Cramond. The Cramonds had come from Forfar in Fifeshire, Scotland, to Warrnambool in Victoria when gold was discovered in Victoria, in 1851, providing essentials to the miners heading for the gold fields. They established a general store – Cramond and Dixon – which was the forerunner to Cramond and Stark in Toowoomba, and Alan and Stark (now Myer) in Brisbane.
Stuart Cramond came to Brisbane when Humphry was five years of age, to become the Deputy Manager of the State Government Insurance Office, the precursor of Suncorp. Sadly, Stuart died when Humphry was only nine years old. Humphry attended Nudgee College in Brisbane where he participated with enthusiasm in rugby, cricket, and handball, and was editor of the Nudgee Collegian.
After school, he enrolled in Medicine, graduating in 1947. As a student, he was not only editor of “Semper Floreat and Trephine”, but the President of the University of Queensland Medical Society (UQMS) when the students took Queensland Health to court – and won – obtaining award conditions for hospital doctors which remained operative until recently, with a 54-hour week averaged over 4 weeks, i.e. no overtime until the doctor had worked for 216 hours during that period.
Dr Cramond’s medical internship was at the Brisbane Hospital – now the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. After several years, he moved to Dalby in 1950 where he served the community initially as medical superintendent of the local hospital and then as a country GP for over 35 years. However, his commitment to this community reached much further than the duties of a country GP with activities including serving on the Hospital Board, Chairman of the local medical association, serving on the Dalby Town Council as Alderman for 21 years and as Deputy Mayor for 15 years. He was also president of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Medical Association 1984–1985.
Humphry and his first wife, Margaret Stalcross, had four children. Tragically, his two youngest children died when they were very young and Margaret died whilst awaiting cardiac surgery. Their other two children, Gordon and Elizabeth, now have their own growing families.
On the 24th of April 1985, Humphry Cramond and Tess Brophy were married with a Nuptial Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians, in Hendra, Brisbane. Humphry and Tess knew each other from medical student days, when Tess was one of the women students who served afternoon tea at Humphry’s graduation ceremony. After their marriage, Humphry decided to move from Dalby to Brisbane to support Tess in her career in pain medicine, palliative care and anaesthesia. At the age of 59 years, this was the first time Tess was married; she would always say, “He was worth waiting for”. Humphry continued as a general practitioner in Brisbane, retiring only recently.
Humphry and Tess Cramond
Humphry Cramond continued to have many interests outside of family and medicine. From 1988, he was a member of the Order of Malta, a lay religious Catholic Order of Chivalry, whose members were committed to helping the poor and the sick. Tess was already a founding member of the Brisbane branch of the Order of Malta since 1974. This charitable involvement prompted projects such as health and education in Timor Leste, the Christian Brothers Callan Service in Papua-New Guinea and Mount Olivet Hospital.
Humphry received recognition as a Member of the British Empire and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to medicine and the community.
His other major and ongoing interest was with Nudgee College. He actively supported the Nudgee Old Boys Association (1940 to mid-1990s), acting as President of the Association in 1991. He received the highest honour that can be bestowed from the Association – the Signum Fidei Award.
Humphry continued to support Tess in her work in pain management, and actively encouraged her endeavours to advance pain medicine as a speciality in Queensland, nationally and internationally. Humphry and Tess regularly participated in numerous pain education evenings and conferences together, including the Australian Pain Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting.
Humphry and Tess shared their faith, their commitment to family and the community, and the medical profession that they loved and served, and which served them back.
Dr Humphry Cramond will be greatly missed by many, and none more than his Tess.
Prepared by Prof Julia Fleming and Dr Paul Gray
Australian Pain Society 
Dr Cramond was an exceptional family doctor. He delivered my three children and celebrated each ones arrival as he did for many in the district of Dalby. What a delightful man – he will always remain a truly special person in my life.
Thank you so much for this tribute to my father. We miss him dearly, Izzy Luescher and family.
What a wonderful man, who spent so much of his life serving others.. as did his extraordinary second wife Dr. Tess Cramond. I only met her a couple of times but was touched by her devotion to her husband and her pride in her children. I had no idea they were not her own but were step children, as her affection for them was unquestionable! Such an inspiring family,