The history of Paediatric Urology: Australia’s first paediatric urologist
John M. Hutson
The history of paediatric urology is the history of Douglas Stephens (FDS). Born 1913, son of Henry Douglas Stephens, a paediatrician and surgeon at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for 50 years. Joined the army medical corps after early surgical training. Served in Tobruk. Returned to Melbourne 1945, scholarship to GOS in 1947-1950 (where he worked with Sir Denis Browne). Began studying anorectal anatomy and embryology. Returned to RCH in 1950 and established Urology Unit. Studied urinary tract anomalies 1950-1963. First book 1963 on malformations. “Anorectal Malformations in Children” in 1971, with Durham Smith. “Discovered” by American urologists and moves to Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, for 12 years. “Congenital Anomalies of the kidney, urinary and genital tracts” published in 1996, with the second edition in 2002 when FDS is 89.
