Obituary DR. A. C. McKILLOP

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28657, 6 August 1958, Page 15

Obituary DR. A. C. McKILLOP

The death occurred in Christchurch yesterday of Dr. Alexander Cameron McKillop, 0.8. E., E.D., M. 8., Ch.B., Medical Superintendent of Sunnyside Hospital for 25 years. He was 73. He was educated at Kingussie School and at Edinburgh University, and began mental hospital work in 1909 as a member of the staff of the Inverness Mental Hospital. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1911, and on arrival spent a period at Porirua Hospital.

Later he served with the armed forces in Samoa, Egypt, and at Gallipoli and returned from the war with the rank of major. He resumed his work at Seacliff Hospital until 1918, when he was transferred to Nelson as Medical Superintendent.

In 1920 he succeeded Sir Truby King as Medical Superintendent at Seacliff. He left there in 1925 to take over Sunnyside. He retired in January, 1951, after spending 46 years with the Mental Hygiene Division of the Department of Health.

Dr. McKillop had a long experience in the Army. At the age of 15 he joined the Cameron Highlanders, and had held every rank to colonel with the exception of corporal. Between the two wars Dr. McKillop was Assistant-Dir-ector of Medical Services for the Southern Military District. He went, overseas in World War II with the Second Echelon as officer commanding No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, and served in England, Egypt, and Greece. Then he spent a year as AssistantDirector of Medical Services to the 3rd Division in Fiji, and another year with the Ist Division in North Auckland. Dr. McKillop was always keenly interested in sport. While he was in Inverness he played for a Northern Counties hockey club and was selected for a final international trial. He continued to play hockey when he came to New Zealand and represented Otago, Wellington and Nelson provinces. Later he played golf. In recent years he was more interested in horticulture. Varied Membership He was a member of the Cante ’bury Horticultural Society, the New Zealand Lily Society, the New Zealand Gladioli Society, and the Canterbury Rose Society. He served on executives and was a foundation member of the Canterbury Rose Society and the New Zealand Lily Society. Dr. McKillop served as president of the New Zealand Lily Society on a number of occasions and he introduced many first-class hybrids to New Zealand, several of which won awards of merit. During the last 10 years he won the first prize for the best collection of lilies several times. Apart from this interest he had many others. From 1928 to 1931 he was president of the New Zealand Kennel Club and chairman of the Canterbury council for many years. He was a well-known breeder of cocker spaniels, and his dogs were awarded 13 association championships. Pigeons and poultry also interested him. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, Barbara (Mrs F. W. Cave, of Dunedin), Alison (Mrs N. H. Wilson, of Auckland), and Janet (Mrs J. F. Fairclough, Cambridge), and one son, Mr A. L C. McKillop, of Christchurch. Another son, Donald Allan McKillop, was killed in Italy in World War IL