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Pioneering Cardiologist and Medical Administrator

​Sir Charles Ritchie Burns (1898–1985) was one of New Zealand’s most distinguished physicians of the twentieth century, recognised for his pioneering work in cardiology and his influential leadership in hospital medicine and medical administration.

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Born in Blenheim on 27 May 1898, he was educated at Marlborough High School, Nelson College, and the University of Otago. He graduated MB ChB with distinction in 1922, followed by an MD in 1924, before undertaking postgraduate study in England. By his mid-twenties he had already achieved membership of the Royal College of Physicians in London (MRCP, 1925), marking him as an exceptional early-career clinician.

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Sir Charles was appointed Resident Physician at New Plymouth Hospital, where he played a key role in strengthening clinical standards and advancing internal medicine in the region. His time in Taranaki coincided with a period of rapid development in hospital-based care, and his leadership was widely respected. In October 1929, he resigned from this role to return to Dunedin Hospital, continuing a career that would have national and international reach.

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Beyond Taranaki, Sir Charles became a leading figure in New Zealand medicine. He undertook further postgraduate training at the National Heart Hospital in London, and later in London and Boston, deepening his expertise in cardiology. He went on to hold senior appointments including Director of the Division of Medicine at Auckland Hospital, and Physician in Charge of the Cardiology Department at Wellington Hospital across two decades. He practised and led internal medicine during the early adoption of insulin therapy in New Zealand hospitals, a period that marked a significant advance in the treatment of diabetes.

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His service extended beyond clinical medicine. During the Second World War, he served overseas in Italy and Japan, and later held senior roles including Director of Clinical Services for the National Society on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. He also served as Senior Physician at the Home of Compassion for more than 25 years, reflecting a lifelong commitment to compassionate care.

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In recognition of his outstanding contribution to medicine, Sir Charles was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1948, and was later knighted (K.B.E.) in 1958. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1938, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) in 1943, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Otago in 1975.

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Sir Charles Ritchie Burns died in Auckland on 8 February 1985, leaving a legacy defined by clinical excellence, innovation, and service. His appointment as one of the first Honorary Life Members of the Taranaki Medical Foundation in August 1966 recognised not only his distinguished national career, but his early and formative contribution to medicine in Taranaki.

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Photograph courtesy of the J. O. Mercer Collection.

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Resident Medical Superintendent and Director of Surgery

Mr John Maxwell Clarke was appointed Resident Medical Superintendent of New Plymouth Hospital in September 1926, following a highly competitive selection process that considered fifty applicants from New Zealand, Australia, and England. At the time, he was Assistant Medical Officer at Dunedin Hospital, having recently returned from four years of surgical experience in leading English hospitals. At just 31 years of age, his appointment reflected both clinical ability and emerging leadership.

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During his tenure in New Plymouth, Mr Clarke became widely respected for his ability to bridge the divide between hospital services and the wider medical community. He encouraged the formation of the North Taranaki Clinical Society, bringing general practitioners and hospital staff together to discuss complex and unusual cases, share knowledge, and strengthen professional relationships. This collaboration helped resolve longstanding tensions between private practitioners and the hospital, ensuring that private wards were never again seriously proposed.

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Mr Clarke also led significant modernisation of hospital systems. Under his direction, a systematised Records Department was established, alongside a medical library and a pathological museum: initiatives that reflected his reputation as an organised, forward-thinking surgeon and administrator.

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By September 1927, rising demand placed increasing pressure on clinical services. Mr Clarke reported a record 152 patients seen in a single day, a figure exceeded only during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Growing admissions and operating theatre demands required an expansion of the honorary medical staff, highlighting the rapid growth of hospital-based care during this period.

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Mr Clarke served as Resident Medical Superintendent from 1926 to 1930. In September 1929, he was granted twelve months’ leave to undertake further study in Europe. He returned to New Plymouth in April 1931 to establish private practice, while continuing to contribute to the hospital as an Honorary Consultant Surgeon, ensuring that his expertise remained closely linked to Taranaki’s public health services.

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In 1939, as New Zealand prepared for the introduction of Social Security and the onset of the Second World War, Mr Clarke was appointed Director of Surgery at Auckland Hospital, a pivotal leadership role during a period of national and international upheaval. During the war, he served with No. 1 and No. 2 New Zealand General Hospitals in the United Kingdom and Middle East.

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In later years, Mr Clarke became a leading figure in cancer surgery and public health, contributing to services at Green Lane and Middlemore Hospitals and serving as President of the New Zealand Cancer Society (1961–1962). He died on 11 June 1971.

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His appointment as one of the first Honorary Life Members of the Taranaki Medical Foundation recognises the enduring impact of his leadership in New Plymouth during a formative period in the region’s hospital and professional development.

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Medical Superintendent and Surgeon through Years of Change

Mr Gordon Rich began his career at New Plymouth Hospital in February 1927 as a house surgeon. He later took on the role of acting superintendent during Mr Clarke’s leave of absence. Alongside Resident Physician Dr C.A. Taylor, the two formed a formidable team during a period when the wider economy was experiencing a significant downturn. Despite financial pressures affecting businesses, trades, and professions, the hospital was reportedly "booming."

In a Board report dated January 1933, Mr Rich observed:

“The increase in patients has been alarming… A number of people who would normally have gone to private hospitals are now unable to, due to a lack of finances. It is also possible that people out of work and suffering from longstanding complaints are now having them attended to.”

He noted a sharp rise in chronic and isolated cases, suggesting that malnutrition may have reduced patients’ resistance to disease and hindered recovery. At that time, only 42 doctors were practicing across the province.

Mr Rich served as Medical Superintendent from 1930 until 1938. He resigned to take over Dr Clarke’s private practice in New Plymouth, assuring the board that the hospital’s surgical needs would remain a priority in his role as honorary surgeon. Leadership of the hospital passed first to Dr Taylor (1938–1942), and then to Mr H.C. Barrett (1942–1949).

In October 1966, Mr Rich resigned as visiting specialist general surgeon, concluding 37 years of service with the hospital. His resignation coincided with the government’s controversial plan to amalgamate the four Taranaki hospital boards, designating New Plymouth as the new base hospital. By April 1966, earthworks had begun in Westown for the first clinical services building.

In August 1966, during the first Executive Meeting of the Taranaki Medical Education and Research Society Incorporated held in the New Plymouth Hospital, is was resolved by Dr Greig and Miss Sandle that Mr Rich be declared as an Honorary Life Member.

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