Brian McMahon (New Zealand Army officer)
Brian McMahon KStJ | |
---|---|
Birth name | Brian Thomas McMahon |
Born | 1929 (age 94–95) Dunedin, New Zealand |
Service/ | New Zealand Army |
Years of service | 1966–1983 |
Rank | Brigadier |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Early life
Born in
Military service
McMahon began a career in the New Zealand Defence Force in 1966 as resident medical officer at the Waiouru Military Camp.[4] In 1968, he was appointed to run the sexual health services of the Defence Force.[3]
In 1969, McMahon served with the New Zealand forces in the Vietnam War, as part of the 1st New Zealand Services Medical Team.[2] He left Vietnam in 1970,[5] and later served in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia, the latter occasion as medical officer to the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.[6][7] McMahon was appointed director-general of Defence Force Medical Services in 1980 and retired in 1983.[6] During the same period, McMahon served as Honorary Surgeon to the Queen.[2]
Later life
After leaving the military, McMahon served as medical superintendent of Wakari Hospital and then Dunedin Hospital. He was also medical officer of health in Otago and Southland, and a senior lecturer at Otago Medical School.[7]
In the
In retirement, McMahon has continued to mentor medical students.[4] He was appointed to the honorary role of colonel commandant of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps in 1992 and held that role until 1995. He was appointed to a second term from 2005 to 2008.[6] McMahon served as life governor of Otago Boys' High School Old Boys' Society from 2000 to 2017 when he voluntarily relinquished the role.[6]
In 1998, McMahon returned to Vietnam to reopen a hospital at
McMahon is a member of the Leprosy Trust Board Fiji and regularly visits the South West Pacific and South East Asia on missions with the Pacific Leprosy Foundation.[4] He has also helped to raise $3 million for the neurosurgery chair at Dunedin Hospital.[6]
In April 2011, McMahon was awarded the second Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association ANZAC of the Year Award, which was presented to him by the governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, at Government House, Wellington.[2][7] He was also appointed the first patron of the University of Otago Medical School Brain Health Research Centre.[2] In 2019, a scholarship was established in McMahon's name for second-year Bachelor of Health Science students at Auckland University of Technology. The $10,000 scholarship was funded by Veterans' Affairs New Zealand and the Ranfurly Veterans Trust, and commemorates New Zealand medical personnel of the Vietnam War.[12] McMahon has five children.[6]
References
- ^ "McMahon, Brian Thomas, 1929–". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dr Brian McMahon". University of Otago. Brain Health Research Centre. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-8258-9765-9.
- ^ a b c "Second ever ANZAC of the year named". NZ Herald. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Brian Thomas McMahon". Auckland Museum. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Brent, Alexander. "Life Governor Brigadier Doctor Brian McMahon". Otago Boys' High School. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Brigadier is Anzac of the year". Stuff. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "No. 49376". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1983. p. 36.
- ^ "No. 49328". The London Gazette. 22 April 1983. p. 5511.
- ^ "No. 50023". The London Gazette. 31 January 1985. p. 1359.
- ^ "No. 52081". The London Gazette. 20 March 1990. p. 3678.
- ^ "Scholarship named after Dunedin stalwart". Otago Daily Times. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2022.