Robert McFarlane

Department of Health

Robert went to Darwin High School, and started work in the Darwin Commonwealth Health Laboratory on 29 November 1972, after studying Biochemistry at the University of Queensland. Apart from 2 years at the University of Western Australia for an MSc (Clinical Biochemistry), he has been a scientist in the Commonwealth and NT Pathology service ever since, and is currently network supervising scientist, Chemical Pathology, overseeing the discipline in 6 Territory Pathology laboratories.

He was on duty the night of Cyclone Tracy, and stayed on in the aftermath to help keep the service running. He has seen the Darwin laboratory move twice, from the damaged hospital to temporary accommodation on Myilly Point, then to the current Royal Darwin Hospital site in 1980.

In 2017, after an asbestos contamination scare resulted in the evacuation of the Alice Springs laboratory and quarantining of all its equipment, he was part of the 'tiger team' which rebuilt the laboratory from scratch, on its new site. He says Darwin has been the best place in the world to bring up 4 children, with his wives Patricia, then Elizabeth (who both died of cancer).

Chemical Pathology 50 years ago, was fairly primitive, compared to today. Robert thinks he has made some contributions to its development (of people, computer systems, research, equipment) over the decades, and Territory Pathology laboratories now provide a service of the highest technological and professional standard.