Vale - Dr John Harrison

The Water Polo community is saddened for the loss of Water Polo stalwart Dr John Harrison.

Dr Harrison was an all-rounder: he not only served water polo at a club, state and national level but has served the Australian medical profession, as an orthopedic surgeon.

He played for the ‘Universities Club’ in Sydney, with whom he was a member of the clubs inaugural First Grade Premiership season in 1967/68, before going on to win four consecutive first grade premierships with the club in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.

Dr Harrison was recognised early as a very talented goalkeeper and represented New South Wales on 10 occasions from 1965 to 1975. He went on to compete at the peak of the sport, representing Australia as an Olympic goalkeeper (52 caps) later being involved with the national squad as team manager and team doctor.

Dr Harrison managed to achieve what he did in the pool all while running a highly successful private practice, along with many years of service as an honorary VMO in the NSW public hospital system.

He played a leading role in the 1984 Doctors’ Dispute and later accepted the position of Treasurer in the NSW AMA as part of a reform group. He subsequently went on to serve as a Director and Chairman of the ADF, Director of the Council of Procedural Specialists (COPS), and President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association, where he was awarded the L O Betts Medal for clinical excellence.

The former Australian water polo representative and long-time orthopedic surgeon has been recognised for his service to both sport and medicine when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), as part of the Queen's Birthday 2013 Honours List.

The NSW and Australian Water Polo community extends their deepest sympathy to the extended family and close colleagues of John.