Written by Dr Genevieve Casey

Dr Terence Michael Casey
1941-2018

Dr Terry Casey (MBBS MRCP FACD) was a pivotal figure in Queensland dermatology, working as a dermatologist in private and public practice for 42 years. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on 31 May 2018, age 76.

Dr Casey was born on 27 November 1941 at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, the third of seven children. He was the son of an electrician and an Avon sales representative, and grew up in the small town of Woodford, Queensland, swimming in lagoons, racing corrugated iron canoes, and building and flying model aeroplanes. Terry attended the local primary school, St Mary’s, and moved to Brisbane for secondary education at St Columban’s College. He was a very bright boy, and having skipped two grades at school, finished high school at the age of 16. From there, he studied Medicine at the University of Queensland and was president of Union College. The first person in his family to progress to university, Terry graduated from Medicine in 1965.

From 1966 to 1969 he was a medical resident and medical registrar at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Royal Women’s Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital. During this time, one of his medical registrar positions involved looking after the dermatology inpatients under the guidance of Dr Sue Knyvett and Dr Graeme Beardmore, and this is where his interest in dermatology began.

Plans to undertake dermatology specialist training in London were put on hold for a year when he decided to join the Royal Australian Army in 1970. After two weeks of jungle warfare and weapons training, he flew to Saigon and then on to Vung Tau, where he was assigned to Number 1 Australian Field Hospital as a Regimental Medical Officer. Within minutes of arriving, he was put to work treating the wounded. After six months of operational service in Vietnam, he returned to Australia.

Vietnam was an exciting experience for this young Aussie doctor, and one that would prove to open doors for him. He joined the Army Reserve in 1981 and was the treating dermatologist for Defence Force personnel at Enoggera Barracks Military Hospital, Brisbane. He was promoted to Colonel, and from 1998 was the Consultant Dermatologist to the Surgeon-General Department of Defence in Canberra until compulsory military retirement in 2001, aged 60.

In 1971, Dr Casey arrived in London to undertake his dermatology specialist training. His military service and treatment of casualties and dermatological diseases in the Vietnam war piqued the interests of World War II veteran dermatologists on the interview panel in London, and he entered into dermatology specialist training at the Royal Free Hospital in 1972 under Prof. Charles Calnan and Prof. Imrich Sarkany, and then at The London Hospital in 1973. He attained Membership of the Royal College of Physicians in July 1972.

Dr Casey returned to Australia in January 1974 and was appointed Senior Dermatology Registrar at the Royal Brisbane and Royal Children’s Hospital. In June 1974, he qualified and registered as a dermatologist, and in November 1974 was appointed Dermatologist on the Visiting Specialists Medical Staff at the Royal Brisbane and Royal Children’s Hospital. In typical Dr Casey fashion, he managed to run four adult clinics, two children’s clinics, as well as private practices on Wickham Terrace and at Redcliffe (where his proud mother was his receptionist), Southport, Aspley, Mitchelton and Kenmore. Dr Casey became the Director of Dermatology at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, a position he held for five years.

In London, he had used liqid nitrogen as a far more effective treatment for dermatological conditions than carbon dioxide snow . So he introduced it to Queensland. In 1981 he was appointed Clinical Teacher in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland, and then later Senior Lecturer in Dermatology. Having obtained his pilot’s license in 2002, he provided rural dermatology services and flew himself (plus keen medical students and registrars) in a single-engine plane to clinics in Bundaberg, Emerald, Biloela, Roma, Goondiwindi, St George, and Thursday Island. In May 2002, Dr Casey was appointed as Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, and in May 2018, awarded the Certificate of Meritorious Service for service and dedication to the Australiasian College of Dermatologists. He had an amazing eye for dermatology, and if you ever wanted to know what a patient had, Dr Casey was your doctor.

Dr Casey worked as a Dermatologist at the Royal Brisbane Hospital/Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital/Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital/Queensland Children’s Hospital, and in private practice for 43 years. He was a busy and talented clinician who helped train two generations of Dermatologists, including his daughter, Dr Genevieve Casey. When asked about retirement some years ago, he replied “what for?”. He loved his practice, his colleagues, his registrars and his patients. Dr Casey practised medicine the way medicine should be practised, with a great love of clinical care and a strong emphasis on teaching and supporting colleagues.

Outside of his busy dermatology schedule, he flew his Mooney Ovation 3 aeroplane, and crashed many model aeroplanes on his cattle farm in Tenterfield, where he loved to be on weekends. He enjoyed skiing with his daughters and not more than a year before his death he could be easily spotted in his fluorescent orange ski jacket on the European and USA ski fields.

Since July 2018, I have had the great privilege to continue his private practice in Brisbane and Redcliffe, and share the memory of him with his patients and colleagues. For me professionally, his are big shoes to fill. Dad has been such an important part of my career and has passed on to me many clever tips and dermatological ‘recipes’. But what I’ll remember most is his kind & gentle manner with his patients, his love of teaching, and his loyalty to his colleagues. I’m so thankful for having been able to work with and observe this great doctor.