Our History
The general practice known now as Dodson Medical has been in existence since the 1940s. The practice was started by Dr Watt senior who moved from New Plymouth to Milford prior to the Second World War. Later his son Dr Keith Watt who qualified from Otago in 1950 joined him.
In 1956 Dr J G Abercrombie an Edinburgh doctor who had joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1951, worked as a locum for Dr Watt shortly before returning to Edinburgh. Dr Watt suggested that the practice might require another doctor in the future if Dr Abercrombie was interested. Dr Abercrombie returned to Scotland where he worked as an assistant in a general practice in Edinburgh. One day out of the blue, he returned home to find a letter from Dr Watt inviting him to join his practice in New Zealand. As soon as he could he arranged to return to New Zealand with his wife and their new son Colin. In 1956 the practice became a partnership.
In 1963 on a visit to Wellington Dr Abercrombie met Dr M Herbert who had emigrated from Glasgow and was working in Wainuiomata. After meeting Dr Watt in December 1963 Dr Herbert was invited to join the partnership in Milford and became one of the partners on 1st April 1964.
Dr A Sutherland an Otago graduate, who was a native of Milford, returned from England in 1970 and was invited to join the practice whilst he was working as a temporary locum in Devonport he joined the group in 1971. The partners then moved to new premises at 2 Dodson Ave.
Dr Herbert and Dr Sutherland became the leading obstetric GP’s covering nine other practices on the North Shore, including patients from Orewa and Whangaparaoa. Dr Abercrombie had developed an interest in musculoskeletal medicine. Dr Watt was busy with his anesthetics.
In 1975 a large house next door to 2 Dodson came up for sale by auction. A rapid decision was made and the practice bought 4 Dodson Ave. The house had been built in the 1930s and every effort was made to preserve as much of the classical elegance of the house as possible, thanks to Dr Watt.
In 1979 Dr Herbert was asked to take on a registrar in the practice and for the next nine years the practice had a succession of registrars. Ultimately Dr Chris Maud, a registrar was invited to join the practice, which then had five doctors, four practice nurses, two receptionists and a bookkeeper.
All the Doctors were committed to community work. Dr Watt was president of the Ruapehu Ski Club and was a founding member of Milford Club, Dr Abercrombie was chairman of the Westlake College Board and on the medical roster for rugby games at Eden Park including several Test Matches, Dr Herbert was Chairman of Council of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and a member of the CGPC of the NZMA and was a member of the New Zealand Medical Council from 1985 to 1996 and Dr Sutherland was on the committee of the South Pacific Under Water Medicine Society and on the roster for the decompression Chamber at the Navy Headquarters in Devonport.
Unfortunately in 1991 Dr Abercrombie became ill and retired. Dr Jennifer Neads who had recently returned from the UK joined the practice as a partner, in 2012 Jennifer left Dodson Medical.
Dr Watt retired in 1995 after 41 years in the practice. Dr Rosemary Linscott an experienced South African doctor who had emigrated with her husband from Johannesburg succeeded him in the practice. Rosemary after 15years as a partner retired in 2010, when Dr Sue Loughlin joined as a new partner.
2004 Dr Herbert decided that it was time to retire after forty years in the practice and he was fortunate in finding Dr Luke Ivancevic a Yugoslav doctor who took over his practice on 1st May 2004.
2006 Dr Sutherland retired from the practice after being here 35 years. In 2011 Dr Paul Stoddart joined Dodson as a partner
It is with great sadness that Dr Murdoch Herbert passed away peacefully in August 2014 he will be sorely missed by all.
So our history continues and will remain a family general practice for many more decades to come.
We thank Dr Herbert for giving us the historical background of our practice
