Aubrey Pitt was born in Melbourne on 11 February 1934, son of A and M Pitt. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar and Melbourne High School. He completed MB BS University of Melbourne at the Clinical School of the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1957 with Honours. Following graduation, he was successively JRMO, SRMO, Medical Registrar at Royal Melbourne Hospital until the end of 1961, during which year he passed the MRACP and was awarded MD(Melbourne). He was awarded the David Grant Scholarship for top marks in the MD examination.
Subsequently FRACP followed in 1970 and FACC in 1971. Aubrey was Assistant Sub-Dean at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1962 and then went to London as Fellow at the National Heart Hospital in 1963, followed by further fellowships in the Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore from 1964 to 1966. In November of 1966 Aubrey was appointed Director of the Cardiovascular Diagnostic Service, Alfred Hospital, and has remained on the fulltime staff and director of that department’s successor, the Cardiology Service, and most recently the Department of Cardiology until retirement from the fulltime staff on 2 July 1996. Since then, Aubrey has been a member of the visiting cardiology staff, spending most days at the hospital in clinical cardiological practice and remaining involved in the teaching program for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Aubrey has been an enormous contributor to teaching and has enjoyed the privilege of being involved in the teaching of cardiology to Alfred Hospital medical undergraduates. He holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine.
He has held office in a number of medical bodies and is a Past Victorian President of the Institute of Cardiopulmonary Technology. Past professional commitments have included membership of the Victorian State Committee and of the Written Examinations Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Councillor and Treasurer of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, member of the Board of Directors of the Victorian Division of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Corresponding Member of the British Cardiac Society, Fellow of the American College of Cardiology past Member of the Council on Clinical Cardiology and the Council on Cardiomyopathy of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology International Fellow of the Council on Clinical Cardiology of the American Heart Association, past Member of the Board of Directors of the Australian Council on Hospital Standards, membership of a variety of committees of the Health Department of Victoria, past membership of the Specialist Recognition Advisory Committee of Victoria, and sometime Consultant in Cardiology of the World Health Organisation.
Professor Pitt first became a member of Branch Council of the Australian Medical Association in 1973 and returned in 1977, representing the Senior Salaried Staffs Subdivision. He was elected Vice President in 1980, President-elect in 1981, and President in 1982. ln addition, he represents the Branch as one of the two State Councillors on AMA Federal Council and on the Victorian Council of Professions and the Victorian Medical Postgraduate Foundation. He served on a variety of committees at the Alfred Hospital, including chairmanship of the Division of Medicine.
Professor Pitt still finds some time for family life. He married Sylvia (nee Kiers), and they have a son and daughter. Away from medicine his interests have included collecting a variety of artefacts, music and football. For two years he was the coach of the Alfred Hospital First A team. (We are uncertain of the identity of the Second A team). Their most successful season was the year he spent on sabbatical leave overseas. He was involved in the South Melbourne Football Club serving on a variety of committees and from time to time acted as the Club doctor. He has never forgiven the AFL for moving South Melbourne to Sydney.
Last updated 7 April 2025.
Sources: Branch News, November 1982; Alfred Hospital Faces & Places, Vol.II, p.307; Liber Melburniensis.
Draft compiled by Dr Allan Mawdsley