Photo Album

Curriculum Vitae

John Samuel Robert Heath (Sam) was born in 1893 in Geelong. He was an amazing character, at once artist, sportsman, philosopher, dentist and epicurean.

Raised a Presbyterian and later Plymouth Brethren, he studied Applied Mechanics at Gordon Technical College in Geelong, passing with credit. He won many scholarships and distinctions in sport, and an entrance scholarship to "Central College" in Geelong, where he was dux and matriculated with honours. He went for a time to be a "Roebuck Dentist" before he started studying for teaching, and earned 1st and 2nd class teaching certificates (1st class in 16 subjects, honours in most), but then spent a year studying dentistry before making a break to earn money to continue. He was given charge of "model school" at Flinders, and worked at various country schools before being on staff at Caulfield Grammar School and intended going back to University, but war broke out.

During this time he was a member of the Gelong Swimming club and swimming rival of the great Frank Beaurepaire (who set world records that lasted for decades) but could not afford to put in the time to reach Olympic standard, though he doubtless had the capability. In 1911, he made one of the first surfboards constructed in Australia, which he surfed at Torquay. This was several years before Duke Kahanamoku visited Australia to demonstrate the sport at the invitation of the Australian Swimming federation, no doubt spurred by Beaurepaire.

When the Great War broke out, having been raised a pacifist, he enlisted in the medical corps (6th Brigade 23rd Battalion 6th Field Ambulance). He sailed 8 June 1915 for Egypt and landed in Gallipoli shortly after the first AIF landing. En route to Lemnos before Gallipoli, he was one of those who went aboard to help save the Southland (the first Australian troop carrier to be torpedoed) being on one of the first ships to arrive to assist in the evacuation of 1600 soldiers. The Southland was safely brought in and grounded at Lemnos for repairs. After two brutal months, he was evacuated from Turkey due to a dislocated shoulder, and spent his convalescence assisting the field dentists in Alexandria. He later saw service in France, again helping the dentists at the convalescent hospital, where he was mentioned in dispatches for excellent service and devotion to duty by General Birdwood. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Cross.

Being demobbed, and on the strong recommendation of the field dentists, he recommenced studying dentistry just two weeks after the Armistice, at the Royal Dental Hospital in Leicester Square, London. Over three years he was very successful, winning several scholarships, and also won a "blue" swimming for London University. He was presented with his diploma by Mrs Lloyd George, and departed for Australia on 5 Oct 1922 (SS Euripides) and set up practise in Melbourne. He was later the first private Australian to own an X-Ray machine, which he used to expose many fallacies held by the old-school dental establishment, much to their chagrin.

In 1926 he was driving a 1917 Dodge with his fiancée, his mother and her brother-in-law Alexander Brown (a farmer from Cressey) when a tyre came off the front wheel as they approached the Spring Creek bridge at Bell Brae near Jan Juc. The car plunged 9 metres into the creek and Alexander was killed instantly. John and his mother both suffered injuries, and only Eileen Kirk, was unscathed. This accident was written up in newspapers from Adelaide to Brisbane. Interestingly, he had been with his mother in Alexander's car just two weeks earlier when that car rolled over. I wonder if Zoe ever rode with him again!

In 1927 he made a submission to the Royal Commission on Child Endowment (which led to the establishment of Infant Welfare Centres amongst other innovations) arguing strongly for the inclusion of dental health care in public health funding. The medical establishment of the time saw dentists as lesser creatures and fought this suggestion bravely.

After marrying Eileen in 1927, they were living above the fire station at 18 Collins St Melbourne. Since the only good roads were in the busy city centre, the only opportunity to "open it up" was when the fire engines had cleared the road. He (and later with Eileen) would hear the bells sound downstairs, and would race downstairs, fire up the Austin and follow the fire trucks down the main street.

A later rollover accident around 1930 landed he and his wife in hospital. The car left the road near Pakenham and was heading for a fallen tree. Eileen threw the bassinet from the car before it glanced off the tree and rolled over. She spent 4 months in a coma with almost every bone broken. John was hurt and unable to work for six weeks with several broken bones, but the baby, John Robert Heath, was unhurt. Even this accident did not dampen his enthusiasm for driving, but his son John was a careful driver throughout his life, a trait not shared by the younger brothers! He later raced sports cars (by Bugatti, Lea-Francis, Jowett and others) at Phillip Island and the 1950's Albert Park circuit, as well as many rallies in the Colac ranges.

The family car from 1930 was a Rolls-Royce saloon, which during WW2 had a gas producer that was also used to cook the Christmas Dinner en route to the picnic at Seaford. They used to holiday with extended family at Torquay. In one incident there, the rising tide bogged the Rolls Royce on the ocean beach, from where it was rescued just in the nick of time by a hastily-fetched team of draught horses. The family lived for a few years at Fairmont Avenue, Camberwell (the so-called Golf Links Estate - by then the Riversdale golf club had relocated to Mt Waverley), when his first son John started school at Camberwell Grammar. Though unable to enter, he was a flag marshall at the 1933 Grand Prix at Philip Island.

In 1933 he attended the Grand Prix at the old Phillip Island circuit and took a couple of photographs, and afterwards bought the Lea-Francis "Hyper" which was raced there by Wally Mullett, probably the only one ever brought to Australia. The Hyper was the first British production car to have a supercharged engine. He was to enjoy this car for years afterwards, entering rallies with the Light Car Club.

In 1933 he bought an Oakleigh church to turn into a home, which had the first all-electric kitchen in Melbourne. He was a founding member of the Melbourne Wine&Food Society, whom he entertained in the great room known as "The Studio". A Freemason but a free thinker, he was fiercely iconoclastic and an outspoken egalitarian, and he associated with a bohemian group at Monsalvat who read Nietsche and Santayana.

He was challenged to paint a portrait by fellow dentist Julian Basser, and joined Max Meldrum's "tonal school" of painting. In fact for nineteen years he took every Monday off from his surgery to paint, producing many works, mainly portraits and still lifes. He exhibited his own works and submitted eight times to the Archibald Prize competition, including this 1940 sef-portrait and one of JL Griffiths.

From 1933 through at least 1942 he was a special magistrate in the Caulfield Children's court, a role also played by his wife Eileen, who was a force of nature.

Around 1935 he became president of the Australian Dental Association, forming a new board which displaced the "old school", amidst much animosity.

Sometime , he purchased the "Loch Ard Peacock" to display in the entrance of The Studio. On 2 May 1941 the Peacock was sold to Mr Frank Miller. It is not known how much of the intervening period the Peacock was at The Studio.

Around 1950 his wife Eileen saw the first two Porsche 356 cars that arrived in Melbourne, and he purchased the Cabriolet for her. She was later to desire a Lamborghini (but I have not found records of her owning one), and also had a Karmann Ghia. He had a pair of Jowett Javelins, whose Solex carburettors he was forever tweaking in a vain attempt to keep them in tune.

In 1961 they sold The Studio (it was demolished in 1963) and moved to Powlett St in East Melbourne, a house with distinctively rounded balconies, known as the "Opera House", where they stayed until about 1968.

He died at Point Lonsdale in 1970, two years after being crushed almost to death in his Volkswagen after a W class tram ran into it on Victoria Parade East Melbourne (he was trapped inside for more than two hours), and his ashes were sprinkled in Port Phillip Heads by his son Peter, according to his wishes.

A number of his personal items were placed with the University of Melbourne's Medical and Dental History Museum for display and safe-keeping.