Dr Harry Kronenberg AM

A memorial service to honour one of the founders of  Australian haematology, Dr Harry Kronenberg, AM, will be held in Sydney on 29 November.

Dr Kronenberg, who died in October at the age of 93, was a pioneer of laboratory haematology in Australia, as well as being respected by his peers as a clinician and medical educator.

His career spanned five decades after he was appointed as the first haematologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1958. He later became head of the RPH’s new haematology department.

Combining laboratory and clinical work, Dr Kronenberg had a particular interest in treatment of haemophilia. Later in his career took an active interest in blood transfusion and became President of the Australasian Society of Blood Transfusion.

He was also involved in professional societies, as president of the Haematology Society of Australia, from 1971 to 1973. He led developments in haematology educations training with the Royal Colleges and was an examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia.

As a researcher he was a co-author on over 100 scientific publications.

On his retirement in 2001 he was described by his peers as “A man of great cultural pursuits, especially perhaps as an avid short story reader of literature, but also of music, he has left an important legacy in laboratory haematology.”

Tributes paid included one from the family of one of his patients, who described Dr Kronenberg as “the most kind and compassionate doctor who I have come across. I recall his ability to empower us during times of great vulnerability. I can only hope that he lives on in the doctors who trained under him.”

The memorial service will be held at the Kerry Packer Auditorium at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at 2pm.