Dr George Gale Papers

Research papers, journal articles and correspondence relating to medicine in South Africa, including government reports and minutes of meetings.

George William Gale, was born of missionary parents in Durban in May 1900. He studied medicine on a scholarship in Edinburgh, where he was a member of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society. Beginning his career as a mission doctor, he went with the Church of Scotland Mission to Tugela Ferry, in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Gale was Medical Superintendent there from 1928 to 1936. He opened the Gordon Memorial Hospital of the Church of Scotland at uMsinga. Having then served as an assistant medical officer, officer of health in Benoni, and in time Secretary for Health in the Smuts government, he was later to be instrumental in the establishment of the medical school at the University of Natal in Durban, becoming its first dean in 1952. A pioneer of primary healthcare, he died in Surrey in 1976 after a distinguished career, both in South Africa and internationally.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.

Donated by the family of Dr Gale to the Centre for Southern African Studies at the University of York in the 1970s, and transferred to the Borthwick Institute for Archives in 1995.

George William Gale, was born of missionary parents in Durban in May 1900. He studied medicine on a scholarship in Edinburgh, where he was a member of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society. Beginning his career as a mission doctor, he went with the Church of Scotland Mission to Tugela Ferry, in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Gale was Medical Superintendent there from 1928 to 1936. He opened the Gordon Memorial Hospital of the Church of Scotland at uMsinga. Having then served as an assistant medical officer, officer of health in Benoni, and in time Secretary for Health in the Smuts government, he was later to be instrumental in the establishment of the medical school at the University of Natal in Durban, becoming its first dean in 1952. A pioneer of primary healthcare, he died in Surrey in 1976 after a distinguished career, both in South Africa and internationally.

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Published

GB 193