20/10/2025
RIP🖤, Father of General Practice!
Vale Emeritus Professor John Murtagh AO
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Emeritus Professor John Murtagh AO – a towering figure in Australian general practice.
His seminal textbook, John Murtagh’s General Practice, guided generations of GPs from medical school through training and beyond. John had a rare gift for making complex concepts and practical procedures clear, accessible and engaging.
His legacy with the College is profound:
• Editor of the RACGP’s scientific journal, Australian Family Physician, for nearly a decade in the 1980s and 1990s
• The RACGP’s John Murtagh Library named in his honour in 2005
• Awarded Life Fellowship of the RACGP in 2007
John was finalising the ninth edition of his textbook when he passed – a testament to his lifelong dedication to teaching and to general practice.
Our deepest sympathies to his wife Jill, his children and the Murtagh family. An era has ended, and his contribution will endure.
