Australia Farewells GP Trailblazer Professor John Murtagh
30 Oct 2025
Known as “the guiding light of general practice,” he inspired generations of doctors and left a lasting legacy through his teaching, mentorship, and landmark book, John Murtagh’s General Practice.
Professor Murtagh was farewelled by his wife, Dr Jill Murtagh, their five children, friends, and medical leaders including Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd and RACGP President Dr Michael Wright. His family remembered him as kind, generous, humorous, and tirelessly dedicated to his work.
His son Luke highlighted three qualities behind his success: a passion for learning, unwavering focus, and dedication. Professor Murtagh was famed for the Murtagh Diagnostic Model, engaging lectures, and emphasis on communication skills. His book, first published in 1994 and now in its ninth edition, is a global reference for GPs.
Outside medicine, he loved cricket, AFL, tennis, horse racing, and spending time with family. He and his wife also practised as country GPs for a decade before he focused on medical education, shaping countless doctors’ careers.
Past Prime Minister and Health Minister Tony Abbott described him as “a shining example” of medical idealism. Church leaders at the service called him “one of Australia’s finest men,” noting he sacrificed a promising sporting career to pursue medicine.
Professor Murtagh’s influence on general practice and medical education continues to resonate nationally and internationally, cementing his place as an icon of Australian healthcare.
Source: newsGP
