William Gosse (surgeon)

William Gosse (c. 1813 – 20 July 1883) was a medical practitioner in the early days of South Australia.

Dr. William Gosse was born in Carbonear, Newfoundland, where his father John Gosse Sr. (1767–1834) was a partner in the firm of Gosse, Pack & Fryer. The family left for Poole, in Dorsetshire around 1817. He was educated at Mr. Buller's school at Southampton, then commenced medical studies with a Mr. Salter in Poole. He entered Guy's Hospital as a pupil of his brother-in-law, the surgeon Mr. Morgan. He set up a practice in Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, where he married Agnes Grant, of London. They remained there for fifteen years, then left for Australia hoping the warmer climate would improve his bronchitis. They landed in Melbourne in 1850, but only remained there a week or so, and moved to Adelaide, arriving on 31 December 1850. In 1851 he joined the rush to the Victorian gold diggings, but soon returned empty-handed to South Australia.

He next went into partnership with Dr. Benjamin Archer Kent (1808 – 25 November 1864), for whom Kent Town is named. In 1853 he was appointed Colonial Surgeon, having the supervision of the Hospital, the Lunatic Asylum, and the Gaol. On resigning that position in 1857 he joined Dr. Anton Bayer and continued in practice with him until the latter's death in 1866. He then entered into partnership with Dr. H. Thomas Whittell (1826 – 21 August 1899) and, apart from a time around 1870 when he travelled to London to receive his F.R.C.S. diploma and to Heidelberg to receive his M.D., remained with him until 1873, when he was joined by his son, Dr. Charles Gosse, newly returned from gaining qualifications in Britain.

He was elected to the Adelaide Hospital's first Board of Management and also appointed as honorary surgeon, a position he held until 1876 when he retired, and was appointed consulting surgeon.

In his youth he had an interest in natural history, which was developed by collecting specimens for the great naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, a cousin of his father.

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