Biography collated by Rennae Taylor from secondary sources. See bibliography.
Class of 1955
Childhood
Charlotte was born in Wanganui in 1931 to Dr Harry Kenrick Christie (class of 1920) and Dr Mollie (nee Fisher) Christie Class of 1922. (1) She was the middle of their five children. Charlotte’s mother grew up in Wellington and her father came from a Southland farming family. They both attended Otago Medical School and then travelled to England for post-graduate medical studies before settling in Wanganui. Dr Harry was an orthopaedic surgeon, and Dr Mollie did general practice, anaesthetics and obstetrics. Both parents were actively involved in the community. (2)
Charlotte attended Friends School and Wanganui Girls College, from 1938 to 1948, achieving well academically over the years; she received the Standard I merit form prize in 1938 (3) and in 1948 was the head prefect of the school (4) as well as gaining her university entrance. (5) She also participated in a wide variety of activities including acting as a fairy in the cantata ‘Soot and the Fairies’ in 1937, (6) winning the junior girls athletic title in 1942 with top placings in both the 100 and 400-meter running races and high jump, (7) and was the junior girls swimming champion in 1943. (8) In 1950 she was one of the 27 debutantes presented to the Governor-General and Lady Freyburg at Government House in Wellington. (9)
Contents
University and Postgraduate Training Years
Charlotte, like her parents and older brother Robert (class of 1954), attended Otago University from 1949 through to 1955 where she successfully obtained her M.B., Ch.B. She was at Wellington Hospital as a house surgeon for two years and then worked there as a registrar for one year before going to England for postgraduate study from 1959 to 1964. While in the England she spent 2 years at Hammersmith Hospital, 10 months at Great Ormond Hospital and 10 months at West Middlesex Hospitals and then did a few shorter locums. (10) She was successful in gaining her Diploma in Anaesthesia (London) and membership in the Royal College of Surgeons, England in 1959 and the Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1963. (11)
Career
Charlotte returned to Auckland and worked as a consultant anaesthetist at Auckland Hospital from 1965-1966. It is surmised while in England she met her future husband, Dr Donald Struan Robertson, who had graduated from the University of London with his M.B., B.S.in 1957 and had gained his membership to the Royal College of Surgeons in 1962. By 1967 they had married, and Charlotte had registered under the surname Roberston in the 1967 Medical Gazette and for the following two years they worked in Saskatoon, Canada before settling long term in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. She continued to work as an anaesthetist and Donald as a surgeon. They had two children, David and Fiona. (12)
At some point Charlotte and Donald retired back to NZ and at the end of their life they were living in Havelock North. Charlotte died on 29 June 2021 in her 90th year and Donald on 8 September 2023 in his 95th year. (12, 14)
In her 1988 Boulton Form, a document used by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK to self-record biographies for their website, Charlotte provided this information about her career choice: (10)
Why did you take up anaesthesia as a speciality?
• Felt able in the specialty
• Many current openings at the time and the urging of peers
• Some control over hours when married.
Is there any other information which you would like to provide?
• Subsequently would have preferred a specialty with more patient contact.
Bibliography
- Births, Deaths and Marriages Wellington: NZ Government Internal Affairs; [12.06.25]. Available from: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
- The Early Medical Women of New Zealand: Mollie Christie née Fisher Auckland: The University of Auckland; 2025 [04.08.2025]. Available from: https://www.earlymedwomen.auckland.ac.nz/2025/08/03/mollie-christie/
- Wanganui Girls’ College Presentation of Prizes. Wanganui Chronicle,. 1938 16.12.38. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19381216.2.101
- Plea For New Girls’ College Made To Minister By Pupil Wanganui Chronicle. 1948 23.04.1948. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19480423.2.14
- Varsity Entrance Wanganui Chronicle. 1948 23.01.48. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19480123.2.28
- Girls’ College. Wanganui Chronicle. 1937 19.08.37. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19370819.2.92
- Athletic Sports. Wanganui Chronicle. 26.10.42. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19421026.2.22
- Swimming Contests. Wanganui Chronicle. 1943 08.03.1943. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19430308.2.35
- Woman’s World. Wanganui Chronicle. 1950 20.05.1950. Available from: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19500520.2.87
- Robertson C. Lives of the Fellows of the Faculty Form. London: Faculty of Anaesthetists, RCOS Eng.; 1988. p. 9.
- The NZ Medical Gazette Register of Medical Practitioners Wellington 1983 [04.08.2025]. Available from: https://www7.austlii.edu.au/nz/other/nz_gazette/1983/184/160.pdf
- Obituary: Charlotte Robertson Havelock North: Terry Longley & Son Funeral Services; 2021 [11.08.2025]. Available from: https://www.legacy.com/nz/obituaries/hawkesbaytoday-nz/name/charlotte-robertson-obituary?id=42207007
- Supplement to the Medical Gazette: NZ Medical Register 1967 [Internet]. Wellington R. E. Owen, Government Printer; 1967
- Obituary: Donald Robertson Havelock North: Terry Longley & Son Funeral Services; 2023 [11.08.2025]. Available from: https://www.legacy.com/nz/obituaries/hawkesbaytoday-nz/name/donald-robertson-obituary?id=53086407
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