Dr Victor Chang

Victor Chang AC (1936-1991)

Victor Chang was not only an accomplished surgeon, he was also a respected humanitarian and skilled campaigner responsible for the development of  Australia's National Heart Transplant Program. The Program has performed more than 1200 successful heart, heart-lung, and single lung transplants at St Vincent's hospital since 1984.

Victor Chang (Yam Him) was born in Shanghai of Australian-born Chinese parents. He came to Australia in 1953 to complete his secondary schooling at Christian Brothers College, Lewisham. Graduating from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1962, he became an intern and later a registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at St Vincent's Hospital.

After obtaining a Fellowship in Surgery from the English and American College of Surgeons he returned to St Vincent's Hospital in 1972 to join the elite St Vincent's cardiothoracic team, which already included Dr Harry Windsor and Dr Mark Shanahan.

A pioneer of the modern era of heart transplantation, Victor Chang was responsible for the establishment of the National Heart Transplant Program at St Vincent's Hospital in 1984, lobbying politicians and raising funds for its ongoing work.

During the 1980's Victor travelled and lectured extensively in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. He was the founder and president of the Australasian-China Medical Education and Scientific Research Foundation. It sponsored South-East Asian doctors, nurses and students to work in Australia, enabling them to return to improve the quality of patient care in their own countries.

Victor Chang also sponsored many teams from St. Vincent's to China, Singapore and Indonesia where they shared their medical, surgical, nursing, hospital administration and audiovisual skills and knowledge. He was an honorary Professor of Surgery to the Chinese Academy of Medical Science in Peking, an honorary Professor of Surgery to Shanghai Medical School and official adviser on cardiac surgery development in Indonesia. In 1982 he was appointed as a Council member of the Australia China Council.

Dr Chang was an original thinker and saw the need for research and development of various cardiothoracic devices. These included the development of an artificial heart valve, and in later years the development of an artificial heart.

In 1986 Victor Chang was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia by the Governor-General, and  the University of New South Wales awarded him its highest degree of M.D. Honoris Causa for "scholarly achievement and humanitarian endeavor".

Victor was a quiet, charming person who was loved by his patients and his friends and especially by his wife Ann and his children Vanessa, Matthew and Marcus.

Victor Chang was a man of vision; as a surgeon, as a researcher and as an ambassador for Australia and the people of South-East Asia.

He died tragically in Sydney on July 4, 1991.

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