Dr Rowland Krynauw 1907

Rowland Anthony Krynauw, born in 1907 and died in 1990, was a neurosurgeon, a pioneer in brain surgery in South Africa, and an internationally recognised authority.

“Rowland Anthony Krynauw BSc (Oxon) MB ChB (Edin) MD. FRCS. Born July 24. 1907 in Johannesburg. Son of Anthony Krynauw, died in 1960, who was for many years General Manager of the East Rand Proprietary Mines Ltd. Last of the line of an old Cape family dating back 1870 and related to Gie and De Villiers families. Two great uncles Sir Richard Southey, Lieut Governor of Griqualand and Sir Charles Bell, Surveyor General of the Cape, were well known in Cape Town in the late 1800’s. In the Koopmans de Wet Museum in Cape Town many beautiful and interesting items came from the home of Dr Krynauw’s great-grandparents.

Schools: PTS Johannesburg and matriculated from King Edward’s.
Graduated MB ChB from University of Edinburgh in 1930. After appointments in the departments of Surgery and Medicine at the Royal lnflrmary, Edlnburgh was admitted a fellow of the Royal College of surgeons in 1934 and obtained the doctorate MD for pioneer work In the field of electroencephalography. As post graduate student at BaIIioI College Oxford obtained the degree of BSc (Oxon). Spent two years at the National Hospital Queen Square, London and same year in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Radcliffe Infirmary at Oxford and then studied In Stockholm.

In 1940 as a Neuro Surgical Specialist sent to S Africa. Became Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Johannesburg Genera! Hospital- the first in South Africa. Same time was appointed Head of Dept of Neurosurgery of the University of Witwatersrand. He built up the first neurosurg team on the African Continent and set teaching and surgical standard at an International level and brought eminent men such as Sir Hugh Cairns to share research.

In 1945 he performed the world wide acclaimed hemispherectomy operation, in which it became possible to remove an entire diseased half brain improving the function of the other

At age 44 retired in George and took keen interest In agronomy and breeding of Jersey cattle- Woodfield Fancourt Farms- and also in tourism- Wilderness Hotel, Flat Rock Hotel. Wilderness Lagunes and Dunes. In 1968 married Aletta Francina Verwey. In 1972 came to live in Cape Town having acquired an Historic old home in Sea Point- The Homestead. Returned to George in 1980 where he and his wife lived a very quiet happy life for the last ten yours” (Passed away on 20 Dec 1990)
Cape Times, 27 th Dec 1990

In his book Around and About: Memoirs of a South African newspaperman, Michael Green mentions Dr. Krynauw on page 143.