Dr Gordon Walgrave Trinca AO, OBE (OM 1939)
Last updated: 2008
Dr Gordon Trinca played an instrumental role in establishing Australia as a world leader in road trauma services and prevention. Graduating in medicine at The University of Melbourne in 1945, Trinca was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1958. He was later Senior Consulting Surgeon at Preston and Northcote Hospital.
A strong advocate for measures to reduce the road toll and to improve accident response services, Trinca was Chairman of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' National Road Trauma Committee from 1975 to 1993. He also served as President of the Board of Management for Ambulance Services Melbourne and as Chairman of the Victorian Traffic Accident Commission's Medical Advisory Committee.
In 1975 Trinca was elected Vice President of the International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine. He later founded the Global Traffic Safety Trust and was both a member of and consultant to the World Health Organization's Expert Advisory Panel on Accident Prevention. Trinca also supported Victorian youth as President and Camp Chief of Lord Somers Camp.
He was honoured as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 for services to road safety and as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991 for services to both road safety and the treatment of road accident casualties.
Melbourne Grammar School marked its sesquicentenary in 2008. As part of the celebrations, a Talents Committed Exhibition was staged. This exhibition recognised 150 Old Melburnians who have made a difference to the City of Melbourne, the State of Victoria and the wider community in Australia and overseas.
The above profile was included in the Talents Committed Exhibition in 2008.