15/11/1938 – 21/02/2026
The Victorian medical community honours the life of Dr James (Jim) Anastasios, whose legacy is etched into the lives of the ten thousand infants he delivered and the generations of clinicians he mentored.
Jim’s medical journey began in 1957 when he was awarded the Daffyd Lewis Scholarship, a prestigious opportunity for those of high potential and limited financial means. He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Melbourne University in 1962, marking the start of a career defined by merit and hard work.
It was during his residency at the Austin Hospital that he met Dianne, who would become his wife of over 60 years and mother to their five children.
After training at the Royal Children’s and Royal Women’s Hospitals, the call of rural medicine led the family to Wangaratta in 1968. For seven years, Jim served as an Honorary O&G, becoming an integral part of the country medical community. He acquired his Diploma of Obstetrics from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in 1971 and MRCOG in 1972.
Upon returning to Melbourne in 1975, Jim became a pillar of the south-eastern suburbs, working at Dandenong and District Hospital, South Eastern Private Hospital, and Dandenong Valley Hospital. As a Founding Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (1979) and later an esteemed Fellow of the College (1988), Jim was an early adopter of laparoscopic procedures and a champion of evidence-based practice. He served as Chairman of the O&G Subcommittee at Dandenong and District Hospital and later as Director of Clinical Review.
However, Jim’s true legacy was found in his mentorship and nurturing of the next generation. A quiet and dedicated educator he taught medical students, junior doctors, registrars, nurses, and midwives, encouraging them to tap into their individual strengths.
In the ultimate sign of respect, colleagues frequently entrusted him with the care of their own wives and the delivery of their children.
He will be remembered as a man of strength and immense kindness – a healer and mentor who spent his life helping others begin theirs.
