John Belisario

Who was John Belisario?

John Belisario was an Australian dental surgeon who was a pioneer in the use of anaesthesia in dentistry. Born in England of Spanish ancestry, he was a frail child who was sent to his uncle's plantation in the West Indies to improve his health. He returned to England and served an apprenticeship at St Thomas's Hospital in London but, having developed a preference for warmer climes, he decided to move to Sydney, Australia in 1841.

In June 1847, he used ether to anaesthetise a patient and is believed to be the first person in Australia to do so. This brought him substantial fame including an honorary doctorate from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and membership of a number of important dental bodies in Australia, Europe and North America.