The first president of the NZOA served in the First NZ Expeditionary Force during WWI & then attended Edinburgh University. Meeting McCrae Aitkens at a London function put him on the orthopaedic path & he returned to NZ in 1929 as orthopaedic surgeon and to Wellington Hospital. 
Gilles was one of the first surgeons to practice hip replacement in NZ.

He travelled widely & was involved in many institutions. His wife Effie Gilles was an active Rotarian so together with Charles Norwood they were key in founding the Crippled Children’s Society of NZ in 1935 (now NZ CCS).

Gillies was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to orthopaedic surgery  in the 1959 Queen's Birthday Honours & he died in 1982.

Paraphrased & Photo from Colin Hookers "Orthopaedics In New Zealand" - You can purchase a copy of the book by contacting admin@nzoa.org.nz