Abstract
The College has received notification that Dr Peter Norrie passed away on 15 September 2024, at 68 years of age. Dr Norrie was a valued member of the College, who became a Fellow in 1997 and achieved 25 years of Fellowship in 2022.
Having attended High School in New Zealand, Dr Norrie is included in the ‘Distinguished Alumni’ list of Onehunga High School in Auckland.
Dr Norrie held clinical management positions since 2002 and was recently the Chief Psychiatrist and Director of Clinical Services for Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol & Drug Services, ACT Health. In addition, he was Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at The Australian National University Medical School and was also a jurisdictional member of the Safety and Quality Partnership Standing Committee of the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council. (This committee launched the National Mental Health Recovery Framework in 2013).
As the ACT Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Norrie was heavily involved in advocating for the reduction of seclusion and restraint of patients. In 2013 Dr Norrie stated that the ACT had a rate of 0.9 seclusion episodes per 1000 patient days which was the lowest in the country at that time.
Heavily involved in the work of the College, Dr Norrie was also an ACT and bi-national representative on several College committees including the ACT Branch Committee, ACT Branch Training Committee, Awards Committee, Committee for Training, Committee for Specialist International Medical Graduate Education (CSIMGE), Overseas Trained Psychiatrists Committee and the Substantial Comparability Assessment Review Panel (SCARP). He was greatly focused on support for Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs), education and training for colleagues, registrars and general practitioners. Dr Norrie also served as a Substantial Comparability Supervisor for a time. Having written and co-written numerous articles for Australasian Psychiatry and the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (ANZJP), a notable Oral Presentation Abstract for a Workshop published in the January 2007 issue of ANZJP entitled ‘Overseas Trained Psychiatrists: Support in the Workplace’ demonstrates his dedication and commitment to this area.
Dr Norrie’s clinical and research interests included schizophrenia and psychopharmacology.
Dr Norrie is survived by his wife Carolyn.
Approved for publication by next of kin, Carolyn Norrie and A/Prof Denise Riordan