Professor Bruce Benjamin AO OBE practitioned as a Paediatric Laryngologist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children at Camperdown, Sydney. The hospital later moved and became The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
BB, as he was known, retired in 2000. He was a pioneer in the area of Paediatric Laryngology. His ability to enthuse and teach, both in the theatre and in print, was well recognised.
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology organised the production of the Bruce Benjamin Medal in 1999. The criteria for awarding the medal was excellence in Paediatric Otolaryngology with particular reference to, but not exclusive of, laryngology.
In 2000, the inaugural Bruce Benjamin Medal was presented to Professor Bruce Benjamin to recognise his enormous contribution to the field of paediatric otolaryngology in Australia and the world. The same year it was also awarded to Professor Lauren Holinger from Chicago.
Since that time the medal has been awarded on three occasions; recipients being Professor Robin Cotton (Cincinnati), Dr Ted Beckenham (Sydney) and Professor Martin Bailey (London UK) in 2013.
The Bruce Benjamin Medal will be awarded from time to time to individuals demonstrating excellence in our field.