William Redfern (born ca 1774, died Edinburgh, Scotland July 1833) was sentenced to death for his part in the naval Mutiny of the Nore in 1797. After spending four years in an English jail he was transported to New South Wales in 1802.
He was granted a pardon by the governor in 1803 and appointed as assistant surgeon in 1808. As early as 1804 Redfern had been advocating the new smallpox vaccination.
In 1814 Redfern reported to Governor Lachlan Macquarie on the sanitary problems of the ships transporting convicts to New South Wales. As a result of this report the conditions were greatly improved.
Redfern became the "best" and "best-known" surgeon in Sydney. He was doctor to governor Lachlan Macquarie.
He can be regarded as "father" of the medical profession in Australia. The inner-Sydney suburb of Redfern takes his name.
