Provenance:

Ex Wallis Family Collection, Rotorua

Purchased from John Leech Gallery, Auckland c. 1985

Fletcher Trust Collection

W.S. Wallis was born in Christchurch and educated at Christchurch Boys' High School. After graduating with a degree in Medicine from the University of Otago in 1914 he went overseas in 1915 as a medical officer, serving in Egypt and later in England. He came back to New Zealand as Chief Medical Officer of th e hospital transport, Maunganui and was subsequently appointed superintendent of the then King George Hospital, Rotorua.

After a period in private practice, Wallis returned to work in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital during World War II, attending to wounded returned servicemen. He was awarded an O.B.E. in 1948 for his services to medicine.