Rob DentPrint Page 
The tree and plaque, were erected by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Queensland, in memory of Rob Dent, the first person to die under the Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.
On September 22, 1996, Australian Bob Dent, terminally ill with prostate cancer, chose to end his own life with the assistance of a physician, Dr. Philip Nitschke.
Dent, sick for the previous five years and had endured numerous surgeries. Mostly bed-ridden and in constant pain, Dent was ready to end his suffering.
In July of that year, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, enacted by the legislature of the Northern Territory of Australia in May 1995, had come into effect. It allowed a patient to be euthanized provided that the patient obtain signatures from a psychiatrist, a specialist in their illness, and a palliative care specialist.
Dent was the first of four patients that availed themselves of the act before it was overturned by the federal parliament in 1997.
Location
| Address: | The Esplanade, Cotton Tree Park, Maroochydore, 4558 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -26.653968 Long: 153.094448 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Tree |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Community |
Dedication
VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA SOCIETY
OF QUEENSLAND
SUNSHINE COAST BRANCH
PLANTED THIS TREE IN MEMORY OF
ROB DENT
THE FIRST (ILLEGIBLE ) OF THE
NORTHERN TERRITORY RIGHT OF THE
TERMINALLY ILL ACT 1995
