David Keith Ballow was born in October 1804 at Montrose, Scotland, the eldest son of John Ballow. On 21 October 1837 in Sydney, he married Catherine Campbell, the youngest daughter of Captain D. McArthur, of the 2nd Royal Veteran Battalion.
He studied at the University of Edinburgh.
He immigrated to Sydney in 1834. In December 1837, Doctor Ballow was appointed Assistant Colonial Surgeon in Sydney. In March 1838, he was placed in charge of the Government Hospital in Brisbane.
He later become the Resident Surgeon of the Moreton Bay General Hospital.
He was also the coroner for the Brisbane district and the visiting surgeon of the gaol. On 8 August 1850 the immigrant ship Emigrant arrived in Moreton Bay with typhus on board.
The ship was quarantined at Dunwich on Stradbroke Island away from Brisbane. Forty people on the ship died, including the ship"s surgeon Doctor George Mitchell.
Initially Doctor Mallon came from Brisbane to care for the quarantined patients at Dunwich but he too contracted the infection.
Doctor Ballow took his place and also contracted the disease. Doctor Kearsey Cannan took charge after Doctor Ballow"s death. He put his tent on Bird Island, visiting his patients as required from there and managed to avoid catching the disease.
While Doctor Mallon recovered, Doctor Ballow died at Dunwich on 29 September 1850.
Doctor Ballow was buried in the Dunwich Cemetery. The cemetery has a memorial stone for Doctor Ballow and the other victims of typhus.
Ballow Road at Dunwich is believed to be named after him. A white marble memorial tablet was also placed in Street John"s Cathedral in Brisbane.
The heritage-listed Ballow Chambers building of medical suites is named after him and the building has a plaque about Doctor Ballow.
