He played three first-class matches for the Otago cricket team after the beginning of World War II, but he is most noted as a paediatrician and an historian.
He served as director of medical services for the Plunket Society from 1956 to 1977, and, with his brother Charles, wrote four books on the history of Fiordland.
[2] His father served throughout World War I, becoming the senior medical officer with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but contracted influenza and pneumonia and died at Twickenham, London, in February 1919.
[3] Begg was educated at John McGlashan College in Dunedin, and then studied medicine at the University of Otago, graduating MB ChB in 1941.
[1] A right-arm medium pace bowler and a tail-end batsman, Begg played three first-class matches for Otago in the 1939/40 and 1940/41 seasons.
[1] An admirer of Sir Truby King, Begg served as medical director of the Plunket Society between 1956 and 1977, and was a leading advocate for preventive medicine.
[8] He was promoted to Knight Commander of the same order, for services to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the community, in the 1986 New Year Honours.