ROMANTIC FIGURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23044, 21 November 1936, Page 28

ROMANTIC FIGURE

FRENCH DOCTOR’S CAREER DEATH IN QUEENSLAND One of the most romantic figures in Queensland, Dr Damino d’Edgerley, whose life reads like a page from a book of adventure, died in Brisbane recently at the age of 65. He was a scientist, linguist, musician, explorer and soldier, and latterly was a tutor in Brisbane. After graduating as doctor of science and licentiate of lav/ and logic in Paris, he continued his studies in French, German and Swiss universities, and took a degree in medicine (states an Australian exchange). He joined the French diplomatic service and visited a number of countries on important missions. In this service he spent considerable time in Abyssinia, and he did much travelling in Northern and Southern Africa. He joined the French army and rose to the rank of colonel, and had seen much service prior to the Great War. Dr d’Egerley was in Queensland when war broke out in 1914, and, returning to France, he rejoined his old regiment and went on active service. He was wounded three times, and on being discharged from, the French army he went back to Australia and enlisted with the A.1.F., and was again badly wounded while doing medical work in a forward hospital. After the war he undertook several scientific expeditions for the Pasteur Institute, on one of which he crossed Australia from Broome to Western Queensland. Further research work took him to Africa and also to Europe. For a short period he was a bacteriologist in the service of the Queensland Government, and for another period he was science master at Toowoomba Grammar School. For some years he practised medicine in Western Queensland, and owned station property. For the last two years the doctor was a tutor in the classics, modern languages, logic, law and science.