Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Friday 30 November 1951, page 4


DR. B.M CARRUTHERS DIES IN HOBART THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL of Health in Tasmania (Dr. Bruce Maitland Carruthers) died at the Royal Hobart Hospital yesterday after a long illness.

BORN at Maitland, N.S.W., on April 23, 1892, Dr. Carruthers was a son of the late Rev. J. E. Carruthers. He was educated at Newing-ton College, N.S.W., and graduated in medicine with credit at the Sydney Univer-sity in 1915. From 1915 to 1919 Dr. Carruthers served overseas with the Royal Army Medi-cal Corps in England, France, Salonika and India. He held the rank of major. After the war he did a post-graduate course in medicine in London. Return-ing to Australia he became resident medical officer at the Coast Hospital, N.S.W. From 1920 to 1927 Dr. Car-ruthers devoted his time to mental diseases. He first did a post-graduate course in psychiatry (mental diseases) at the Sydney University and Callan Park and then had charge of five Red Cross nerve hospitals in Sydney and districts through which all mentally deranged ex-soldiers passed. Dr. Carruthers carried on similar work at the Rand-wick Repatriation Hospital and in private practice. For eight years until 1935 Dr. Carruthers was senior house surgeon at the Royal Hobart Hospital. For the following year he was ad-

ministrator of the Lachlan Park Hospital. Dr. Carruthers was ap-pointed Director of Public Health in 1936 until he again joined the army in 1940. He was in the Australian Army Medical Corps until 1945 during which time he reached the rank of lieuten-ant colonel and in 1944 was awarded the O.B.E. for ser-vices in the Middle East. During the second world war he was assistant director of hygiene in the First Aus-tralian Army. On his return from the army Dr. Carruthers was appointed director of hospi-tals and medical services in 1945. Dr. Carruthers held that position until several months ago when the Director of Public Health (Dr. C. L. Park) retired. Both offices were combined in the position of director-general after Dr. Carruthers had acted in the dual capa-city for several weeks. Mr. A. D. Nicolson MR. Athol Dowling Nicol-son, whose death oc-curred at his home, Strean-shalh, Campbell Town, last week, was the youngest son of the late Mr. Norman Nicolson, of Streanshalh. L He was born at Camel-ford, Campbell Town, in 1890, when his family owned

this property. His father later acquired Streanshalh and established there one of the foremost Corriedale stud flocks in the state. On his father's death in 1923 Mr. Nicolson acquired Streanshalh, together with the Corriedale stud flock, which he continued to carry on very successfully. He was a member of the executive of the Corriedale Breeders' Association for many years. He took a great interest in the Midland Agri-cultural Association, for some years as secretary and later for a period as presi-dent, and more recently as a vice-president. For some years he was a councillor for the West ward of the muni-cipality. He was a member of the first A.I.F. While on service abroad he contracted menin-gitis in a most severe form and was returned to Aus-tralia at the end of the war. This illness handicapped him for the rest of his life, though few outside his immediate f amily circle realised what he went through. Mr. Nicolson was a man who gained the respect and affection of everyone with whom he came in contact. To his friends, to those who appealed for his help and to the various activities with which he was associated, he gave of his best. His passing has left a blank in the dis-trict that will be hard to fill. He married in 1927 Nancy, elder daughter of John Tay lor, of Balvaid, Campbell Town, who survives him. He has left a son, Andrew, now at Geelong College, and two daughters, Misses Alison and Margaret Nicolson. Mr. R. E. Thompson THE funeral of Mr. Russell Elbert Thompson, 11 Robertson St., Invermay, took place at Carr Villa Cemetery yesterday after noon and was largely at tended by relatives, friends and Waterside Workers' Federation members. The service at the graveside was read by Father C. Garvey, St. Finn Barr's, Invermay. Chief mourners were Mrs. F. J. Thompson (widow), Messrs. Clarence, Russell, Bert, and Jack Thompson (sons), Mr. and Mrs. L. Hor-der, Mr. and Mrs. H. Brough, Mr. and Mrs. A. Beck, Mr. and Mrs. R. Spicer, Misses Shirley and Marlene Thompson (daughters and sons-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. L. Hadfield (sister and bro-ther-in-law), Messrs. M. and K. Horder (nephews), Mes-dames R. Thompson, J. Thompson, B. Thompson, (daughters-in-law), Pallbearers were Messrs. C. Moore, J. Bews jnr., J. Bews sen., G. Lovett, Cyril Turner and W. Viney. Funeral arrangements were carried out by Armitage and Armitage.