Biographical entry Cotter, Thomas Young (1805 - 1882)

Summary

Thomas Young Cotter was appointed the first colonial surgeon of South Australia in 1835, but didn't arrive in the colony until January 1837. In this post he cared for all government officers and immigrants and their families as well as many of the prisoners. Due to the colony's harsh conditions, poor facilities and insufficient funds, Cotter struggled to provide a decent medical service and was accused of neglect. He was eventually suspended from service in 1839. He spent the rest of his life working in general practice around South Australia and held many short-term medical posts. Cotter was a co-inventor of a 'New and Improved Mode of separating Copper and Bismuth from Ores' which was patented in 1869.

Details

Events

1835 - 1839

Career position - First Colonial Surgeon of South Australia

1840s - 1870s

Career position - Private practice in various locations around South Australia

c. 1855 - 1856

Career position - Medical officer at Robe, South Australia

1864

Career position - Surgeon for the Great Northern Mining Co.

Published resources

Book Sections

• 'Cotter, Thomas Young (1805-1882)', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, p. 248. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010237b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Cotter, Thomas Young, 'Improvements in the Smelting of Copper. (Patent, 1 March, 1862)', Specifications of Letters of Registration of Patents for Inventions - South Australia , vol. 1, no. 22, 1848-68, p. 2. Details
• Cotter, Thomas Young and Dubois, Charles Lewis, 'New and Improved Mode of separating Copper and Bismuth from Ores, &c. (Patent, 28 Jan., 1869)', Specifications of Letters of Registration of Patents for Inventions - South Australia , vol. 2, no. 116, 1868-74, p. 2. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Cotter, Thomas Young', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1468781. Details