This is the first of my biographical posts for the blog. These posts won't go into huge amounts of detail, but are more about my research process and any tips and tricks I might come across.
Dr Dick proved a little more difficult than the average soldier listed on the Stockton Soldiers' Memorial. Firstly, he is only called Dr Dick, not first name or initial. A quick search of Trove popped out the District Medical Officer for Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, again referred to as Dr Dick. Further investigation allowed me to a get a first name, Robert. He was associated with the area over a period of decades and had many dealings with the Stockton Council in his professional capacity. He also lived here for many years.
Searching all the usual sites for Australian military records proved fruitless. No Dr or other sort of Robert Dick was listed anywhere. It was when looking through some tickets for the Stockton Send-off and Welcome Home Committee that I got the hint I needed, he was referred to as "Major R. Dick, A.M.C". Here was the hint I needed, as the Army Medical Corps referred to the British Army rather than the Australian. Bad news for me, as that meant many fewer records.
With this hint, I was able to find his British Army Medal Card and further details in Trove about his experiences overseas with the Australian Voluntary Hospital. There is also quite a bit about his life after returning to Australia as he was appointed a senior government position.
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| "New Health Officers." Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931) 28 Nov 1921: 1. Web. 4 May 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118877935>. |
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