Obituaries Australia

Laura Forster, c.1877

News has been received in Sydney of the death on February 11, at Zaleshchiki, in Galicia, of Dr. Laura Forster, daughter of the late Mr. William Forster, who was a member of the New South Wales Parliament from 1856 to 1880, holding the office of Premier from October, 1850, to March, 1860, and subsequently various portfolios. Dr. Forster's death is stated to be due to heart failure after an attack of influenza. She was educated in Sydney, and took her medical degrees at Berne, Switzerland. Her brother, Mr. C. E. Forster, resides at Point Piper, Sydney, and her aunt, Miss Forster, at Darling Point; and Mrs. Kater, wife of Mr. H. E. Kater, M.L.C., is a sister.

Soon after the outbreak of the war Dr. Forster joined the staff of the Belgian Field Hospital, which was in Antwerp. At the time of the bombardment they had to leave at very short notice, the wounded being removed in motor buses. They travelled at night time without lights by a circuitous route to Ghent, which again they had to evacuate hurriedly and move on to Ostend, where the wounded were taken on board a steamer and conveyed safely to England. After this trying experience Dr. Forster decided to go to Russia, where for several months she was doing surgical work in the largest hospital in Petrograd. Thence she went on to the Caucasus, doing surgical work for the Russian Red Cross, and later on she reached Erzerum, where for a time she was in charge of a hospital. Finally she returned to Russia and took charge of a hospital at Zaleshchiki.