Obituaries Australia

News of the death of Dr. Archibald McDonald [Macdonald], formerly well-known in Horsham, where he married a sister of Mr. Wm. Langlands, will be read with deep regret by old residents. The doctor died at Sale on Saturday, and was 92 years of age. He was very popular throughout Gippsland, and was well known in military circles. Dr. McDonald was a native of Nova Scotia, where he was born in 1826. The son of a doctor, he chose the medical profession, and graduated M.D. from the Pennsylvania University in 1848. After practising for four years in Nova Scotia, he came to Australia in 1852 as surgeon on the ship Aurore. One of the passengers was Sir Simon Fraser. On arrival in Victoria Dr. McDonald practised at Bendigo and Horsham before settling at Sale. He had a notable career in Gippsland, among his adventures being his assistance to the police in the arrest of a gang of bushrangers at Moe in 1879. He was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic of those who interested themselves in the Mounted Rifle movement, and was given a commission in April 6, 1886. He was subsequently promoted to surgeon-captain and major, and retired from the medical staff with the rank of lieut.-colonel on September 1, 1902. He was for many years health officer, surgeon of the gaol hospital, and honorary surgeon of the Sale hospital.