doctor

Harold Lethbridge (1880-1944) who had spent his youth on Forest Vale Station, observed much of the habits and customs of the Gunggari people. He studied at Brisbane Grammar School and having graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Medicine in 1904, he commenced a long career as a medical practitioner in Narrandera, in the Riverina Region where he worked closely with the Wiradjuri people of NSW. During the First World War, Harold served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt, France, and England; his wife Gwen followed him wherever possible. The Lethbridge collection contains over 50 letters from Harold to his father, describing in detail his experiences in the Casualty Clearance Stations, and his pioneering work in No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall - assisting men who were limbless, and for this work, he was awarded an MBE in 1918. Later in life, Harold became a collector and translator of Aboriginal songs and was given the name 'The great white father' by descendants of the Wiradjuri people, in recognition of his service to their community. Several of the songs he collected have been recorded, notably 'Maranoa Lullaby' which was performed by Aboriginal tenor Harold Blair in 1950 and chosen by the National Film and Sound Archive as one of its ‘Sounds of Australia' - you can listen to a snippet of this recording online. More contemporary recordings include - the Wiggles 'Emma' in 1991 and the Brodskey Quartet in 2015. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/forest-vale-station

Stepping back in the history of Charters Towers.

historicalaustraliantowns.blogspot.com/2018/03/charters-t...

"Arthur Alfred Lynch (1861-1934), rebel and polymath, was born on 16 October 1861 at Smythesdale, Victoria, fourth of fourteen children of Irish Catholic John Lynch (1828-1906), surveyor and civil engineer, and his wife Isabella, née MacGregor, from Scotland. ... ... ... A hefty man, strikingly handsome, of charm, courtesy and even temper, Lynch was one of the most picturesque figures of his time. He was erratic in his grasp of public affairs but was generally respected for his integrity and extraordinary range of knowledge, and was on friendly terms with many great contemporaries. He had no doubt that his was one of the outstanding minds of the age. Survived by his wife, childless, he died at Paddington, London, on 25 March 1934." From - adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-arthur-alfred-7270 Also from the above biography - "During World War I he fought for freedom as ever, he believed. After informal work in France, aiding communication between British and French leaders, late in the war he was appointed colonel in order to encourage recruiting in Ireland; he had little success. ..."

Are we talking about the same guy? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Lynch_(politician)#Popular_culture

Suck Diesel Yes. He was a polymath (I had to look it up). Here is more detail about recruiting in Ireland in 1918, presumably contemporary with this photo - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Munster_Fusiliers_(New_Army)#10th_(Service)_Battalion

beachcomber australia In the Wiki version, he sounds more like Mad Max on steroids

From wikipedia: He had previously raised the Second Irish Brigade to fight for the Boers in the South African War, for which he had been sentenced to death by the British, which was later commuted.