Eugen Hirschfeld (1866 - 1946)

Born 22 Jan 1866 in Milicz, Silesia, Prussia

Husband of Annie Eliza Sarah (Saddler) Hirschfeld — married 21 Apr 1897 in Kew, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 18 Jun 1946 at age 80 in Bybera, Queensland, Australia

Biography

Eugen Hirschfeld is Notable.

Doctor Eugen Hirschfeld was born on 22nd January 1866 at Milicz, Silesia, Prussia. He was a son of Julius Hirschfeld, a banker, and his wife Joanna née Lvervey. Eugen was educated at Breslau and then graduated from Strasbourg University in 1887. He took his Staatsexamen one year later, and graduated as a medical doctor (MD) in 1889 for research on eye pigmentation.^[1]

Eugen was a doctor

Arriving in Brisbane, Colony of Queensland (Australia) in July 1890, Eugen immediately registered his medical practice. He became a naturalised British subject in 1893 and, believing that dual nationality was possible, enrolled himself at the consulate as a German citizen to comply with German regulations. He was a leading figure in the German community, and 1906 he was appointed Imperial German Consul in Brisbane. He became deeply involved in the medical and scientific aspect of Queensland and honorary bacteriologist to the Brisbane Hospital, specializing in tuberculosis.^[1]

On 21st April 1897, Eugen married Annie Saddler at Holy Trinity Church, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria.^[2] They had four sons and two daughters, with two of the sons, Otto and Konrad, going on to distinguished medical and academic careers in their own right. His grand-daughter, Roisin (daughter of Konrad and wife of Queensland Premier Wayne Goss), researched Eugen Hirschfeld's life as a PhD thesis at the University of Queensland.^[3]

In 1911, Hirschfeld became a founding senator of the Queensland University.^[1]

On 3rd July 1914, less than one month before the outbreak of the First World War, Hirschfeld was appointed by the Denham Ministry to the Queensland Legislative Council. He resigned from the Council four months later, on 2nd November, due to anti-German feeling in the community.^[1]

In February 1916, Hirschfeld was interned at Enoggera then one week later transported to Liverpool, New South Wales, being held there until he was released due to ill-health in August 1917. He was soon re-interned on the basis he had allegedly falsified medical evidence to secure his original release. A magisterial investigation ensued, and after a review of the case by Robert Garran, Hirschfeld was deported to Germany. He soon travelled to the Netherlands before arriving in the United States of America where he practiced in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Due in part to representations from General John Monash, Hirschfeld was finally allowed to re-enter Australia in 1927 and commenced practice at Wickham Terrace, Brisbane.^[1]

He eventually moved to the Darling Downs area, purchasing stations around Inglewood where he spent fifteen years carrying out botanical research into improving the quality of pasture for raising sheep and cattle.^[1]

He passed away on 18th June 1946 at Bybera, Queensland.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Wikipedia: Eugen Hirschfeld; accessed 28 Jan 2020
2. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #2033/1897
3. ↑ Goss, Roisin Anne, Eugen Hirschfeld: A Life, The University of Queensland, HPRC, 1 May 2020.
4. ↑ Queensland Death Index C3324/1946; registered at Yelarbon