Page:Notable South Australians.djvu/206

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NOTABLE SOUTH AUSTRALIANS;

small farm at St. Mary's, South Road, near the River Sturt, Dr. Duncan put up a Manning's Cottage, which he had brought from England, and, with some servants, began farming operations. He remained here for some years, but owing to the scarcity of medical men he returned to medical practice. In 1845 he became a member of the Medical Board of South Australia, and in 1849, after having acted as locum tenens for a year, he succeeded Captain Butler as Immigration Agent at Fort Adelaide. In the same year he was appointed Health Officer to the colony, a position which he held until his death. From this time he continued to reside at Port Adelaide and to identify himself with the interests of the place. He took an active part in the establishment of the first Church of England there, a wooden building on piles, afterwards replaced by the present stone building. Mrs. Duncan conducted the music and singing here, and Dr. Duncan also took a keen interest in the discussions of Synod, and represented St. Paul's Church for many years. In 1855 an immigrant ship, the "Taymouth Castle," arrived off the Semaphore, having on board several cases of smallpox, but by a judicious mode of quarantine the disease was stamped out. Again in 1877 the ship "British Enterprise" brought smallpox, measles, typhus, and scarlatina, and great difficulty was experienced in enforcing the laws regarding infected ships, as there was no shore quarantine station. The "Fitzjames," now used as a reformatory hulk, had been fitted up as a temporary expedient, but it was necessary to charter several more vessels to enable the medical attendants to divide the healthy and convalescent from the sick. The ships remained in quarantine for some time, and the expense to the colony amounted to between ten and twelve thousand pounds; but although there were several fatal cases within a mile of the shore the disease was eradicated, and none entered the colony during Dr. Duncan's term of office. He spent much thought and time upon the question of a suitable site for a