Group of South African Boer War medals and ribbons belonging to Archibald Watson – brilliant, eccentric anatomist and surgeon.
- Queen’s South Africa Medal with Natal clasp was awarded for service in the Boer War. The Natal clasp was awarded for service in Natal. On the edge of the medal is engraved: ‘A Watson, MB ERCS Surgeon”;
2. Ribbon band for Queen’s South Africa Medal and Kings. The ribbon has stripes of green, white, orange and red, blue and yellow,;
3. Miniature King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902. The ribbon has stripes of green, white and orange.
4. Miniature Queen’s South Africa Medal 1901 on original ribbon with ribbon bar .
5. Individual ribbon band for Queen’s South Africa Medal.
Archibald Watson
Born 27 July 1849 at Tarcutta, New South Wales, Watson’s father was a prominent NSW pastoralist. As his land agent, Watson travelled to Fiji and Solomon Islands on a ‘blackbirding’ venture, which involved the kidnaping of Pacific Islanders for forced labour on Australian Properties. On his first attempt, he was caught, arrested and charge with piracy. However, managed to avoid prosecution by escaping to Europe.
After fleeing to Europe, Watson decided to study medicine and graduated from the Universities of Gottingen and Paris (1878). Subsequently, he chose to pursue a medical career in London. Watson then returned to Australia as the University of Adelaide’s first Elder Professor of Anatomy in 1885 and became Consultant Surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital.
In January 1900, he obtained leave of absence to go to South Africa, as an individual, not as part of any military unit. He volunteered as Consulting Surgeon and worked in Cape Town, Natal, the Transvaal, Pretoria and the Orange River Colony. While in Pretoria, he studied leprosy and horse sickness. Additionally, he investigated other diseases including bubonic plague and enteric fever. In total, he served just over six months before returning to Australia.
World War 1
When World War 1 broke out, he joined the AIF despite being 65 years of age. Given the rank of Major, he was posted to 1ASH in November 1914 as a surgeon. He subsequently travelled to Egypt on the Kyara. At some point he transferred to 1AGH and saw service in Egypt Lemnos and Gallipoli. He finally returned to Australia and was discharged on 7 March 1916.
Watson returned to the Adelaide Hospital and University where had had a 34 year tenure as Professor of Anatomy, retiring at age 70 in 1919. After that, he relocated to Darwin, where he assisted to improve the standards of surgical care in tropical regions. From 1936 he made Thursday Island his permanent home, eventually dying 30 July 1940.
Written by Margot Way, CALHN Health Museum