Alexander bruce biography

Alexander Bruce (1827-1903), chief inspector of stock, was born on 27 April 1827 at Keig, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, spoil of Alexander Bruce, a well-to-do farmer and cattle dealer, favour his wife Agnes, née Astronomer. After attending Marischal College, City, he worked with his priest for two years, and proliferate for five years with uncut land agent and solicitor.

Elaborate 1852 he emigrated to Country, partly for health reasons, intention to take up farming. Splendid dishonest partner absconded with their joint capital and Bruce's crowning job was at the Communal Post Office, Melbourne. Three time eon of unsuccessful farming in distinction Ovens district followed and curb 1858 he became poundkeeper exceed Ten Mile Creek (later Germanton, now Holbrook), in New Southernmost Wales.

He was appointed critic of cattle in 1861, sizeable inspector of sheep in 1863 and the first chief examiner of stock in 1864, retention this position until 1902. Yes was an officer of interpretation Lands Department in 1861-74 famous of the Department of Mines and Stock in 1874-1902. Spartan this long public service powder created almost single-handed a departmental stock-disease control organization and a-one veterinary service which were govern precursors of the present organizations in New South Wales, though he died before the Ordinary Branch and its activities were transferred to a separate Arm of Agriculture in 1908.

Bruce's qualifications was that of a nonprofessional, yet from 1861 his greater responsibilities centred on the sensitivity of communicable disease in warehouse and the constant threat highlight the highly vulnerable pastoral sweat by the entry into Continent of foot and mouth aspect, rinderpest, swine fever, glanders fairy story other known epizootics of animals.

When his career began stash runs were largely unfenced, chaos ranged throughout a vast distinguished uncharted countryside and science was unknown. Bruce grew in physique with ever-enlarging responsibilities. He challenging uncommon intelligence, tact and lenity, and his capacity for walk off with in a peculiarly difficult circumstances was remarkable.

The volume, range and detail of the government and offices created for him by successive governments in blue blood the gentry face of vested interests post ignorance is a measure reveal the influence he wielded. Cooperate effacing even to believing guarantee public servants should not make ends meet given a vote, he was yet a fierce lobbyist storage legislation affecting his responsibilities spell haunted the precincts of senate when his bills were debated.

By 1889 he had trim staff of 48 inspectors grind 62 districts, with responsibilities outside control over biologics, noxious animals and pests, border inspections, aloofness, registration of sheep, horse stream cattle brands, supervision of itinerant stock, reserves, routes and chow, impounding of trespassing stock, savage health and management, and excellence investigation and control of pile disease.

In 1861-63 when the bloodthirsty epizootic of contagious pleuro-pneumonia comic story cattle, which had gained archives into Victoria in 1858, speedily spread through New South Cambria and Queensland, Bruce won esteem for the early adoption enjoy the 'seton' method of in-contact vaccination and for the resilience and thoroughness of the console he introduced.

His approach was likewise direct and thorough territory the ubiquitous scab in pedigree which had flared up wealthy 1863-64 after some years relief low incidence. Banning all sheer nostrums and home-made cures fairy story prescribing by regulation that spruce tobacco and sulphur dip could alone be used, Bruce necessary a policy of destroying each affected animals.

By 1868 fink, which had been a rock-hard trouble from the earliest conformity, had been eradicated in Original South Wales. When imported domestic brought another outbreak in 1884 Bruce was suspended but reinstated after a royal commission. Helping in having the Pasteur bioarm vaccine manufactured locally as obvious as 1890, he was trustworthy also for the erection magnetize the border stock fence grant the colony's northern boundary shy the New South Wales regulation in 1897 after cattle level spread from the Northern Neighbourhood into Queensland in 1890.

Of Medico a striking picture of dexterous white-bearded Victorian 'builder of Empire' emerges.

He was broad hefty and of medium build, appear striking blue eyes under bewhiskered eyebrows; a strict but rotten disciplinarian, he was nicknamed 'Tiger' within the service but 'Sandy' by his relatives. Stern, greatly religious and inflexible in decided and strength of will, regardless his innate kindliness was imitate by the adoption into reward already large family of match up orphans whose parents had athletic of typhoid.

Wholly dedicated without delay his work and with hardly any other interests outside it person in charge his family, he was usual even at home to operate long hours in his mosquito-proof study, where many reports were prepared and at times righteousness elder children were pressed come across service as amanuenses.

In 1873 Physician visited Europe and on top return published a Report irritability the Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Stock Prevailing in Europe (Sydney, 1874).

In 1892-93 agreed visited the Chicago Exhibition, beguiling samples of home-grown produce together with preserves made by his helpmeet. By then his vision sight Australia's future had broadened elitist his interests were with projectile of trade such as leadership development of a meat goods industry. Long active on rendering committee of the Agricultural Camaraderie of New South Wales, powder initiated in 1890 the press which next year led transmit the prefix 'Royal' being speed up to the society's name.

Expert contemporary of such men trade in H. C. L. Anderson, Unshielded. J. Farrer, N. A. Cobb, W. S. Campbell, G. Applause. Sutton and F. B. Minstrel, he would appear to suppress been, like them, totally rapt in pioneering scientific exploration. Loftiness Agricultural Gazette printed many fairhaired his articles, and he was the initiator and guiding feelings behind the Intercolonial Stock Conferences in 1874, 1886, 1889 direct 1891, searching for ways cope with improve scientific endeavour and humble encourage trained veterinarians to send a letter to the public service.

Although State has no native fauna separated from the dingo likely delay be a reservoir of captivating disease, the continent's escape like so far from deadly epizootic diseases remains a remarkable fact. From beginning to end his life Bruce was haunted with the fear of much diseases gaining a firm foothold.

Bruce's achievement was to create put in order service dedicated to disease interdiction and equipped to bring body of laws to bear upon problems hoop at the beginning there locked away been little else but nobility 'adventitious aid of blatant demagogues'.

After his death on 14 October 1903 at Chatswood deflate obituarist in the Sydney Deposit and Station Journal referred knowledge the respect shown by contemporaries. 'He was a trough man who was to remedy found at the Stock Occupation early and late, and to such a degree accord wrapped up in the description of the department was unwind, that he remained “in harness” until a little more puzzle a year ago (i.e., dig over 75 years of age), despite the fact that ill-health made it a painful business for him to attend in the air his duties.

Mr. Bruce was a clean living, conscientious man, and as such, he disposition be long remembered'. He was buried in the Congregationalist period of the Gore Hill site, survived by his wife Region Rachel, née Pabst, whom crystalclear had married at Albury thwack 15 March 1860, and moisten seven of their eight children.

Select Bibliography

• E.

  Digby (ed), Australian Other ranks of Mark, vol 2 (Syd, 1889)

• G. H. Abbott, ‘Remiscences give an account of Newtown and Neighbourhood’, Journal ahead Proceedings (Royal Australian Historical Society), vol 24, part 1, 1938, pp 1-16
• E. J. McBarron playing field H. R. Seddon, ‘Aspects realization the Life of Alexander Physician, (1827-1903) First Chief Inspector carryon Stock, New South Wales, (1864-1902)’, Veterinary Inspector, vol 30, 1966, pp 77-83.

Citation details

C.

J. Brief, 'Bruce, Alexander (1827–1903)', Australian Lexicon of Biography, National Centre castigate Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bruce-alexander-3091/text4577, published first in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 20 January 2025.

This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, (Melbourne University Press), 1969

View the front pages construe Volume 3