Francis Edward Goldsmith facts for kids

Francis Edward Goldsmith (1825 – 24 July 1875) was an important medical doctor in early South Australia. He is best known for being the first surgeon and Protector of Aborigines at the new settlement of Escape Cliffs in the Northern Territory of Australia. He worked there under the leader, B. T. Finniss. However, after less than a year, Finniss asked him to resign because of disagreements.

Early Life and Medical Career

Francis Edward Goldsmith was the youngest son of John and Emma Goldsmith. He became a qualified surgeon in London, England.

In September 1862, he sailed to Australia as the surgeon on a ship called True Briton. He first arrived in Melbourne. By December 1862, he moved to South Australia and settled in Yankalilla, South Australia.

Joining the Northern Territory Expedition

In March 1864, Goldsmith was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for South Australia. More importantly, he became the Surgeon and Protector of Aborigines for the Northern Territory expedition. This group of 40 people, led by B. T. Finniss, left for Adam Bay in the Northern Territory on April 29. Their main job was to choose and survey a good spot for a new main town, which would be called Palmerston.

Challenges and Conflicts

From the start, Francis Goldsmith and Colonel Finniss, the expedition leader, did not get along well. Finniss often saw Goldsmith's actions as going against his orders.

Disagreements with Finniss

• Caring for the Sick: One of the first buildings the group built was a house for Finniss. When it was almost finished, Goldsmith placed a very sick worker, E. J. Wilson, in one of the rooms. This room was cooler than the tents. Finniss demanded that the worker be moved, but Goldsmith insisted he stay for his comfort. Wilson sadly died there a few days later.
• Water Quality: To get drinking water, the group dug a well. However, the water looked green and smelled bad. After several people got stomach pains, Goldsmith said the water was unsafe to drink. This went against Finniss's opinion. Finniss had his own supply of clean rainwater collected from his house roof.
• Protecting Aboriginal People: Goldsmith was also the Protector of Aborigines. This meant he was supposed to look after the rights and safety of the local Aboriginal people. There were some difficult encounters between the expedition members and Aboriginal groups. In one case, after some supplies were taken, a group went to get them back. An Aboriginal man was shot and killed. A month later, after some horses were speared, Finniss sent another group for revenge. Goldsmith wanted to join this group to help prevent harm, but Finniss told him to stay at the camp. Goldsmith believed that if he had been there, the death of an old Aboriginal man, who was shot by a member of the group, might have been avoided. He openly shared his opinion about this.

Goldsmith's Resignation

In February 1865, advertisements appeared in Adelaide newspapers looking for a new Surgeon and Protector of Aborigines. This was Goldsmith's job! Goldsmith politely asked Finniss for an explanation, but Finniss said he could not give one.

Because of this, Goldsmith decided to resign from his position. His resignation was accepted right away. He left Adam Bay and traveled back to Adelaide. Before he left, almost all the officers and men signed a letter praising him. Since he resigned instead of being fired, Goldsmith had to pay for his own trip back to Adelaide.

Later Life and Legacy

After returning from the Northern Territory, Goldsmith worked as a doctor in Magill, South Australia and then in Robe, South Australia. In 1866, he became a surgeon for a volunteer cavalry group in Robe.

Around 1869, he became very ill with a type of paralysis. This meant he could no longer work as a doctor. He passed away in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1875.

Unrecognized Contributions

While in the Northern Territory, Goldsmith collected many interesting items, including plants, animals, and cultural objects from the Aboriginal people. However, he was unable to send them back south. It is thought that some of the collections later sent by another surgeon, Dr. Ninnis, to the South Australian Institute and the Adelaide Botanic Garden might have actually been collected by Goldsmith.

Goldsmith was one of the few early members of the Northern Territory surveying parties who did not have a street named after him in Darwin, Northern Territory. However, Goldsmith Street in Fannie Bay, Northern Territory was named after his son, Dr. Frederick Goldsmith, who also became a Medical Officer and Protector of Aborigines later on.

Family Life

Francis Goldsmith married Emma Hallett on December 13, 1865. They had two sons:

• Frederick Goldsmith (1867 – 1942): He followed in his father's footsteps and became a doctor. He studied at St Peter's College, Adelaide and Adelaide University. In 1897, he was appointed medical officer in Palmerston (now Darwin) and also became the Protector of Aborigines there. He later received special training in tropical medicine.
• John Willan Goldsmith (1869 – 1871): Sadly, he died at a very young age.

After Francis Goldsmith passed away, his wife Emma married again in 1883 to Alexander Brodie.