Frederick Renner facts for kids
Frederich Emil Renner (born 1821, died 1893) was an important doctor in early Australia. He gave medical help to the brave workers building the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. This huge project connected the northern and southern parts of Australia. Dr. Renner's work covered a massive area, about 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles), from Port Augusta all the way to the Roper River in the Northern Territory.
A special place, Renner Springs, was named after him in 1872. Years later, in 1877, Dr. Renner noticed many birds while working on the Telegraph Line. He discovered they were gathering there because of the natural springs, which provided much-needed water.
Early Life and Career
Frederich Emil Renner was born in Jena, Germany, on October 14, 1821. He later passed away on January 30, 1893. He was married to Annie Buchanan Davie, and together they had eight children. One of their sons, Frederick August Renner, married Mary Agnes Muir in Western Australia in 1889. Mary's family, the Muirs, had come to Western Australia in 1844.
Frederich's father, Theobald Renner, was also a well-known professor. He taught veterinary medicine in Jena, Germany. Frederich's great-grandfather, Caspar Friedrich Renner, was a poet and worked in administration in Bremen, Germany.
Dr. Renner became one of the very first doctors to be officially registered in South Australia. This happened on July 18, 1848. He had studied and qualified as a doctor at the University of Jena in Germany. Before joining the Telegraph Line project, he worked as a doctor in Wentworth, New South Wales, from 1857 until 1870. After floods affected the area in 1870, he moved back to Adelaide. There, he was chosen to be the medical officer for the teams building the Overland Telegraph Line.
The Renner Diaries
In the early 1980s, a famous historian named Jose Petrick received a special government grant. She used this grant to read and write down everything from Dr. Renner's personal diaries. These diaries were very important because they gave a detailed look into his life and work. In 1983, these fascinating diaries were published as a book called The Renner Diaries. They offer a unique glimpse into the challenges and adventures of a doctor in early Australia.
