John Simeon Colebrook Elkington

[2] In 1903, Dr Elkington was asked to come to Launceston, Tasmania to advise on how to deal with an outbreak of smallpox and how to prevent it spreading to other areas.

On his recommendation, a program of regular health inspections of school pupils was established to ensure normal physical development was occurring and to organise medical intervention when required; teachers were also trained to detect and report possible health defects.

In 1910 Dr Elkington was appointed to this position, and in the following three years established Queensland's public health infrastructure, and oversaw the administration and implementation of State and Commonwealth quarantine practices.

[5] In 1917, Dr. Elkington, then Director of the Division of Tropical Hygiene, Commonwealth Department of Health, was concerned about health and hygiene of the growing population of Croydon, Queensland and contemplated conducting a statistical and social survey of the town, which did not eventuate.

[6] In the 1920s with other medical colleagues, he was instrumental in establishing a number of Commonwealth health laboratories to protect Australia against epidemic diseases.