Melville Birks
Melville Birks spent his early childhood in Murtho, one of the Village Settlements on the Murray River, in which experiment his parents lost their life savings.
[6] He resumed his post as Surgeon Superintendent of Broken Hill Hospital in September 1920 the following year but in August 1922, feeling out of sorts, he went for a holiday to the Eastern States, where in Wentworth he collapsed.
No one can estimate the work of Dr Birks at Broken Hill both in bringing the hospital to a high state of efficiency and in establishing a fine training school for nurses.
He never sanctioned anything perfunctory in our mental approach of professional handling of patients impressions of her work directed by such a man is a gracious advantage for which a nurse can never be sufficiently grateful."
[11]"Dr Birks's two main interests during his life at Broken Hill were his surgical work at the hospital, and the study of social and economic problems as revealed by his close association with the workers.
He was a thoroughly sound, although slightly conservative surgeon, and was a master of asepsis, with the result that aseptic measures were, and still are, carried out at Broken Hill in a manner at least equal to that of any other hospital in Australia.
A paper which he read before the South Australian branch of the British Medical Association, entitled 'The treatment of mine injuries at Broken Hill', was evidence of the remarkable results which he was able to obtain in many serious and mutilating conditions.
We, the undersigned, on behalf of the workers of Broken Hill desire to convey to you and hereby place on record our respect and admiration of your skill and training as a medical practitioner ... and our affection and esteem for you as a friend.
We record, too, our appreciation of your efforts to banish ignorance by your presidency of the Workers' Educational Association, Barrier Branch, and your willingness to lecture in the cause of national and individual health and well-being.
Our grief was deep and genuine when it was known that ill-health compelled you to resign the surgeon-superintendency of the Broken Hill and District Hospital, and our heartfelt wishes were for your complete restoration to health.
