Robert Peel (doctor)

Dr. Robert Peel (c. 1830 – 11 January 1894) was a medical practitioner in South Australia remembered for his membership of the Goyder expedition to the Northern Territory and for his association with Adelaide's horse racing clubs.

Peel trained for the medical profession in England and had some experience as ship's surgeon on immigrant ships. Around 1865 he was recommended by Colonial Surgeon Dr. R. W. Moore to a vacancy as house surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital. In 1866 he was appointed Assistant Colonial Surgeon in charge of the Mount Gambier district. While there where he was involved in local affairs: he was active in the formation of the Mount Gambier Institute, to which body he later donated specimens and curios collected in the Northern Territory, and was a Past Master of the Mount Gambier Lodge of Freemasons.

In 1868, a year or so prior to the long-awaited opening of the Mount Gambier Hospital, he accepted an invitation to join George Goyder's surveying expedition to Darwin, Northern Territory, which left Port Adelaide on the Moonta around 26 December 1868 Peel's successor at Mount Gambier was Dr. James Jackson MD.

On his return to Adelaide he started practising on his own account, with a surgery on North Terrace, partly in conjunction with Dr. Thomas Cawley, with whom he shared an interest in thoroughbred racing. Dr. Peel served as surgeon to the racing clubs, and a committeeman of the Licensed Victuallers' Racing Club, which was afterwards amalgamated with the Adelaide Racing Club. "Dr. Peel devoted himself to certain branches of his profession, and established for himself a name second to none in the colony in his particular speciality."

In 1876 he was elected to represent Hindmarsh ward in the Adelaide City Council, serving until the end of 1877. In April 1884 he was one of fourteen candidates for the six vacant seats in the Legislative Council, but polled poorly.

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