John Coverdale

John Coverdale was born at Kedgeree, Bengal and studied medicine at Glasgow. He undertook two trips to India as a surgeon in charge of British troops before he decided to settle in Australia. Coverdale arrived on 10 July 1837 in the role of ship surgeon on board the PERTHSHIRE. He became a major medical figure in Tasmania, serving as Superintendent at Port Arthur, the Cascades Women’s Factory and as a District Magistrate, Coroner and Registrar at various times. He was involved with a number of medical scandals, including the 'Montagu affair' where he was accused by the Colonial Secretary Mr John Montagu of not providing adequate medical service to a patient. The colony’s Governor Franklin sided with Coverdale in what was a major political rift.