Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Ralph Alderton (Dick) Baker was born 18 May 1889 at Medindie, SA, the son of Wallace William Baker and Amy Eliza Baker (née Griffiths), of Medindie, SA. His siblings were Robert John (Bob - born 1886), Wallace Westerfield (West - born 1891), Gwendoline May Susanna (1892) and Alan Boyton (born 1894 and registered as Allan Boyton).

Schooling

Dick was educated at St Peters College from 1898 to 1905. He passed his Primary Examinations in October 1902 and Junior Examinations in December 1903. In December 1905 he passed the Senior Examination in Arithmetic and Algebra and the Higher Public Examinations in German and Inorganic Chemistry.

In 1906 Dick and his brother Bob were both members of the North Adelaide Variety Company, and in November they sang in a concert at Cheltenham in aid of the Church of England Mission Hall.

Pre-University

It is unclear why Dick left full-time schooling at the end of 1905 however it is possible that he commenced working. We do however know that he was involved in studying and in cricket and swimming during 1906 and 1907.

In December 1906 Dick came equal ninth in the Senior Examination in English Literature, having studied at the Tutorial College run by the Principal Mr G.G. Newman BA (Lond.) in Victoria Square, Adelaide.

Dick competed in the Old Boys Institute (OBI) annual amateur swimming competitions in March 1907, winning the “Working Boys’ Championship 9 under 18, four lengths). In December 1907, Dick passed Shorthand (advanced) Theory at the School of Mines and Industries.

In the 1907/08 season, Dick played cricket in the Australian Natives’ Association (ANA Association) for St Peters playing alongside his brothers Bob and Wallace.

Dick came third in a heat of the 100 yards Amateur Handicap event at the South Australian Swimming Association sports at the Glenelg baths in February 1908 and in March 1909 he was second in the Old Scholars race at the St Peter’s College Swimming Sports. Dick swam for the Seagull Swimming Club of Kent Town and was among the club’s principal prize winners.

Adelaide University

Having by 1908 gained the required entrance standards, Dick enrolled in medicine at the University of Adelaide. While at Adelaide University he was a member of the Medical Students’ Society and usually performed a musical item at the Societies’ Annual Dinner. Dick passed first year physics for MB BS in a supplimentary examination in March 1909 again under the tuition of Mr G.G. Newman.

The photograph below is of second year medical students from 1909 and is labelled as including R.A. Baker, unfortunately, Dick’s position in the photograph is not exactly known. However, Dick’s WWI Service Record states that he had fair hair which would narrow the options down. If the photo has been labelled corectly left to right he is the student circled. Dick graduated MB BS in 1912.

Adelaide University Sport

Football

Dick played football for the AUFC in the newly formed SA Amateur League in 1911. Playing in the match against Glenferrie Dick was amongst the best players with University winning by 5 goals and six points.

In the next game University defeated Marlborough comfortably with Dick kicking a goal.

Cricket

Dick played B grade Cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club during the 1909/10-1912/13 seasons. During the University vacation in 1910 he played in a match between University and a Renmark team. The University team was made up of a number of students who were in the Riverland fruit picking. Dick would later reside in the Riverland as a medical practitioner.

Late in the 1909/10 season Dick played for University against his old school. St Peter's College needed to beat University to win the premiership. It was interesting to note that Dick and Harry Nott (two old SPSC boys) were absent on the second day of the game.

In a match in March 1912 playing for University B Grade, after dismissing a strong P.A.C. team cheaply, the University team collapsed to be all out for 42 with Dick at number 11, the second highest scorer with only 6 runs.

The 1911/12 season statistics show that Dick only played a couple of matches that season.

Early Medical Career

After graduating in 1912 Ralph was appointed as a resident medical officer at the Adelaide Hospital for 12 months. Also among the medical graduates that year was Hilda Florey, older sister of Howard Florey.

Sadly for the Baker family, Dick’s only sister Gwendoline drowned at Largs Bay in June 1913. She was said to have been suffering from depression.

In May 1914, Dick was acting medical officer for the Port Adelaide Council. Later in July, August and September 1914, he was assisting Dr McGillivray at Broken Hill.

World War I

A number of newspaper articles state that Dick left Broken Hill at the end of September 1914 and travelled to Melbourne where he intended to travel to England as a ship’s surgeon on a troop ship and to go to the front with an Imperial Expeditionary Force.

It appears that Dick changed his mind and returned to South Australia. During November and December 1914 he was again acting medical officer for the Port Adelaide Council (note: some newspaper reports say Robert Baker and others say R.A. Baker). In February 1915 he appears to have been locum tenens for Dr Cowen at Angaston, SA and later that month for Dr Erichsen at Pinnaroo, SA.

Dick married Emma Maud Cora Burfitt (Cora) Riley (born 6 February 1890 and registered as Emma Maud Cora Burford Riley), the daughter of Daniel Riley at St Pauls’s Church, Adelaide on the 30th March 1915.

In July 1915, Dick was practicing at Ardrossan on Yorke Peninsula, SA. He departed from Ardrossan in April 1916 and enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps on the 16th May 1916.


For details of Dick’s WWI service please refer to the excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Verco, Summers, Swain and Jelly 2014.

All three of Dick’s brothers served overseas in WWI.

Alan enlisted in November 1914, aged 20 years and 9 months; he rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion. Alan served at Gallipoli and in France. He suffered a broken ankle in February 1918. Alan returned to Australia in March 1919.

West enlisted on the 25th May 1915, at Adelaide, SA and embarked from Adelaide on the RMS Mongolia on 9th March 1916. Tragically he was killed in action on 22nd August 1916, at Mouquet Farm, Pozieres, France.

Bob enlisted in January 1916 (SN 209), he was 29 years old. He was a Private (Air Mechanic) in the Australian Flying Corps. He returned to Australia in April 1919 having been declared medically unfit for service.

Sadly before the surviving boys were back from the war, their mother had died in September 1918 as a result of injuries received in a motor vehicle accident.

The grave of Dick's brother was unknown until 1936 when it was found following exhumation work. The identification was possible when his watch was found. The watch was returned to his family and West's body was respectfully transferred to the Longueval War Cemetery, France.

Post WWI Career and Family Life

After returning to Australia from WWI, Dick practiced as a locum tenens for various doctors including three weeks in Moonta in August 1919 then at Millicent where he had to deal with an influenza epidemic. In November 1919 he was at Riverton.

Dick and Cora had their first child, a daughter, Natalie, on the 28th January 1920, at Quambi (a private hospital on South Terrace, Adelaide).

In August and September 1920, Dick was practicing at Whyalla and Iron Knob. Dick was then appointed a Pensions’ Review examiner for the Repatriation Department. In that capacity he was in Port Pirie in February 1921, Naracoorte in June 1921 and Pt Elliott in August 1921.

By November 1921, Dick had commenced a practice at Barmera, SA. In that same month, Dick registered a 22.5 Ford.

Dick had to contend with a serious epidemic of infantile diarrhoea in the Barmera area in January 1923.

On the 18th June 1923, Dick and Cora’s second daughter, Helen was born at Quambi Hospital,.

Dick lead the community singing at the gathering of the Upper Murray Old Collegians’ Association in July 1923 and in October 1923, he was appointed the health officer for the Cobdogla Irrigation area.

In January 1923 Miss Natalie Baker (aged 3) presented wristlet watches to the ‘most impressive’ boy and girl at a concert to raise money for the local kindergarten.

Tragically for the family, baby Helen passed away on the 18th February 1924, aged just 8 months.

By April 1924, Dick was playing golf at the Barmera Golf Club and in May that year he was appointed medical officer at the Barmera Hospital in succession to Dr L.A. Hayward.

On the 8th August 1924, Dick and Cora’s third daughter, Mary Irene was born at Barmera.

Dick became the Patron of the Barmera Cricket Club in September 1924.

On the 14th October a wind storm of cyclonic force struck Barmera and many houses were destroyed or badly damaged. Dick and Cora’s home was destroyed. The newspaper article below indicates that Dick and the children got out of the house unharmed but that Cora was slightly injured, however according to a family member, Dr. Ralph Alderton Baker and his newborn third child, Mary, were in Adelaide when the tornado hit. The house was occupied at the time by his wife, Emma Cora Burfitt Baker (nee Riley) and their first born child Natalie who was then four years old.

In November 1924, Dick transferred from Barmera to Berri. In his farewell from Barmera, Dick was described as a keen sportsman and one of the most prominent members of the Barmera Golf Club.

The family holidayed in Adelaide in January 1925 and again in October 1925. In January 1926, Dick was the Dispatch Steward at the Berri Regatta. Dick and the local health inspector had to act promptly when a member of the post office staff at Berri contracted Diphtheria. In July 1926 the Baker’s holidayed at Victor Harbor for a fortnight. In August 1926, Dick became Captain of the Berri Golf Club and he was also involved in the administration of the Upper Murray Football Association. In April 1928 Dick had to contend with an outbreak of ptomaine poisoning (food poisoning) at Berri. Dick was a judge at the Berri Spring Races in September 1928.

On the 28th February 1929 Dick and Cora left for overseas onboard the ‘Chitral’ which departed from Outer Harbour. The couple visited Colombo and Candy (Sri Lanka), the Suez Canal, Cairo, Luxor, Jerusalem, the Jordon Valley, Italy, France (where he visited some of the WWI cemeteries) and England. Dick undertook medical work at Tottenham, UK and a post graduate course in medicine at Vienna Austria. Dick was very concerned by the conditions in Austria at the country was in great economic distress causing widespread poverty and disease caused by malnutrition.

The Baker’s departed from London, England on 9th August 1929 and arrived at Freemantle on the 10th September 1929. Dick resumed his practice at Berri in late September 1929.

On his return, Dick gave a number of talks about his trip and his talk to the Monash RSA (RSL) was reported at length in the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (for the whole article see "AN A.I.F. MEDICO'S VISIT TO EUROPE" Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, SA : 1913 - 1942) 29 November 1929: 7. Web. 1 May 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109387886)

Dick became the Patron of the Berri Cricket Club and in the early 1930’s he was Captain of the Berri Golf Club.

Dick spent a week in Melbourne in April 1930 and a few weeks there in August/September 1931. In 1932, Dick was a Vice-president of the Berri Football Club. Dick was actively involved in the Monash RSL and he competed in the Berri Club Championships (golf) in 1934.

In November 1934, Dick sailed by the ‘Nieuw Zeeland” on a return trip to Java and Singapore. He was the ships surgeon for the trip and was away for about 10 weeks. On his return from the trip Dick gave a talk on his travels to the Monash RSL which can be read at: "DUTCH EAST INDIES" Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, SA : 1913 - 1942) 28 February 1935: 12. Web. 1 May 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110274806

Dick sold his practice in Berri and moved back to Adelaide in September 1935. A sale of household furniture was held at the Berri Institute on the 23rd August 1935 and a farewell was held at the Monash RSL in his honour.

Sadly, Dick sued for an “undefended” divorce in December 1935 against Cora on the ground of “habitual drunkenness and neglect of domestic duties”. Ralph was residing at Myall Avenue, Kensington Gardens at the time of his divorce.

Dick moved to Queensland and in May/June 1936 he was caring for the patients of Dr A.G. Bennett. He remarried in 1936 in Queensland to Johanna Emma Wilhelmina Kaulbach. The Electoral Rolls of 1937 show Dick’s address to be 13 Wills Street, Townsville. In December 1917 Dick was appointed Repatriation Doctor for Townsville.

On the 11th April 1938, Dick’s father, Wallace William Baker, passed away aged 79 years. W.W. Baker was buried at the North Road Cemetery.

Dick was involved with the RSL and the golf club at Townsville. In March 1939 he visited Berri and called in on many old friends. In August 1939, Dick left Townsville. He was given a farewell by the Townsville RSL.

World War II

Dick then practised at Maryborough, Queensland and in July 1940 he was appointed the medical referee for the purposes of the provision of Workers’ Compensation.

On the 27th April 1940, Dick was staying at a Montpelier Guest House, Wickham Terrace, Brisbane when he was the victim of the theft of a pair of shoes and £1/8/.

In June 1941 Dick was appointed the Medical Officer of the R.S.V.D. Corps at Maryborough. He was living at Sussex Street, Maryborough.

Dick enlisted for World War II in 1942 (Service Number - Q210283). His wife Johanna was recorded as his next-of-kin. His WWII Service Record is not yet digitised.

While at Maryborough he was the doctor for the Maryborough Rugby League team.

Sadly Dick was involved in a court case in January 1943 after one of his patients drowned her two young children.

Death

Ralph Alderton (Dick) Baker passed away at Maryborough, Qld on the 9th August 1943, aged 53 (or 54 years per his headstone). His funeral was conducted at St Paul’s Church of England, and he was buried at the Maryborough Cemetery. He left an estate values at realty £1,301 and personal £10,677.

Legacy

Dick’s eldest daughter, Natalie was on the nursing staff at Brisbane and became engaged to Dr Wilfred John Simmonds, the son of Dr and Mrs J Lloyd Simmonds of Toowong, Qld in September 1946. The couple were married at St David’s Church, Burnside, Adelaide on the 11th December 1946. Natalie’s sister Mary was one of her attendants. The week after their wedding the couple left for England where Wilfred was to undertake a post-graduate course at Oxford.

Dick’s youngest daughter, Mary, was at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and later in Sydney. She became engaged to Mr Colin Ross (son the late Mr JC Ross) of Newcastle on the eve of sailing for England on the ‘Maloja” in July 1951. Mary was to spend a year in England and on the continent before returning to Australia to marry.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.