Sit back, this will take a bit.

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This post will talk about the Somerton Man – Why specifically one of the events took place! But first let’s break the issues up a bit.

Part A:- The search, by South Australian WWI Army Medics and 1923/24 graduating medical students, for a painless and untraceable termination substance brought about as a result of the Edwin Henry Murrant (Harry Harbord “Breaker” Morant) and Peter Handcock executions in the Second Boer War, and this substance’s first successful discovery and field trial in 1934.

Part B:- The Spy related Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam messaging system and people involved in the story up till it’s “outing” in 1945.

Part C:- The Somerton Man – What was happening and why?

Part D:- The H C Reynolds ID Card and its relationships to parts A, B, C and E, and to the McIntyre Family “network of cleaners”.

Part E:- The mass exodus from Adelaide in December 1948 and January 1949.

And just as a warning, I’m sorry to break this news to you, but after heaven knows how many years of pawing over pages of historical data and hundreds of hours of family genealogical lineage traces, I wish to timidly tell you that we were searching for the wrong Dorothy Jean Robertson, and this may also apply to our friend Charlie!

But let’s kick it off where it all began (at least as far as us mug punters are concerned) with Part:- C

Parts A, B, D and E will follow in subsequent posts.

Here we go: –

Dorothy Jean Kirkwood was born in Collingwood (Victoria) on 16th January 1893 to Thomas MacKenzie Kirkwood (b1864 d1930) and his wife Mary Ann Barr (b1854 d1922).

Thomas, her father, was born in Collingwood and Mary her mother was born at St Pancras in England. T MacKenzie Kirkwood (as he was known) was a prominent Melbourne Businessman.

At the age of 9 and 10 Dorothy (and her family) were members and participants of the Footscray and Yarraville Friendly Societies’ Association.

Our friend Charlie Webb would be born at Footscray 3 years later.

Under the direction of “Professor” James Williamson, Dorothy would become a capable Highland Dancer and participate with other members of her family in local celebrations.

James Cassius Williamson was not a professor, but often referred to with reverence due to his cultural influence.

And if you haven’t recognised him yet, let me show you a poster advertising an example of his work.

From birth till about 1951, Dorothy lived with her family in a pleasant, well maintained but relevant to the area house at 3 Wellington Street Kew similar to the example below.

Dorothy lived a life that would fly under the radar despite her entrepreneurship of the life we now know she lived.

On 21st April 1924 Dorothy married Alexander (Sandy) Robertson who was born in 1892 in Dundee (Scotland) to Alexander Robertson (b1854 d1925) and Mary Ann Robertson (b1850 d1918). Yes, Mary Ann was born a Robertson and later married a Robertson.

The Kirkwoods’ and Robertsons’ families had many military members. _{(more about these later)}

They remained living at 3 Wellington St Kew (the longtime Kirkwood home) for the whole of their married life. After Sandy’s passing Dorothy moves to Flat 6, 8-12 Parring Road, Balwyn, a flat she owned.

The Kirkwoods were Mercers from their migration from Scotland and had shops in Melbourne including at 331 Bourke St – Royal Arcade. Around the turn of the century, they also moved to St Kilda and retailed business machines such as cash registers and typewriters.

Alexander (Sandy) listed himself as a Lithographer and did printing and mapping.

Sandy passed away (suddenly) on 30th Oct 1951 and was cremated and interred at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

Is it strange that Dorothy Webb chose the 29th October 1951 to conclude her relationship with Charlie Webb, the day before husband Alexander passes away suddenly, or was it just a coincidence?

Dorothy passes away on the 7th June 1965 and is cremated and interred with Alexander at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

But let’s back-peddle a bit before Dorothy’s passing.

Why did Dorothy Robertson leave cash to the Limbless Soldiers’ Association of Victoria, as well as Legacy etc?

Could she have had an interest in the work that the Limbless Soldiers’ Association of Victoria was sponsoring in Adelaide at the Keswick Barracks Hospital and the Royal Adelaide Hospital?

The research, in the literature following, shows that many officials were tasked with a massive problem of Soldiers returning and suffering from what was known as “Phantom Limbs and Pains in Amputation Stumps”.

You will notice in this extract _(below) of Dorothy’s Will that she left part of her bequest to “The Limbless Soldiers’ Association of Victoria” and “Legacy” as part of her giving back.

But there is something more familiar in the list of people conducting the research.

Of note is the fact that as of today (in 2025) there is still no cure for this Phantom Pain.

Treatment today involves retraining the sufferer’s brain to think all limbs are intact and present. This is done by placing a heathy limb against a mirror to imitate a full kit. Virtual reality headsets are also used to simulate the same concept of a full set of limbs.

The “Phantom Limbs and Pains in Amputation Stumps” was a world-wide problem at the time, and anyone finding a cure would be commercially well compensated, so it’s likely that part of the message from the “Somerton Man’s” possessions was to “out” those who were working after hours with the Birks Chemist sub-ordinates for a slice of the dollar and the sewing and thread card were to disclose those that were operating outside the recognised committee of investigation and using places like the Childrens’ Hospital as a research laboratory.

Russell Barbour died on March 14th 1977 after suffering a closed head injury resulting from a possible fall.

Was Dorothy part of the revelations council that sought to highlight how the work of the Inquiry Board had been highjacked by Big Pharma?

The next post/blog will further enhance the evidence that Dorothy Jean Kirkwood/Robertson was the South Yarra based Dorothy Jean we have been looking for.

It will show the Lieutenant Commander (Special Branch) and his Special Branch associates of the joint RAN/RAAF task force who were operating around the East Melbourne precincts.

And as I mention at the head of this post, it’s just a part.

^{To contact the author, email onsomertonbeach@onsomertonbeach.com}

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