They do not make them like Eric Elder any more.
But the younger ones among us will get to know the long-serving Western Southland doctor when a book about him is released next month.
Two years of extensive research and interviews have concluded and the Dr Elder book committee, which was formed to get the book to print, announced that the Dr Elder story is now ready for launch.
The long-held wishes of Western Southlanders to have the life and times of Dr Elder recorded will be realised in time for Christmas with the launch of the book planned to take place at the Waiau Town and Country Club in Tuatapere on December 8.
Committee chairman Edwin Lewis said everyone in Western Southland had a tale about Dr Elder, who made a huge impact on the communities of Tuatapere and Western Southland for more than 50 years. He worked from the late 1930s to the late 1980s and died in 1997, aged 84.
"He was sent from the Otago Medical School as a temporary doctor in a rural service at Tuatapere and he was there for the rest of his life," he said.
"Everyone in Tuatapere of a certain age will have a story about Dr Elder. He had a key to every house in Western Southland."
The book is full of first-hand encounters of people from all over Western Southland who had dealings with Dr Elder so it is therefore a permanent written record of what could soon become "voices of past citizens" of Tuatapere and Western Southland.
"He worked day and night, travelling all around Western Southland from Riverton to Monowai. Back in those days the roads were pretty bad so it was not easy for him. But he always had good cars. He must have made a deal with the Chevrolet dealer in Southland and that made it easier for him to drive round."
There were also a few tales that he was not a great driver but that may have been because he wanted to catch up with some books while driving around the district.
"He had a habit of reading when he was driving. There were stories of him arriving at a house and the car would sit there with its engine going for 15 minutes. They would go out to see what was wrong with him and he would just say — I’m just finishing the chapter’."
Mr Lewis said no-one could ever come close to Dr Elder.
"The nicest thing that could come with this book is it ends up in the shelves of the Otago Medical School and some young rural doctor will read the story and will want to come to western Southland."
The book is written by Southland author Lloyd Esler, who never formally met Dr Elder but said the story had led him to develop immense respect for the doctor.
Dr Elder’s son and daughter will also be at the launch at 2pm on December 8.
