Date of Birth
6 February 1929 at Christchurch
Parents
Mary Kathleen and Frank William James Murdoch
Married
Marilyn Thelma Tregenza 1 June 1957
Children
One daughter and three sons
Education
- St Andrews College Christchurch
- College of Pharmacy Wellington
- Five year apprenticeship. Attended lectures at Christchurch. Organic and
- Inorganic Chemistry, Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis, Pharmacology, Botany, Biology and practical pharmacy
- Passed professional examinations 1950 and 1953 MPS PhC
Honours
- ONZM Officer New Zealand Order of Merit (contribution to inventing) 2000
- Featured in Centennial publication of Time Magazine 1999
- Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for saving a life 1943 AWARDS
- Gold medal Brussels 1976 Medical and Veterinary Surgical Instruments
- Gold medal Brussels 1976 Tranquiliser Rifles, Pistols and Automatic Syringe Projectiles
- Gold Medal Brussels 1976 Child Proof Containers
- Bronze Medal (Brussels 1976) Rangefinder Telescopic Sights
- New Zealand Industrial Design Council Design Mark – Tranquiliser Rifles, Pistols, Syringe Projectiles, etc 1969
- International Design Awards 2 Designs, Injection Moulded Thermal Plastic
- Products and Tooling 1971
Career
- Established C A Murdoch Ltd – Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Chemists Timaru 1955
- Established CAM Laboratories Ltd at Timaru. Registered Principal Technician and Managing Director. Laboratories licensed manufactures of biological products 1958
- Registered and Licensed Radiographer (X-ray) for veterinary diagnosis 1952
- Established Paxarms Ltd. Registered “Paxarms Logo” trade mark worldwide. Built factories in Timaru 1960
- New Zealand Government granted full scientific status 1960, enabled to undertake research – drugs for immobilisation
- Field tested available drugs and many new drugs manufactured by international drug companies. viz Burrows Wellcome, Bayer, Sandoz, Ethnor, Parke Davis. Glaxo, Baxter, Astra, Roche, Organon 1960-76
Animal research
- Isolated Toxoplasmosis organism, cause of a fatal canine disease, established effective treatment 1951
- Worked with Messrs Anderson and Henderson 1958-60 – Scientific paper published Himalayan Thar NZ
- Established cause and an effective treatment for “Illthrift” in Lambs 1960s
- Located genetic source, cause of dead lamb births, all with enormously enlarged congenital kidneys 1960s CONSULTANCIES
- Technical consultant to Tasman Vaccine Laboratories 1966-72
- Technical consultant to Merck Sharp and Dohme NZ Ltd 1972-76
Inventions
Invented over 40 products. Many patented and used worldwide
Best known for:
- Tranquiliser or Dart Rifles, Pistols and Automatic Projectile Hypodermic Syringes manufactured at Timaru
- Exported to over 150 countries of the world. Disposable Sterile and Prepared Plastic Hypodermic Syringes
- Automatic Vaccinator Syringes and Vaccine Packs which revolutionised animal vaccination worldwide
- Rangefinder Telescopic Rifle Sights
- Silent Burglar and Fire Alarms
- Childproof Medicine Containers
- National President New Zealand Inventors Association 1967-68
- Winner TV One Show “Inventor” 1976
Last updated: 16 Sep 2021