His death was reported from Peak Downs Telegraph, printed in the Brisbane Courier of 11 May 1868.

On Thursday, April 16, Dr Russel, a homœopathic practitioner, who has been residing at Hurley’s Rush, died rather suddenly. He had been suffering from low fever for a fortnight previously, but at the time of his death he was apparently recovering. The body was brought into Clermont early on Saturday morning, and at 7 a.m. a post mortem examination was made by Dr Benson, who pronounced death to have been caused by long-standing disease of the heart. Dr Russel was much respected, and their loss will be severely felt by residents on the diggings, to whom he was ever ready to afford relief however destitute they might be. About three weeks ago, Dr Russel informed us that he was a member of an English College of Surgeons, and was then in communication with the authorities at Brisbane with a view to his registration as a medical practitioner in this colony.

© Barbara Armstrong