One of New Zealand’s most significant inventors has died.

Colin Murdoch the creator of the disposable syringe, the tranquilliser gun, the childproof bottle cap, and the silent burglar alarm died recently after a long battle with cancer.

Mr Murdoch was born in 1929 in Christchurch, but for more than 50 years lived in South Canterbury.

He was a pharmaceutical and veterinary chemist as well as an inventor.

Working late at night at the kitchen table or in his workshop Mr Murdoch was to patent 46 inventions.

He became a self-taught engineer.

His most famous and influential invention for the wellbeing of humankind was the disposable syringe which he developed more than 50 years ago.

The catalyst for this invention was as a young pharmacist he became aware of the dangers of cross-infection from patient to patient.

In 1959 he created an effective tranquiliser dart and rifle system. Mr Murdoch took part in testing the equipment and travelled around the world trialling it on large game animals. His equipment had variable velocity control for the syringe darts lessening the force of impact and trauma for the animal.

In 2000 Mr Murdoch was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to inventing. Last year he featured in a series of New Zealand Post stamps clever Kiwis celebrating five inventors.

Mr Murdoch was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the South Pacific. His inventions included improvements in electrical wiring and heat sensor devices.

In 1991 Mr Murdoch was diagnosed with cancer, a tumour that had spread from his sinuses and led to the removal of an eye, part of his jaw, and the roof of his mouth. Following his diagnosis Mr Murdoch and his wife Marilyn supported Cancer Society causes and promoted the need for people to act as early as possible with concerns about cancer. Mr Murdoch overcame this cancer, but around two and a half years ago developed oesophageal cancer. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and three sons.