Alexander Morrison (headmaster)
Alexander Morrison | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 February 1829 |
| Died | 31 May 1903 (aged 74) |
| Occupations | Educator, headmaster |
| Spouse | Christina Morrison née Fraser (m. 1855) |
| Children | 7 (4 sons, 3 daughters) |
Alexander Morrison (3 February 1829 – 31 May 1903) was a Scottish-born educator who was the headmaster of the Scotch College (Melbourne) for 47 years.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Morrison first taught in Scottish institutions in Moray, Scotland, and later at the Elgin Academy, King's College, and the University of Aberdeen.[2][3] He began teaching at Elgin Academy three years after graduating,[3] later becoming rector of St John's Grammar School, Hamilton for three years.[3] During this period, enrolment at the school doubled from 194 to 397.[3]
In 1855, Morrison married Christina Fraser.[3] The following year, after the resignation of the inaugural headmaster, Robert Lawson, Morrison accepted the position of headmaster at Scotch College.[3] He emigrated aboard the Essex with his wife, son, and younger brother Robert (who later became vice-principal at Scotch College from 1869 to 1904).[3] They arrived in Melbourne on 25 July 1857,[3] and Morrison began his duties the following month.[1]
Career in Australia
[edit]The University of Aberdeen conferred on Morrison the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1876.[4] He was the author of A First Latin Course.[1]
Legacy
[edit]Morrison had a 47-year tenure at Scotch College (from 1857 until his death in 1903).[1][2] In this period, the number of enrolled students grew significantly,[2] and in 1870, a larger proportion passed university examinations than at any previous point in the college's history.[5][6] Other masters included Weigall,[7] Alexander Sutherland,[7] and W. F. Ingram.[7]
Morrison died from heart failure on 31 May 1903 in Melbourne.[1] He was survived by four sons and three daughters.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Obituary - Alexander Morrison - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 "History - Scotch College". www.scotch.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 French, E. L., "Alexander Morrison (1829–1903)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 21 December 2023
- ↑ "Australian Schoolmasters". Australian Town and Country Journal. 1 September 1888. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ↑ "THE SCOTCH COLLEGE". Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers. 3 January 1870. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ↑ "Obiturary". The Argus (Melbourne). 16 June 1934. p. 20. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Scotch College". Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- E. L. French, 'Morrison, Alexander (1829 - 1903)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5, MUP, 1974, pp 295–297. Retrieved 2009-10-18
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Morrison, Alexander". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
