Reginald Augustus Frederick Murray
Encyclopedia
Reginald Augustus Frederick Murray (18 February 1846 – 5 September 1925) was an Australia
n geologist
.
Murray was born in Frimley
, Surrey
, England
, the eldest child of Captain Virginius Murray (1817-1861) and his wife Elizabeth Alicia, née Poitier. He was brought to Australia in 1855 by his mother in 1855, three years after his father had migrated there. Murray was educated at Rev. T. P. Fenner's, (M.A) private school at South Yarra
, Melbourne
. Murray left school in 1860, and worked on a cattle run near Avoca, Victoria
and later had some success as a gold prospector.
In April 1862 Murray joined the Geological Survey of Victoria, directed by Alfred Selwyn
, as field assistant to Charles Smith Wilkinson
. Murray had experience in Bacchus Marsh
, Ballan
, the Otway ranges, and many other districts. When the Geological Survey was terminated on economic grounds in 1869, Murray engaged in mining and mining surveying in the Ballarat
district. He joined the government service again in 1871, and made geological surveys of the Bendigo
and Ballarat goldfields. Murray did a lot of pioneering surveying in Gippsland
much of which had not been explored; some of this was done with Alfred William Howitt
.
In 1881 Murray was appointed geological surveyor for the department of mines, Victoria
, and remained until his resignation in 1897. He afterwards held appointments with various English mining companies and in his later years did a good deal of prospecting work. Murray died on 5 September 1925. He married twice and was survived by sons and daughters of both marriages. In 1887 he published a capable volume, Victoria: Geology and Physical Geography, and a large number of his reports and maps will be found listed in Bulletin No. 23 of the geological survey of Victoria, p. 33. He was a hard-working and able geologist, who did excellent exploring and pioneering geological work in Victoria and particularly in relation to mining country.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
.
Murray was born in Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the eldest child of Captain Virginius Murray (1817-1861) and his wife Elizabeth Alicia, née Poitier. He was brought to Australia in 1855 by his mother in 1855, three years after his father had migrated there. Murray was educated at Rev. T. P. Fenner's, (M.A) private school at South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Murray left school in 1860, and worked on a cattle run near Avoca, Victoria
Avoca, Victoria
Avoca is a town in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia, north west of Ballarat. It is one of two main towns in the Pyrenees Shire, the other being Beaufort to the south. At the 2006 census, Avoca had a population of 951.-Geography:...
and later had some success as a gold prospector.
In April 1862 Murray joined the Geological Survey of Victoria, directed by Alfred Selwyn
Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn
Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn, CMG, LL.D, FRS, FGS was a British geologist, director of the Geological Survey of Victoria from 1852–1869, director of Geological Survey of Canada 1869–1894 and President of the Royal Society of Canada 1895-1896.-Early life:Selwyn was born in Kilmington, Somerset,...
, as field assistant to Charles Smith Wilkinson
Charles Smith Wilkinson
Charles Smith Wilkinson was an Australian geologist. He became geological surveyor in charge in New South Wales in 1875 and was president of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1887.-Early life:...
. Murray had experience in Bacchus Marsh
Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Bacchus Marsh is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately west of Melbourne and west of Melton. The population of the urban area is estimated at over 17,000 people, while the central locality is home to 5,566 people...
, Ballan
Ballan, Victoria
Ballan is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River north west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Ballan had a population of 1,807.It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area....
, the Otway ranges, and many other districts. When the Geological Survey was terminated on economic grounds in 1869, Murray engaged in mining and mining surveying in the Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
district. He joined the government service again in 1871, and made geological surveys of the Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
and Ballarat goldfields. Murray did a lot of pioneering surveying in Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
much of which had not been explored; some of this was done with Alfred William Howitt
Alfred William Howitt
Alfred William Howitt was an Australian anthropologist and naturalist.-Background:Howitt was born in Nottingham, England, the son of authors William Howitt and Mary Botham. He came to the Victorian gold fields in 1852 with his father and brother to visit his uncle, Godfrey Howitt...
.
In 1881 Murray was appointed geological surveyor for the department of mines, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and remained until his resignation in 1897. He afterwards held appointments with various English mining companies and in his later years did a good deal of prospecting work. Murray died on 5 September 1925. He married twice and was survived by sons and daughters of both marriages. In 1887 he published a capable volume, Victoria: Geology and Physical Geography, and a large number of his reports and maps will be found listed in Bulletin No. 23 of the geological survey of Victoria, p. 33. He was a hard-working and able geologist, who did excellent exploring and pioneering geological work in Victoria and particularly in relation to mining country.