Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

1886
Born February 1886 in Kaneira Victoria as the 10th child and 4th son of the late John and Elizabeth McMurtrie His father died on 19th December 1910 and his mother died on 6th January 1916
Kaneira was a small township, originally called Sutherland's Town, which had grown in the 1890s as selectors moved into the surrounding district. Despite opposition in Parliament the railway was extended in 1893-94, firstly from Wycheproof to Kaneira then to Sea Lake. The line to Kaneira was built by men from Melbourne put out of work in the 1890s depression. A canvas town sprang up at Kaneira to house the workers, among them some described as "rowdies", requiring two constables to be stationed in the town. These men were allegedly responsible for what has become known as the "Kaneira Riots" in which a group of navvies took over the town and wrought havoc. A pitched battle with the police ensued during which a rioter was shot in the leg. He later died of the wound in Wycheproof Hospital.
To provide a source of water for the steam locomotives a 20,000 cubic yard dam was constructed nearby. Unseasonal torrential rain fell that summer and filled the dam as construction was nearly completion. This was later to become Culgoa's community swimming hole.
In 1920 Kaneira became Culgoa. A name change was deemed necessary due to the railways' system of consigning goods. The custom was to use the first syllable of the town's name to designate the destination. There was as a result confusion as both Kaneira and Kaniva were designated KAN. As the smaller town Kaneira was forced to change its name - to Culgoa. The name Kaneira remains in the name of the local hotel.
Much of the historical background is from Anne McClelland's Strong Hands, Strong Hearts, Kaneira-Culgoa 1890-1980, (1980)


1913
John Galsworthy’s great Labor vs Capital drama, STRIFE opened at the Athenaeum Hall on Saturday 20th September. The Repertory Company is strengthened by the inclusion of Mr H E McMurtrie in the role of Simon Harness. A revival performance was given of STRIFE at the Amphitheatre (20 Bourke Street Melbourne) on Saturday 18 October.
On Saturday 13th December, the Melb Repertory Theatre Co. repeated their dual bill of George Bernard Shaw’s “Candida” and “The Mate”, a clever love story by the Austrian dramatist Arthur Schnitzler. In The Mate, the principals, including Mr H E McMurtrie as Dr Hausmann, were again very successful.
1914
Hector was cast in the role of Martin, a foreman in the employ of the pottery firm Rutherford and Son, which is the title of a new play performed at the Melbourne Theatre Royal on Thursday 26th March. Rutherford senior turns his daughter from the home because she has sought solace for a starved heart in the love of Martin. The Melbourne Leader reviewed the performance with
“Mr H E McMurtrie was offered an almost impossible task in making Martin realisable, but he was quiet and restrained.”
The Argus commented
“Martin, foreman of the glassworks, was cleverly touched in by Mr H E McMurtrie. The play was received with enthusiasm, and at each curtain the company was awarded an ovation which it richly merited.”

1915
Two performances of “The Trojan Women” were performed at the Athenaeum Hall on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th May. The role of Talthybius was played by Mr H E McMurtrie.
The monthly meeting of the Austral Salon was held on Thursday evening, September 16, Madame Zacutti in the chair. The routine business was dealt with and subsequently the members were entertained by Miss Ivy Scorer and Mr H E McMurtrie with an amusing dialogue entitled “Gentleman Jim”

On Saturday 27th November the Melb Repertory Co. niched another emphatic success when performing The Price of Thomas Scott at the Melbourne Athenaeum. Mr McMurtrie somehow made it appear as if Annie might at any moment slip down his capacious mouth.
Hector was an accomplished elocutionist, and on the 1st December performed at a GRAND DRAMATIC RECITAL in aid of Australian wounded soldiers and the Red Cross Society. The recital was held at the Essendon Town Hall and admittance was 2 shillings and 1 shilling. Others to perform at the recital were Miss Ivy Scorer and students, Miss Florrie Gordon and Mr Geo Jennings.

1916
On Friday 20th October 1916, Hector again distinguished himself at the Ballarat South Street competitions by winning, among other items, the open recitation for gentlemen. He established a record at Ballarat by gaining 8 first prizes. During the previous years he also won a number of championships and over 200 pounds in prize money.
Enlisted in AIF at age 31 on 14th December 1916 and was given the Regimental number 1101. His religion was stated as Presbyterian and his occupation was Architect. He listed his NOK as his eldest surviving sibling, Miss J(ane) McMurtrie of Kaniera Victoria. He was immediately allocated to the Australian Survey Corps on the same day (14th December) with the Rank of Warrant Officer (Class I). His details on enlistment were 5’ 8” tall, weighed 150 lbs; chest was 34-38 inches, fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. The examining medic was Major Paul G Done(?) AAMC

1917
After a brief visit to his friends and relatives in Wycheproof and Kaneira, Hector embarked for Rabaul with Aust Survey Corps on 23rd January. His embarkation was on the Burns Philp vessel the SS Morinda.
Hector arrived in Rabaul on 9th February from Australia and was taken on strength of the Aust Navy and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) within the Survey Corps. The authority was B.O. 162
The Rabaul Record of 1st March reported on page 2:
“The nucleus of a Staff Survey Corp arrived at Rabaul by last “Morinda”. It consisted of Maj. Cummins, Capts. Charlton, Moore and Hunt and W.O. McMurtrie. These officers are attached to the department of the D.J.A.G. (Deputy Judge Advocate General), and their duties will be to complete all surveys of the land in occupation of firms and planters throughout the Territory. Large areas of such land have still to be dealt with, and a start has been made of certain plantations in Bougainville.”

At the Australian War Memorial, in the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 Volume X – The Australians at Rabaul it states on Page 283 :-
By February, 1917, the difficulties had been overcome. In that month four surveyors who had had a long course of training and experience of field surveying in rough bush country-Major Cummins,' and Captains Charlton, Moore and Hunt arrived at Rabaul, and were forthwith attached to the survey branch. Of these, Cummins, who was appointed Chief Surveyor, and Charlton had already carried out surveys in Java and the Malay States, and were thus thoroughly familiar with tropical conditions. Moore and Hunt were experienced government surveyors from South Australia and New South Wales respectively. The services of a capable draughtsman, Warrant-Oficer McMurtrie, whose work deserves special mention, had also been obtained.

The Rabaul Record of 1st March reported on page 5, under the heading RABAUL ENTERTAINERS
“The following program was presented by the Entertainers on Saturday, Feb 24th, and as usual, the audience highly appreciated the efforts made to amuse them:-
Sketch, Richelieu, by Lord Lytton: Cardinal Richelieu was played by Hector McMurtrie; ………..
……..recitation, Hector McMurtrie. …….
…. It would be impossible to single out any item in the program for special mention, as every turn was excellent, but we trust to see a good deal of the new discovery, Hector McMurtrie, who is an elocutionist of no mean order”
The next (April) edition described the 9th March concert thus:-
“W.O. McMurtrie, a recent addition to the garrison, possesses good talent as an elocutionist, and rendered “The Blind Stockman” in an able manner.”

Just to show his versatility, the October edition devoted a story to the OPENING OF BAND ROTUNDA which spoke at length about the opening of the new band rotunda in the Botanical Gardens by the Rabaul Administrator.
“He expressed regret that W.O. McMurtrie, who had designed the structure, and who had been an active member of the band since his arrival in Rabaul, was unable to be present owing to illness”

Hector left Rabaul for Australia on the SS Marsina for discharge on the 21st October under authority M22/493. Having proceeded to Australia for discharge he was struck off the strength of the Force (AN&MEF) under authority of Rabaul Orders 172/2-1917 and 791/1-1917.

He was Discharged as medically unfit at the 3rd Military District on 7th December, ex AIF ex “Marsina” (M.22/1448)

It was reported in the Mount Wycheproof Ensign and East Wimmera Advocate on Friday 7th December that :
“WO H McMurtrie, well known in the Kaneira and Wycheproof districts, has returned to Australia from German New Guinea, suffering with malarial fever. His condition caused his relatives a deal of anxiety.”

1918
A musical afternoon was held in the Sydney Wentworth Hotel Japanese Garden on Monday the 4th March. Mr H E McMurtrie was amongst those who contributed to the enjoyable programme which was reported in the Sydney Sunday Times.

Hector married Lizzie Thomson at Scots Church cnr Collins and Russel Streets Melbourne on 3rd June 1918. Service was performed by the Reverend A Marshall D.D.
Lizzie was the youngest daughter of the late Magnus Winwick Thomson of 127 Collins Street Melbourne.

The Mount Wycheproof Ensign and East Wimmera Advocate reported the wedding in its Friday 5th July edition as:
“McMURTRIE – THOMSON
A pretty military wedding was celebrated on 3rd June in Scot’s Church, Collins Street, by Rev Dr Marshall, when Mr Hector McMurtrie, a well-known elocutionist, second son of the late Mr and Mrs J McMurtrie, of Kaneira, was married to Miss Lizzie Thomson, daughter of Mrs and the late Mr M.W. Thomson, of Collins Street, Melbourne. The bride was given away by her uncle, wore a fawn-colored gabardine costume, and fawn-crushed straw hat with pink roses, and was attended by a bridesmaid in navy blue costume and hat to match.
Mr Thomson (brother of the Bride) was best man. As the happy couple left the church they were showered with confetti. A wedding tea was held at Sargeant’s Café, where the newly married couple received numerous congratulations. The usual toasts were proposed and honoured. A valuable collection of wedding presents was received.”
Following a brief honeymoon, Warrant Officer McMurtrie was put in charge of the North Coast session of the March to Freedom which was one of several official recruiting marches to occur in NSW during 1918. It commenced at Dungog on the 25th July and terminated at Murwillumbah on 18th September.

Accompanying this march as a speaker was No. 588 Pte William Jackson, VC. He is one of the three soldiers marching behind the flag, possibly the taller man in the centre. Jackson was 5’ 10’’ tall when he enlisted and had his right arm amputated immediately after the action occurred for which the VC was awarded.
The Lismore Northern Star of 31st August 1918 reported that, “owing to his ill-health and nerve shock, WO McMurtrie has been compelled to return to Sydney, causing some alteration to the programme previously laid down for that night in the Federal Hall.”
1919
Hector died on the 19th April 1919 at 127 Collins Street Melbourne. He was buried on Monday 21st April after a brief 11am service. The service was performed at Jones Bros Undertakers 199 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Phone 361 Central. Friends were respectfully invited to follow his remains to the Brighton Cemetery. He is buried in the Presbyterian Section “J” 110, burial number 12727 and the official cause of death was Pneumonic Influenza Cardiac failure.
The great disaster of his death was that he died on the same day as his best man and brother-in-law, Magnus Donald Thomson aged 22 years. Hector’s wife Lizzie thus lost both her husband and only brother on the same day. They were buried in the same plot at Brighton together with her father, Magnus Winwick Thomson.
1922
On the 20th October 1922, his widow advised the Australian Military Forces that her new address was 34 Little Collins Street Melbourne. On the 26th October the Repatriation Dept. notified Base Records, Victoria Barracks that the cause of death of H.E. McMurtrie has been accepted as due to War Service. Mrs McMurtrie is now in receipt of full widow’s pension.
1924
On 12th June 1924 Lizzie advised the AMF that she had re-married and was now Mrs L Walton (Kenneth James Walton) and could be contacted c/- Mrs Burns, Russel Street, opp. Musgrave Park, South Brisbane Queensland.
1925
On 27th June a Form of Warrant was sent to his widow and was returned unclaimed (British War Medal 3/62 No 61264)