Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Malcolm George Douglas Murray was born on the 4th January 1887, the son of Pulteney Malcolm Borthwick Murray and Rebecca Brown (SA Birth Registration 388/166). He was known by his third forename, Douglas.

Schooling

Douglas attended St Peter’s College from 1897 to 1905. In 1901 he won the College Chemistry Prize and in 1905 he passed the Senior Public Examinations.

He competed in the College Sports from 1899 and in the Intercollegiate Sports from 1900. At the 1903 College sports he set a new Broad (Long) Jump record of 18’ 11”. He broke his own record in 1904 jumping 19’ 2¼” and again in 1905 jumping 19’ 10¼”. In 1905 Douglas was second in the St Peter’s College Cup and had the honour of captaining the Inter-Collegiate side. Douglas won the Long Jump at the 1904 and 1905 Inter-Collegiate contests, creating a new record in 1905 by jumping 20’ 1” and winning by over 2½ feet. His Inter-Collegiate record was not broken until 1912.

In 1904 Douglas competed in the Inter-Collegiate Gymnastics competition winning the Jumping (6’ 0”) and Tiger Leaping Events and in 1905 he was equal first in the Tiger Leaping (7’ 3”).

Douglas also played Intercollegiate Football in 1903-05.

Adelaide University

Douglas commenced studying toward a Bachelor of Science degree at Adelaide University in 1906 but in July 1907 he departed for England to commence a BA at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Sport

Athletics

In the South Australian Amateur Athletics competition in April 1906 Douglas came second in the Broad Jump and in September 1906 he went one better, winning the contest. He represented the University in the 1906 Inter Varsity Athletics competition.

Football

In 1906 Douglas played for Adelaide University in the Adelaide and Suburban competition.

Cricket

Also a cricketer, Douglas was not able to play for the University as team did not enter official competition in the SACA until 1908/09. However, in the 1906/07 season he represented Havelock in one of the suburban grades. He scored 108 runs in 8 innings with a high score of 39 not out and an average of 14.6 , he took 9 wickets in 31.2 overs at an average of 12.6.

Cambridge University

In later July 1907, Douglas left for the UK to commence studying at Trinity College, Cambridge and by April 1908 he had been selected to represent the Cambridge in the 120 yards hurdles at the Inter Varsity Athletics competition.

Douglas represented Australia at the Olympic Games in London but was beaten in the heats of the 400 yards hurdles.

In 1909 Douglas represented Trinity College at the Cambridge University Sports and Cambridge University in the Intervarsity Sports. He won the long jump at both events, jumping 20’ 11” for Trinity and 22’ ½“ for Cambridge. He also won the 100 yards flat and 120 yards hurdles for Trinity.

The following year, Douglas won the Inter-Varsity Long Jump with a leap of 21’ 5½“ however in 1911, Douglas did not reproduce his best form and came second in the event.

While At Trinity College, Cambridge Douglas spent three years in King Edward’s Light Horse (composed of four squadrons of colonial volunteers resident in the UK). He rose to the rank of Lieutenant.

Farming

In 1912 Douglas returned to Australia and acquired Pinnacle Estate, near Grenfell in the central west of NSW. He married Margaret Louise Campbell on the 8th March 1913 at Magill. The couple spent part of their honeymoon at the Australia Hotel in Sydney.

Douglas continued farming after WWI broke out and stated in February 1915 that he “would go to the front now but for his wife.” From March 1915 Douglas and Margaret (“Madge”) spent a couple of month in Adelaide. While in Adelaide their daughter Mary (Molly) Campbell Murray was born. Back in NSW, Douglas, of the firm, Murray and Warren, who were large wheat growers on their Pinnacle Estate, motored over to Woodlands to get first hand evidence of the Governments attempts to grow wheat in that area

In July 1916 Douglas was sworn in as a Justice of the Peace in NSW In November 1916 the Government proclaimed a number of holdings which it is intended to acquire under the Closer Settlement Act. This proclamation included Pinnacle Estate. However the couple were still, of Pinnacle Station, when on the 9th February 1917, at Darlinghurst, their son (Alexander (Alec) George Campbell Murray) was born.

The book, ‘Fallen Saints’, states that Douglas then farmed at Magill, SA. Madge’s address on Douglas’ enlistment was Park Terrace, Parkside (now Greenhill Rd).

World War I

On the 3rd of October 1917 Douglas enlisted at the Mitcham Camp as a Private in the 9th Light Horse (SN 3647). He was 30 years and 9 months old, 5’ 8” tall, with a medium complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair (going bald).

He embarked from Sydney on the S.S. ‘Port Darwin’ on the 30th April 1918. He disembarked at the Suez on 7th June 1918. He served briefly with the G.S. Rifles and was an Acting Corporal.

Death

Douglas became ill with dysentery and was sent to the French Hospital in Damascus, Syria where he died of disease on 25th October 1918. He was buried at the Damascus Protestant Cemetery. His is described in the obituaries below as a Corporal perhaps due to his period of acting in that role.

Trooper Malcolm George Douglas Murray's name is located at panel 7 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Legacy

Madge took Molly and Alec to England from June 1923 to December 1924. In April 1936 Mary Campbell Murray and Alexander George Campbell Murray each inherited the income on £5,000 from the estate of their great Aunt, Miss Margaret Tinline Murray (the sister of Chief Justice, Sir George Murray).

The family lived at Avenel Gardens, Medindie and frequently spent summers at Henley Beach. Madge and Molly spent much of 1939 in the UK and travelling on the continent. Alec attended St Peter’s College and later became a renowned photographer. He moved to Sydney then to London. In 1949 he was appointed London photographer for the American publication ‘Theatre Arts’ and in 1952 he travelled to Kenya to photograph Clarke Gabel and Ava Gardner.

Madge later took an apartment at Greenways, North Adelaide. Molly was ‘Miss Molly Murray, of Kensington Close, London’ in March 1954 and had booked a passage to return to Australia in October.

Margaret Louise Murray died on the 28th June 1971 and was cremated at Centennial Park, SA.

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared by Beth Filmer for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (with assistance from Rob O'Shannassy & Janne Filmer) please see the document attached or the Adelaide University site AdelaideConnect at
https://connect.adelaide.edu.au/nodes/view/25789