Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank Richard Morrison was born on the 14th of April 1895 in Randwick, Sydney. He spent most of his life living in Waverley, NSW and he was the third child of Alexander John Thomas Morrison and Blanche Agnes, née Moss[1]. Morrison was an aspiring student who studied and eventually graduated from Sydney Technical High School; demonstrating his growing talents and capabilities in the field of chemistry specifically. He would continue to pursue his interest in chemistry whilst studying at Sydney Technical College part time, receiving a diploma in chemistry in 1922[2]. Morrison quickly found employment as a laboratory assistant at the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage on the 20th of July 1912. However, he was dissatisfied with his job and resigned after four years[3].

Morrison enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as a private on the 2nd of July 1918 when he was at the age of 23[4]. However, this was not his first time enlisting for the Australian Army as there were accounts of him fighting in the 24th Infantry Battalion previously[5]. The 24th Infantry Battalion had to be organised quickly to relieve other Australian forces around the world, especially in Gallipoli[6]. The 24th Infantry was formed in the first week of May in 1915 and they were deployed to Egypt for training from July to August[7]. Frank Richard Morrison experienced most of the brutality of the war whilst serving in the 24th Infantry Battalion. He did not see much action after the 24th Battalion disbanded as he was reassigned into the reinforcements and he spent much of his time at Australian Staging Camps in France where soldiers trained[8].

Relieved of duty on the 28th of October 1919[9], Morrison returned to Sydney to continue his passion in chemistry and science. He went back to the Technology Museum in Sydney and aided many other chemists such as Henry George Smith and most notably Arthur de Ramon Penfold, a well renowned economic chemist[10]. He collaborated with these chemists in scientific research for Australian natural products and their links with the economic exploitation[11]. He gained renown with his excellent knowledge in organic chemistry and laboratory methods of study in phytochemistry. He particularly enjoyed travelling around rural Australia for field-work collecting materials relative to his work[12].

Perhaps what Frank Richard Morrison is most famous for is his major contributions made to plant oil research and discovery, especially the Boronia plant species and eucalyptus[13]. He wrote many scientific publications along with Penfold who his partner at the time was, one such paper was the ‘Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales’. The Penfold-Morrison collaboration made crucial discoveries to plant substance research and they wrote numerous bulletins and articles for the Technological Museum[14].

On the 25th of February 1928 at the age of 32, Frank Richard Morrison married Pretoria Beryl Macdonald at St David’s Anglican Church in Arncliffe and together they had two children[15]. Frank continued to make contributions to the scientific study of chemistry, he supported professional institutions as an honorary secretary and he became the president of the Sydney Technical College Chemical Society, a very prestigious role from 1922 onwards to 1955[16]. Morrison also had prominent roles when he joined the Royal Society of NSW (RSNSW) including councillor, vice-president and even president of the RSNSW itself in 1950. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 1951[17], he travelled around the world and visited countries in Europe to inspect museums.

Frank Richard Morrison achieved many administrative positions throughout his life, he worked extremely hard to not only make himself a better person but others as well. His colleagues describe him as a “cheerful colleague of the utmost integrity” and he was well-liked by all his co-workers[18]. He was awarded a RSNSW medal in 1958 for his commendable actions in the Society’s organisation and adventures[19]. He finally retired in 1960 and he passed away on the 2nd of October 1967 peacefully in Hornsby hospital[20].

By Jonathan Lei

Sydney Technical High School

Bibliography

  Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Frank Richard Morrison - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-frank-richard-11176 [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].

Trove. (2018). Morrison, F. R. (Frank Richard) (1895-1967) - People and organisations. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/587010?c=people [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018]. 

Eoas.info. (2018). Morrison, Frank Richard - Biographical entry - Encyclopedia of Australian Science. [online] Available at: http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P002207b.htm [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].

Aif.adfa.edu.au. (2018). Details. [online] Available at: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=215224 [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].

Memorial, T. (2018). 24th Australian Infantry Battalion. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51464 [Accessed 15 Aug. 2018].

Royalsoc.org.au. (2018). RSNSW Medal - The Royal Society of NSW. [online] Available at: https://www.royalsoc.org.au/awards/royal-society-of-nsw-medal [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].                        

[1]  H. G. Holland and H. H. G. McKern, ‘Morrison, Frank Richard (1895–1967)’, in Australian Dictionary of Bibliography. Viewed of 22 August 2018. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-frank-richard-11176
[2] ibid

 
[3] ibid
[4] ‘Frank Richard MORRISON’, in Australian Imperial Force Project. Viewed 22 August 2018. https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=215224%
[5] ‘NAA: B2455, MORRISON FRANK RICHARD’, in National Australian Archives. Viewed 22 August 2018. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7985027&S=1&R=0
[6] ‘24th Australian Infantry Battalion’, in Australian War Memorial. Viewed 22 August 2018. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51464
[7] ibid
[8] H. G. Holland and H. H. G. McKern, op. cit.
[9] ibid
[10] ibid
[11] MCCARTHY, G.J. ‘Morrison, Frank Richard (1895 - 1967)’, in Encyclopedia of Australian Science. Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education. Last modified: 5 March 2018. Viewed 22 August 2018. http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P002207b.htm
[12] H. G. Holland and H. H. G. McKern, op. cit.
[13] ibid
[14] ibid
[15] ibid
[16] ibid
[17] ibid
[18] ibid
[19] ‘The Royal Society of New South Wales Medal’, in The Royal Society Of NSW. Viewed 22 August 2018. https://www.royalsoc.org.au/awards/royal-society-of-nsw-medal
[20] H. G. Holland and H. H. G. McKern, op. cit.

Frank Richard Morrison was born on the 14th of April 1895 to father, Alexander John Morrison, and mother, Blanche Agnes Moss. Frank lived on 11 Brae Street, Waverly, NSW. He had two brothers, Alexander White Morrison who was five years older than Frank, and Douglas Charles John Morrison who was five years younger than Frank. He also had two younger sisters, Blanche Ellen A. Morrison, who was two years younger than Frank, and Alice A. Morrison who died at birth in the year 1903. Frank’s father was a cement tester and his mother a homemaker. His family was of a Presbyterian background.

Frank graduated from Sydney Technical High School at the age of fifteen. He was an good student receiving C’s for most of his subjects, but was 6thin the grade for overall achievement and performance. [ii]  After school he got a job as a chemist for around five to seven years. In 1916 he applied for a job as the laboratory assistant to Henry George Smith, in the department of public instruction, for the ‘Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences,’ which is now called the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. This was his last job before joining the war in 1918.

Frank Richard Morrison, service number 60255, joined the 24th infantry of the 1st Battalion on the 2nd of July 1918. His rank was Private with embarkment roll number 13/111/6.[iii] After joining he waited in Australia for two months and two days for the HMAT A41, ‘Bakara’ to sail into Sydney Harbour to pick up new recruits. The famous ship sent to pick up the 24th Infantry weighed 5,930 tonnes with an average speed of 20km per hour.[iv]This ship had a history, being previously run by German officers until it was captured and given to Australia being transferred to the Commonwealth line. Frank spent more than two months on board the ‘Bakara’ sailing into enemy lines, but it was not his fate to fight in World War One because by the time Frank landed in Europe, the Armistice had been signed and military peace was achieved in Europe. Frank returned to Australia and his family on the 22ndof August 1919. [v]

After the war, Frank returned to his job as a laboratory assistant at the Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences in Sydney. Frank was single until the age of 33. In 1928 he met Pretoria Beryl Macdonald, whom he married on the 25thof February 1928 in Rockdale, NSW. After two years of marriage, Frank moved out of his parent’s house to live at 57 Union Street, West Kogarah in the year 1930. This was Frank’s first house of many, moving on to Barton; Arncliffe in 1933; Lane; and Arncliffe in 1936.[vi]This was where Frank and Pretoria had their first daughter together. Sadly, his daughter, Beryl Macdonald Morrison died at birth in 1936. In 1937, their son, Alexander Grant Morrison was born.

Frank’s mother passed away in 1943, and closely after his father died in 1945. After all this heart ache, Frank moved into his last residence in, Earlwood in 1949.[vii]This is where Frank spent the rest of his life with Pretoria Morrison. In 1950, while Frank was still working as a laboratory assistant, the Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences changed its name to the ‘Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences’. Frank Richard Morrison was promoted from laboratory assistant to director of the Museum on the 1st January, 1956.[viii] Here Frank worked for four years before retiring on the 13thof April 1960, at the age of 67.

Frank lived a peaceful life after retirement. On the 25th of January, 1962, Frank received an invitation to attend a reunion of old classmates from Sydney Technical High School. Not all men were able to attend with some having died in battle and some dying from other causes. Five years after Frank’s reunion, he died on the 2nd of October 1967 at the age of 72 in Hornsby Hospital.[ix] His wife lived for five years after Frank died.

Matthew Zeaiter
Year 9 - Sydney Technical High School
 
Bibliography
Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Frank Richard Morrison - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-frank-richard-11176 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
Ancestry.com. (2018). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
Awm.gov.au. (2018). Home | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2018].
Grades. (n.d.). [A3 paper] Sydney Technical High School, Sydney.
MORRISON Frank Richard: Service Number - 60255: Place of Birth - Waverly NSW: Place of Enlistment - Sydney NSW: Next of Kin - (Father) MORRISON Alexander John. (2018). [Enrolment form] 60255. Sydney.
National Archives of Australia. (2018). National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: http://naa.gov.au/ [Accessed 7 Jul. 2018].
RE-UNION. (2018). [Re-Union letter] Sydney Technical High School, Sydney.
STHS 1910-year photo's. (2018). [image].
Trove. (2018). Trove. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/ [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018].
Anzacs.org. (2018). Leaders of Anzacs - Anzac officers died at Gallipoli, 1915. [online] Available at: http://www.anzacs.org/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2018].
Rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au. (2018). Australian Soldiers, Memorials and Military History. [online] Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2018].
Tinyurl.com. (2018). Sydney Technical High School Honour Roll - Google Drive. [online] Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y7mmqayb [Accessed 14 Jul. 2018].

[i]MORRISON Frank Richard: Service Number - 60255: Place of Birth - Waverly NSW: Place of Enlistment - Sydney NSW: Next of Kin - (Father) MORRISON Alexander John. (2018). [Enrolment form] 60255. Sydney.
[ii]Grades. (n.d.). [A3 paper] Sydney Technical High School, Sydney.
[iii]Awm.gov.au. (2018). Home | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2018].
[iv]Awm.gov.au. (2018). Home | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2018].
[v]Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Frank Richard Morrison - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-frank-richard-11176 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
[vi]Ancestry.com. (2018). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
[vii]Ancestry.com. (2018). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
[viii]Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Frank Richard Morrison - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-frank-richard-11176 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
[ix]Ancestry.com. (2018). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].