Reginald Augustus Frederick Murray

Reginald Augustus Frederick Murray (18 February 1846^[1] – 5 September 1925) was an Australian geologist.

Murray was born in Frimley, Surrey, England, the eldest child of Captain Virginius Murray^[1] (1817-1861) and his wife Elizabeth Alicia, née Poitier. He was brought to Australia in 1855 by his mother, 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.^[2]

In April 1862 Murray joined the Geological Survey of Victoria, directed by Alfred Selwyn, as field assistant to Charles Smith Wilkinson.^[2] 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.^[2]

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.

Murray died in Caulfield, Melbourne, Victoria.^[2]

References

1. Mennell, Philip (1892). " Murray, Reginald Augustus Frederick". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource 
2. T. G. Vallance, D. F. Branagan. "Murray, Reginald Augustus Frederick (1846–1925)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 27 December 2012.

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Murray, Reginald Augustus Frederick". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.