R. M. Murray
Russell Mervyn Murray, commonly referred to as R. M. Murray, was general manager of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. Ltd, Queenstown, Tasmania for 22 years. Unusually for a mining man, his entire career of 44 years was spent at one location and for one company.
History
Murray was born in Elliminyt, south of Colac, Victoria in 1877, elder son of Andrew Strachan Murray and Florence Eleanor Murray, née Blunden.Murray was a prize-winning student at several short-lived private schools: Colac Grammar School 1890, Manifold House Ladies' School 1891, before matriculating from Colac College 1895.
He entered the University of Melbourne in 1896, and graduated Bachelor of Civil Engineering with honors in 1899, and was awarded the Dixson scholarship.
He joined the Mount Lyell company as a junior engineer in 1900, and became engineer in charge of mines following the death of W. T. Batchelor on 27 October 1906. Every stage in his rise in the Company was resisted by general manager Robert Sticht, who saw him as an ineffectual intellectual, constitutionally unable to deal with the Union in the tough unyielding manner that characterised Sticht's leadership.
Sticht, manager since 1897, died in April 1922 and Murray was appointed his successor, but at a little over half the salary. Despite a world-wide reduction in demand for copper and low-cost competition from Africa and the Americas, Murray was able to increase production from 140,000 tons in 1922 to 1,500,000 tons in 1943 and maintain dividends for the shareholders and employment for the workers, though at a considerable cost to the environment. He was highly regarded by the workers, who remembered his brave exertions during the disaster, and appreciated his cool decisiveness and concern for the amenity of the town.
Murray was instrumental in the adoption of electrolytic refining of copper, made possible by Tasmania's then abundance of cheap hydroelectric power.
Murray retired as general manager of Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. Ltd in October 1944, and was succeeded by Arthur H. P. Moline. He died in Melbourne and his remains were cremated at Springvale.
Family
Murray married Vivienne "Viva" Douglas sometime around 15 November 1905. She was the fourth daughter of Arthur Cunningham Douglas, at one time postmaster general of Hobart, and his wife Susan Elizabeth Douglas, née Tapfield. Their three sons and two daughters, all of whom held degrees from Melbourne University include:- Hugh Mervyn Murray engaged to Nora Nel Scott-Power in 1942. He was manager of the flotation mill in 1935, general superintendent at Mount Lyell Mines in 1945, appointed general manager 1948.
- Strahan Murray married Joyce Tabart of Queenstown on 24 April 1936, ran sheep station "Wongan", near Beaufort, Victoria
- Ben Murray
- Fay Murray MSc was researcher with Melbourne University, then Fisheries section of CSIR, Cronulla, New South Wales.
- Marjory Murray Conservatorium of Music, East Melbourne in 1931
Vivienne, who was active in the Child Welfare Association from its inception, was a sister of Kathleen Louisa Douglas, who married William Vincent Legge, also of Margery Lenore Douglas who married Capt. Edward Carleton Stubbs RN on 9 October 1914.
Percy Cunningham Douglas OBE, Deputy-Commissioner of Federal Taxation in Hobart, was a brother≈.
R. M. Murray had a brother Rex Murray living on the Australian mainland. In 1905, while a metallurgy student at Bairnsdale School of Mines, a glass vessel exploded and he was blinded in one eye. By cruel misfortune the unaffected eye was practically useless owing to a cataract.
Other interests
- Murray was a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a councillor from 1923, and president in 1927.
- He was elected Warden of Gormanston municipality in 1920 and was re-elected each year for the rest of his life.
- He was instrumental in the foundation of the Mount Lyell School of Mines, and served as its Patron.
- He was also behind the foundation of the Queenstown Brass Band, and was elected its Patron in 1934.