Robert Henry Muirhead Collins KCMG (1852 - 1927)

Born 20 Sep 1852 in Chew Magna, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Brush) Collins — married 30 Jul 1885 in Saint Kilda, Victoria (Australia)

Died 19 Apr 1927 at age 74 in Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Robert Collins KCMG is Notable.

Captain Sir Robert Henry Muirhead Collins KCMG was born on 20th September 1852 at The Beeches, Chew Magna, a village in the Chew Valley in north east Somerset, England, United Kingdom. He was the second son of Charles Collins, surgeon, and Henrietta Grosett, granddaughter of Admiral Grosett. ^[1]

Educated at Taunton and as a cadet in HMS Britannia, he entered the Navy in 1866, served in flying squadrons in 1868 and 1872 and on the Channel and Australian Stations to 1876. That year he was promoted Lieutenant. Retiring from the Royal Navy in 1877, Collins was appointed Lieutenant in the Victorian Permanent Naval Force. ^[2]

Collins married Elizabeth Brush on 30th July 1885 in All Saints Church of England (Anglican Church), St Kilda, Victoria. ^[3]

Being appointed Victorian Secretary for Defence on 12th April 1888, he continued as Commander on the unattached list until 1896 when he was retired with the rank of Captain. ^[2]

Upon the foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 Collins was appointed the inaugural Secretary to the Commonwealth Department of Defence. Under several Ministers, he ably administered the department in a time of rapid growth but financial stringency. He was a match for Lieutenant General Sir Edward Hutton, with whom he regularly quarrelled. Collins was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in June 1904 for his administrative services as 'secretary of the Department of Defence'. ^[4] In March 1906 he was seconded to London as official representative of the Commonwealth; handling large orders for defence stores, obtaining information on defence matters, and paving the way for an Australian High Commission. ^[2]

After his retirement in September 1917 the Collins' retired to Bath, Somerset. They returned to Australia in 1919 for a brief visit. Collins was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in June 1919. He passed away, aged 74 years, on 19th April 1927 in Bath ^[5] and is buried in St Andrew's churchyard, Chew Magna. ^[6] Sir Robert was survived by his wife, Lady Collins, and their son, Major Howell Grosett Collins. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Sep qtr 1852, vol 5c, page 616; registered at Clutton
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Cunneen, Chris and Smith, Ann G. 'Collins, Sir Robert Henry Muirhead (1852–1927)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1981; accessed online 7 Jun 2020
3. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #4137/1885
4. ↑ Australian Honours: CMG; accessed 20 Apr 2022
5. ↑ UK FreeBMD Death Index Jun qtr 1927, vol 5c, page 560
6. ↑ Find-a-Grave: Robert Henry Muirhead Collins; accessed 9 Jun 2020