Fitzroy Jardine MSc BA (1896 - 1964)

Born 3 Mar 1896 in Rockhampton, Queensland (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Adah Kathleen (Williams) Jardine — married 29 Dec 1945 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

Died 3 Aug 1964 at age 68 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

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descendant of George Patfield, see Paddle to Australia

Biography

Fitzroy Jardine MSc BA is Notable.

Fitzroy Jardine MSc BA was born in the Colony of Queensland (1859-1900)

Fitzroy Jardine MSc BA was born on 3rd March 1896 in Rockhampton, Queensland (Australia). He was the fifith and youngest son of Robert Jardine and Mary Pearce. ^[1] Fitzroy was a great great grandson of convicts George Patfield (Neptune 1790), Mary O'Brien (Bellona 1793), Thomas Anlezark (Perseus 1802) and Ann Starmer (Experiment 1804). Thomas Anlezark became famous as a Trooper in the Vinegar Hill convict uprising of March 1804.

Aged almost five years when Queensland joined the other five British colonies to federate as the Commonwealth of Australia, Fitzroy later attended North Rockhampton Primary School and Rockhampton Grammar School. ^[2]

Fitzroy Jardine MSc BA is a Military Veteran.
Served in the British Royal Air Force 1917-1919
No.243 Squadron

Sailing to England in 1917, Fitzroy qualified as a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and was appointed temporary Flight Sub Lieutenant. In April 1918 he transferred to the newly-formed Royal Air Force (RAF - from the merge of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps) and was sent to France where he served as an acting flight commander and flight navigating officer with No.243 Squadron (the RNAS No.43 Squadron prefixed with a '2'). He was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry. He resigned his commission in 1919, following the war. ^[2]

Fitzroy was science master (1928-36) and head master (1936-64) at Rockhampton Grammar School.

On his return to Australia, Fitzroy entered the University of Sydney on a repatriation scholarship, from which he graduated with first-class honours with Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1924 and Master of Science (MSc) in 1929. The responsibility of caring for his parents and two unmarried sisters induced him to accept the post of science master at Rockhampton Grammar School (RGS) in 1928. He was appointed headmaster in 1936; becoming the school's longest-serving headmaster and having a significant influence on education in Central Queensland. ^[2]

He also continued flying; in 1932 becoming an honorary examining officer of local pilot-licence applicants for the Department of Civil Aviation. ^[2]

Fitzroy married Adah Kathleen Williams, a fellow school teacher, on 29th December 1945 in the Williams family home Stanleigh, Caroline Street, Rockhampton, according to Methodist rites and officiated at by the Reverend Reginald Dingle. Kathleen, as she was known, was then 27 years of age and Fitzroy 49. ^[3] The Morning Bulletin reported briefly on the wedding (edited for readability): ^[4]

"JARDINE-WILLIAMS - The marriage took place on 29th December, between Fitzroy, youngest son of the late Robert and Mrs Jardine, "Campania', North Rockhampton, and Kathleen, younger daughter of C Stanley and Mrs Williams, "Stanleigh", Caroline Street, Rockhampton. The Reverend R S C Dingle officiated."

Aged 68 years, Fitzroy passed away of a coronary occlusion on 3rd August 1964 in Rockhampton Grammar School and his ashes placed in North Rockhampton Cemetery. His wife, son and daughter survived him. ^[5][6]

In 1957, the new science buildings at RGS were completed and named the Jardine Science Block, in Fitzroy's honour.

Fitzroy's extensive ethnographic collection from the Rockhampton and Fitzroy region, as well as the Torres Strait Islands, the North Queensland rainforests, Central Australia, the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands is held by the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, Rockhampton. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #1896/C/9750
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Gistitin, Carol. 'Jardine, Fitzroy (1896–1964)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996; accessed online 18 Jun 2020
3. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1946/C/1002
4. ↑ Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954) Tue 1 Jan 1946 Page 4 Family Notices; accessed 9 Nov 2022
5. ↑ Queensland Death Index #1964/C/4680
6. ↑ FindAGrave: database and images, memorial page for Fitzroy Jardine; Died: 1 Sep 1964; Cemetery: North Rockhampton Cemetery, Rockhampton, Queensland; Find A Grave: Memorial #160453038; maintained by: BB; created by: BKGeni; accessed: 13 Jan 2024

See also

• Gistitin, Carol. 'Jardine, Fitzroy (1896–1964)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996; accessed online 18 Jun 2020.