Marjorie Elsie Morrow (1906-2003)
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Marjorie Morrow was born in Robertson on the southern highlands of New South Wales in 1906, the first child of Elsie (nee Brooker) and Stanley Morrow. Stanley was almost certainly a teacher judging by his moves around the state: Rylstone in 1907, then Mudgee, Neville, Hay, and Kangaloon in the southern highlands in 1917 where Marjorie got second prize in the Robertson agricultural show for plain writing.
In the following year Marjorie was in second class at Bowral Presbyterian Sabbath School and received a book for examination work. In connection with the Higher Education Examination, Marjorie gained a first class certificate. By 1921 the family was living at Singleton where, at the opening of the Empire Day celebrations, 15-year-old Marjorie sang the National Anthem, after which there was a brief address from the mayor before Marjorie 'broke' the Union Jack and those present gave three hearty cheers for the flag. In the 1923 Leaving Certificate examination Marjorie Elsie Morrow of Sydney Girls High School was awarded first class honours in Botany and second class honours in English. This guaranteed her matriculation to Sydney University's Science faculty where in 1924 she earned a distinction in Botany, and in 1926 a distinction in Geology. In 1928 she passed her Diploma of Education and was ready for a teaching position. Her first appointment in 1929 was probably to Petersham Girls Intermediate High School. In 1934 she was appointed to West Maitland High School and within weeks was sent to Newcastle Girls High where she rose to the position of Science mistress. |
In 1940 Marjorie began a series of biology lectures with the Workers' Educational Association which held its meeting in 'The Sun' building in Newcastle. The lecture titles are interesting– 'The Meaning of Life'; 'The Records of the Rocks'; 'Man's Dependence on the Plant World'; and 'The Pine Forests of Today and Yesterday'. As World War II progressed she adapted her topics and gave such lectures as 'Food Preservation with Special Reference to Feeding the Troops'; and 'Rats, Lice and History'. |
She remained at Newcastle Girls High until the end of 1945 when she accepted a temporary position as lecturer in biology at the fledgling Balmain Teachers College. She was appointed, like most others at the time on a provisional basis, in case the college turned out to be a flop. In her interview with Judy Taylor in 1994, she described it this way:
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In 1949, when she was offered an exchange position at Hereford Training College in England, she was only lukewarm about the idea until her mother, as mother's do, told her she'd be mad not to go as she might not get the chance again. So in July 1949 Marjorie took leave from the Department of Education, booked her passage and went. At Hereford Training College she found an institution that had twice the enrolment of Balmain Teachers College. The building and grounds were in stark contrast to those at Balmain. |
Alton Greenhalgh, the vice-principal of Balmain Teachers College, had also taken leave, at the same time as Marjorie, to visit educational institutions in England, and it just so happened that he and Marjorie left Liverpool on the same night, although taking different routes to get back to Australia. Alton went via America while Marjorie took the boat directly home and was seasick all the way.
The Newcastle Morning Herald had fond memories of Marjorie from when she had been the long-time teacher at the local girls high school. In September 1950 it ran a long article on her activities overseas: |
'MISS MARJORIE MORROW, former Science Mistress at Newcastle Girls' High School, who was on exchange to Hereford Training College, England, for a year, arrived back in Australia this week, bringing with her a picture of Queen Elizabeth chatting to her at a garden party given by Lady Astor. 'I feel that the pictorial evidence will help convince my more sceptical friends.' … Miss Morrow spent a week in Devon and Cornwall after she had arrived in England in July last year, before going to the Continent. She flew from London to Paris, then continued on to the French Riviera, Italy, and Switzerland, then returned to Paris and London. She was present at La Scala, Milan, for the opening night of the 1950 Italian opera season. 'It was indeed a spectacle,' Miss Morrow wrote. 'But I think the loveliest thing was arriving at Andermatt, Switzerland, at 6.45 p.m. in brilliant moonlight. The snow plough cleared the line ahead of us, and on arrival I was met by a hotel porter in a sleigh complete with tinkling bells. There was a fairy-like quality about that sleigh ride in a glittering white world.'
Hereford Training College (for Women) in 1933. It was similar to Balmain Teachers College, in that it was a two-storeyed structure, had a roof, windows and chimneys. There the similarities ended. |