Edward Charles Stirling
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Charles Stirling (8 September 1848 – 20 March 1919) was an Australia
n anthropologist
and the first professor of physiology at the University of Adelaide
.
, the eldest son of Edward Stirling and his wife Harriett, née Taylor
Edward (Senior) was a partner in Elder Stirling and Company before that firm became Elder Smith and Company, was a nominated member of the 1855 legislative council, and was an elected member of the 1857 legislative council. E. C. Stirling was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide
, and Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he graduated B.A. with honours in natural science in 1869, M.A. and M.B. in 1872, and M.D. in 1880. Stirling was admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
(FRCS) in 1874.
, London
, and eventually became assistant surgeon and lecturer on physiology and operative surgery. Stirling visited South Australia
in 1875, married Jane, eldest daughter of Joseph Gilbert
on 27 June 1877 and took his new wife to London for medical treatment. Stirling returned to Adelaide
for good in 1881, and in the following year was appointed lecturer in physiology at the University of Adelaide
where he helped found the medical school.
In 1884 Stirling was elected to the South Australian Legislative Assembly for North Adelaide and sat for three years. There he proved an innovator and speaker for the rights of women, becoming the first person in Australasia to introduce a bill for women’s suffrage. On 22 July 1885, the year after his election, he proposed the following motion for women’s suffrage:
'That in the opinion of this House, women… who fulfil the conditions and possess the qualifications on which the parliamentary franchise for the Legislative Council is granted to men, shall, like them, be admitted to the franchise for both Houses of Parliament.'
He then expanded on his argument for women’s suffrage using the following quote from Plato
:
'There is no natural difference between the sexes except in strength and both should equally participate in the Government of the State.'
By this time he had four daughters of his own, and he wanted them to grow up in a fairer society. Then in 1886 he introduced a formal bill for women’s suffrage into the South Australian parliament. Although this bill was not passed, a few years later South Australia was the first of the Australian colonies to give women the vote.
Not only was Stirling committed to the political rights of women, but he also believed in their right to a proper education. He lectured at the Advanced School for Girls, and also campaigned for women to be admitted to Adelaide University’s School of Medicine. His own five daughters benefited from an excellent education, and Harriet (1878-1943) went on to earn an OBE for her work with mothers and children, and Jane (1881-1966) earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Adelaide University and later played viola in the South Australian Orchestra.
Edward Charles Stirling was appointed the first President of the State Children’s Council by its founder Catherine Helen Spence. A later President was his oldest daughter Harriet (OBE), who also founded the Mothers and Babies Health Association with Helen Mayo.
Stirling had other interests and duties. He was chairman of the South Australian museum committee in 1884-5 and in 1889 became honorary director of the museum. In 1890 he went overland with Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore
from Port Darwin
to Adelaide and collected much flora and fauna including several specimens of the marsupial mole
Notoryctes typhlops, described and illustrated in his paper in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia
, 1891, p. 154. In 1893 he investigated at Lake Callabonna a remarkable deposit of fossil bones, and with A. E. H. Zietz reconstructed the complete skeleton of the enormous marsupial Diprotodon
Australis and partially reconstructed an immense wombat
and a bird allied to the New Zealand
moa
.
In 1894 Stirling was the medical officer and anthropologist of the Horn scientific expedition
to Central Australia
, and wrote the extensive anthropology report which appears in volume four of the report of the expedition. He was appointed director of the Adelaide museum in 1895 and built up there a remarkable collection including invaluable specimens relating to aboriginal
life in Australia. In 1900 he became professor of physiology at Adelaide university, and for many years continued to take a prominent part in university affairs. He retired from the directorship of the museum at the end of 1912, but in 1914 was made honorary curator in ethnology. He had announced his intention of retiring from the university at the end of the year but died after a short illness on 20 March 1919.
Stirling was interred at the North Road Cemetery
, where his grave now lies near those of several other family members. He was survived by his wife and five daughters (two sons predeceased him).
also played a prominent role in South Australian life.
The names and dates of Edward Charles Stirling's children are
Wife: Jane Stirling (1848-1936)
Their offspring were:
1. Harriet Adelaide (Harrie) (1878-1943);
2. Anna Florence (1879-1939);
3. Jane Winifred (Jeannie) (1881-1966); studied science at Uni, played viola in SA Orchestra, married Thorburn Robertson
4. Alice Mary (Mary) (1884-1925);
5. Nina Eliza Emmeline (1888-1976);
6. Edward Taylor (1889-1897) died falling from a tree aged 7;
7. Gilbert Lancelot (bc1990 or 91, died in infancy).
. Other awards included the Queen Regent of Holland’s Gold Medal for ‘services to art and science’ in 1892, and an honorary Doctorate in Science from Trinity College Cambridge in 1910. He was also an honorary fellow of the Anthropological Society of Great Britain, fellow of the Medical and Chirurgical Society, and was knighted in 1917.
Stirling wrote a valuable article on hydatid disease
for Allbutt's System of Medicine, he fostered and brought to maturity the young medical school at the University, and he did significant work in developing the Adelaide museum
. Stirling was involved in the struggle to create the Flinders Chase sanctuary on Kangaroo Island
. Stirling ranks among the best all-round scientists of his day in Australia.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and the first professor of physiology at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
.
Early life
Stirling was born at Strathalbyn, South AustraliaStrathalbyn, South Australia
Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. The town has a population of 3894 people.-History and Culture:The town was founded in 1839. Strathalbyn was once connected by broad gauge horse tram to Goolwa and Victor Harbor from 1869, and the line was extended to Mount Barker...
, the eldest son of Edward Stirling and his wife Harriett, née Taylor
Edward (Senior) was a partner in Elder Stirling and Company before that firm became Elder Smith and Company, was a nominated member of the 1855 legislative council, and was an elected member of the 1857 legislative council. E. C. Stirling was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...
, and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he graduated B.A. with honours in natural science in 1869, M.A. and M.B. in 1872, and M.D. in 1880. Stirling was admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons is a professional qualification to practise as a surgeon in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland...
(FRCS) in 1874.
Career
Stirling was appointed house surgeon at St George's HospitalSt George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and eventually became assistant surgeon and lecturer on physiology and operative surgery. Stirling visited South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1875, married Jane, eldest daughter of Joseph Gilbert
Joseph Gilbert
Joseph A. Gilbert is a politician from the island of Grenada. He currently serves as that nation's Minister of Works, Physical Development, Public Utilities and Environment....
on 27 June 1877 and took his new wife to London for medical treatment. Stirling returned to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
for good in 1881, and in the following year was appointed lecturer in physiology at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
where he helped found the medical school.
In 1884 Stirling was elected to the South Australian Legislative Assembly for North Adelaide and sat for three years. There he proved an innovator and speaker for the rights of women, becoming the first person in Australasia to introduce a bill for women’s suffrage. On 22 July 1885, the year after his election, he proposed the following motion for women’s suffrage:
'That in the opinion of this House, women… who fulfil the conditions and possess the qualifications on which the parliamentary franchise for the Legislative Council is granted to men, shall, like them, be admitted to the franchise for both Houses of Parliament.'
He then expanded on his argument for women’s suffrage using the following quote from Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
:
'There is no natural difference between the sexes except in strength and both should equally participate in the Government of the State.'
By this time he had four daughters of his own, and he wanted them to grow up in a fairer society. Then in 1886 he introduced a formal bill for women’s suffrage into the South Australian parliament. Although this bill was not passed, a few years later South Australia was the first of the Australian colonies to give women the vote.
Not only was Stirling committed to the political rights of women, but he also believed in their right to a proper education. He lectured at the Advanced School for Girls, and also campaigned for women to be admitted to Adelaide University’s School of Medicine. His own five daughters benefited from an excellent education, and Harriet (1878-1943) went on to earn an OBE for her work with mothers and children, and Jane (1881-1966) earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Adelaide University and later played viola in the South Australian Orchestra.
Edward Charles Stirling was appointed the first President of the State Children’s Council by its founder Catherine Helen Spence. A later President was his oldest daughter Harriet (OBE), who also founded the Mothers and Babies Health Association with Helen Mayo.
Stirling had other interests and duties. He was chairman of the South Australian museum committee in 1884-5 and in 1889 became honorary director of the museum. In 1890 he went overland with Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore
Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore
Algernon Hawkins Thogond Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore PC, GCMG, was a British politician and colonial governor.-Biography:...
from Port Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
to Adelaide and collected much flora and fauna including several specimens of the marsupial mole
Marsupial mole
Marsupial moles is a family of marsupials of the order Notoryctemorphia, consisting of only two extant species:* Notoryctes typhlops * Notoryctes caurinus ...
Notoryctes typhlops, described and illustrated in his paper in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia
Royal Society of South Australia
The Royal Society of South Australia is a Learned Society whose interest is in Science, particularly, but not only, of South Australia.The Society stems directly from the Adelaide Philosophical Society founded on the 10 January 1853. The title "Royal" was granted by her Majesty Queen Victoria in...
, 1891, p. 154. In 1893 he investigated at Lake Callabonna a remarkable deposit of fossil bones, and with A. E. H. Zietz reconstructed the complete skeleton of the enormous marsupial Diprotodon
Diprotodon
Diprotodon, meaning "two forward teeth", sometimes known as the Giant Wombat or the Rhinoceros Wombat, was the largest known marsupial that ever lived...
Australis and partially reconstructed an immense wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
and a bird allied to the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
moa
Moa
The moa were eleven species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about ....
.
In 1894 Stirling was the medical officer and anthropologist of the Horn scientific expedition
Horn Expedition
The Horn Scientific Expedition was the first primarily scientific expedition to study the natural history of Central Australia. It took place from May to August 1894, with expedition members first traveling by train from Adelaide to the railhead at Oodnadatta in South Australia, then using camels...
to Central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
, and wrote the extensive anthropology report which appears in volume four of the report of the expedition. He was appointed director of the Adelaide museum in 1895 and built up there a remarkable collection including invaluable specimens relating to aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
life in Australia. In 1900 he became professor of physiology at Adelaide university, and for many years continued to take a prominent part in university affairs. He retired from the directorship of the museum at the end of 1912, but in 1914 was made honorary curator in ethnology. He had announced his intention of retiring from the university at the end of the year but died after a short illness on 20 March 1919.
Stirling was interred at the North Road Cemetery
North Road Cemetery
North Road Cemetery is located in the Adelaide suburb of Nailsworth, approximately 5 km north of the central business district. It is 7.3 hectares in size and there have been over 24,000 burials since its foundation in 1853...
, where his grave now lies near those of several other family members. He was survived by his wife and five daughters (two sons predeceased him).
Private life
In 1882, EC Stirling settled near the Adelaide Hills town of Stirling which had been named after his father. He named his 6½-acre property St Vigeans, after the Scottish town where his father had gone to school. A fine two-storey house was constructed in 1882-83, and during the following decades, Stirling himself oversaw the establishment of one of Australia’s finest private botanical gardens which included trees and shrubs imported from interstate and overseas. As a fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society of London he had access to many species of plants. A major feature of his gardens were South Australia’s first rhododendrons, one of which was named Mrs EC Stirling, and several new varieties were developed by Edward and his head-gardener.Family
Edward Charles Stirling's brother John Lancelot StirlingJohn Lancelot Stirling
Sir John Lancelot Stirling KCMG was an Australian politician and grazier.-Early life:Stirling was born at Strathalbyn, South Australia, the son of Edward Stirling and his wife Harriett, née Taylor and brother of Sir Edward Charles Stirling. J. L...
also played a prominent role in South Australian life.
The names and dates of Edward Charles Stirling's children are
Wife: Jane Stirling (1848-1936)
Their offspring were:
1. Harriet Adelaide (Harrie) (1878-1943);
2. Anna Florence (1879-1939);
3. Jane Winifred (Jeannie) (1881-1966); studied science at Uni, played viola in SA Orchestra, married Thorburn Robertson
4. Alice Mary (Mary) (1884-1925);
5. Nina Eliza Emmeline (1888-1976);
6. Edward Taylor (1889-1897) died falling from a tree aged 7;
7. Gilbert Lancelot (bc1990 or 91, died in infancy).
Honours and awards
Stirling received many honours, of which he particularly valued being admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1893. In the same year, he was also awarded an C.M.G.Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. Other awards included the Queen Regent of Holland’s Gold Medal for ‘services to art and science’ in 1892, and an honorary Doctorate in Science from Trinity College Cambridge in 1910. He was also an honorary fellow of the Anthropological Society of Great Britain, fellow of the Medical and Chirurgical Society, and was knighted in 1917.
Legacy
Stirling was interested in gardening, in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and in the welfare of children — he was president of the state children's council. He was a surgeon, physiologist, anthropologist, palaeontologist and legislator, although not sufficiently specialised to reach the highest rank in any one of these departments. With Dr Joseph. C. VercoJoseph Cooke Verco
Sir Joseph Cooke Verco was an Australian physician and conchologist.Verco was a son of James Crabb Verco, and was born at Fullarton, South Australia. Both his parents came from Cornwall, UK. He was educated at the J. L...
Stirling wrote a valuable article on hydatid disease
Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis, which is often referred to as hydatid disease or echinococcal disease, is a parasitic disease that affects both humans and other mammals, such as sheep, dogs, rodents and horses. There are three different forms of echinococcosis found in humans, each of which is caused by the larval...
for Allbutt's System of Medicine, he fostered and brought to maturity the young medical school at the University, and he did significant work in developing the Adelaide museum
South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum is a museum in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultural precinct of the Adelaide Parklands.-History:...
. Stirling was involved in the struggle to create the Flinders Chase sanctuary on Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St Vincent. Its closest point to the mainland is off Cape Jervis, on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the state of South Australia. The island is long...
. Stirling ranks among the best all-round scientists of his day in Australia.