Philip Le Couteur
Encyclopedia
Philip Ridgeway Le Couteur (26 June 1885 – 30 June 1958) was an Australia
n academic, philosopher and headmaster.
, the only son of George, a pharmaceutical chemist
, and his wife Fanny. Both parents were Methodist and Australian born. He was educated at Middle Park
State School and Warrnambool
Academy before serving a pharmacy apprenticeship
.
In 1903 he entered the University of Melbourne
to study arts and in 1904 he won a Queen's College
residential scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1906 and was a triple blue
in cricket
, football
and lawn tennis. After beginning a medical degree in 1907 Le Couteur won the Victorian Rhodes Scholarship
for 1908 and, with a Melbourne Master of Arts
, proceeded to University College, Oxford
. He won an Oxford cricket blue and in 1911 a place in Wisden
for making 160 runs and taking 11 wickets for 69 against Cambridge
. He played regularly for Gentlemen versus Players and wrote magazines on the psychology of cricket. He was also a member of the Oxford Oxford String Quartette
. Le Couteur then studied experimental psychology
at the University of Bonn
, Germany
until early 1913 when he was appointed lecturer in mental and moral philosophy
in the newly established University of Western Australia
. It that year he married Emma, the musically gifted daughter of Edward Sugden.
. The position proved difficult, as control of the school was shared with the foundation president, who was a bulwark against reform. For ten years Le Couteur served on various university committees and school councils and captained the Hawthorn
-East Melbourne
Cricket Club. Unsuccessful in applications for the headship of Sydney Grammar School
in 1921 and the mastership of Queen's in 1927, he became headmaster of Hale School
in 1929. In 1931 he was appointed headmaster of Newington College
succeeding the Rev Dr Charles Prescott
. Le Couteur's term at Newington covered the difficult Depression
and war years, yet saw a remarkable increase in pupils and the opening of a preparatory school, Wyvern House
, in 1938. With his wife Le Couteur developed the school's musical life. On retirement in 1948 he maintained an interest in the Fairbridge Farm School movement. He died in Gunnedah, New South Wales
, and was survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons.
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 academic, philosopher and headmaster.
Early life
Le Couteur was born at Kyneton, VictoriaKyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
, the only son of George, a pharmaceutical chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, and his wife Fanny. Both parents were Methodist and Australian born. He was educated at Middle Park
Middle Park, Victoria
Middle Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip. At the 2006 Census, Middle Park had a population of 4012...
State School and Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
Academy before serving a pharmacy apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
Academic career
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
to study arts and in 1904 he won a Queen's College
Queen's College (University of Melbourne)
Queen's College is a residential College affiliated with the University of Melbourne providing accommodation to 220 students who are attending the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT University and Monash University's Victorian College of Pharmacy.In addition to the...
residential scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1906 and was a triple blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and lawn tennis. After beginning a medical degree in 1907 Le Couteur won the Victorian Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
for 1908 and, with a Melbourne Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, proceeded to University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
. He won an Oxford cricket blue and in 1911 a place in Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
for making 160 runs and taking 11 wickets for 69 against Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He played regularly for Gentlemen versus Players and wrote magazines on the psychology of cricket. He was also a member of the Oxford Oxford String Quartette
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
. Le Couteur then studied experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
until early 1913 when he was appointed lecturer in mental and moral philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in the newly established University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. It that year he married Emma, the musically gifted daughter of Edward Sugden.
Headmaster
In 1918 Le Couteur was appointed headmaster of Methodist Ladies' College, MelbourneMethodist Ladies' College, Melbourne
Methodist Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
. The position proved difficult, as control of the school was shared with the foundation president, who was a bulwark against reform. For ten years Le Couteur served on various university committees and school councils and captained the Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
-East Melbourne
East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
Cricket Club. Unsuccessful in applications for the headship of Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in 1921 and the mastership of Queen's in 1927, he became headmaster of Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
in 1929. In 1931 he was appointed headmaster of Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
succeeding the Rev Dr Charles Prescott
Charles Prescott
Charles John Prescott was an English born Australian army chaplain, Methodist minister and headmaster.-Early life:...
. Le Couteur's term at Newington covered the difficult Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and war years, yet saw a remarkable increase in pupils and the opening of a preparatory school, Wyvern House
Wyvern House
Wyvern House, is one of the two single-sex, preparatory day schools for boys of Newington College and is located at 115 Cambridge Street Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia....
, in 1938. With his wife Le Couteur developed the school's musical life. On retirement in 1948 he maintained an interest in the Fairbridge Farm School movement. He died in Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people ....
, and was survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons.
External links
- A. G. Thomson Zainu'ddin, 'Le Couteur, Philip Ridgeway (1885 - 1958)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 10, MUP, 1986, pp 44-45.