Edwin Cuthbert Hall (1874–1953) was an Australian physician and philanthropist who through a

bequest A bequest is property given by will. Historically, the term ''bequest'' was used for personal property given by will and ''deviser'' for real property. Today, the two words are used interchangeably. The word ''bequeath'' is a verb form for the act ...

funded the Edwin Cuthbert Hall Chair of Middle Eastern Archaeology within the Department of

Archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

. In 1973, the Hall Bequest was the second largest donation to the University after the Power Bequest.

Birth and education

Hall was born in Sydney to Reuben and Mary Ann Hall of

Ashfield, New South Wales Ashfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 8 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Ashfield's population is highly multicultural. Its urban densi ...

, and attended

Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...

(1886–1891). In 1889 and again in 1890, he won the Wigram Allen Scholarship, awarded by Sir

George Wigram Allen Sir George Wigram Allen (16 May 1824 – 23 July 1885) was an Australian politician and philanthropist. He was Speaker in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1875–1883. Allen was held in high esteem. As speaker he showed dignity, courte ...

, for mathematics, with David Edwards receiving it in 1890 for classics. At the end of 1891 Hall was named Dux of the College and received the Schofield Scholarship. He went up to the University of Sydney and in 1894 graduated as a Bachelor of Medicine and Chirurgery.

Marriages

Hall married Mary Blair Ewan a daughter of James Ewan of Glenleigh, Penrith. She was a niece of the late Sir

George Reid Sir George Houston Reid, (25 February 1845 – 12 September 1918) was an Australian politician who led the Reid Government as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905, having previously been Premier of New South Wales f ...

. Mary Hall died in 1932. He married, secondly, Amella Wilmot Scanlan, youngest daughter of the late Augustus Scanlan of Mayfair,

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts ...

, in 1932. Hall was survived by his second wife on his death in 1953.

Medical career

After appointments as a resident medical officer and a medical superintendent at

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School ...

, Hall became the Government Medical Officer at

Parramatta, New South Wales Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

in 1922. After the death of his first wife, Hall became a specialist with rooms in

Macquarie Street, Sydney Macquarie Street is a street in the central business district of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Street extends from Hyde Park at its southern end to the Sydney Opera House at its northern end. Apart from connecting these two m ...

Botany

Hall was the author of several plant species, especially in the genus ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

''.

Death and bequest

The terms of Hall's will were that his estate was to be held in trust until the death of his wife "for the University of Sydney for the endowment of a Professorship in the subjects of Archaeology and Mythology in the Ancient Middle East, namely, Palestine, Egypt and Asia Minor." On 31 December 1959 the University received £88,608 12s. 7d. In 1960 the Edwin Cuthbert Hall Chair of Middle Eastern Archaeology was established with the first occupant being appointed on 2 August 1960.University_of_Sydney
_–_The_Edwin_Cuthbert_Hall_Bequest..html" ;"title="University of Sydney">University of Sydney
– The Edwin Cuthbert Hall Bequest.">University of Sydney">University of Sydney
– The Edwin Cuthbert Hall Bequest.Retrieved 12 June 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Edwin Cuthbert 1874 births 1953 deaths Australian medical doctors Australian philanthropists People educated at Newington College University of Sydney alumni