Professor Francis William Sutton Cumbrae-Stewart

Francis William Sutton Cumbrae-Stewart, KC (1865–1938) was a barrister and university professor in Australia.

Early life

Frank Cumbrae-Stewart was born on 27 January 1865 at Riversleigh,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

, New Zealand, son of Francis Edward Stewart and his wife Agnes (née Park). He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Geelong Grammar School. He matriculated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

in 1883, and graduated

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1887. He was admitted to the Bar by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

in 1887 and in Queensland in 1890. On 24 January 1906 he married Zina Beatrice Selwyn Hammond at St Andrew's Church of England, Brighton.

Career

Frank Cumbrae-Stewart was a barrister and King's Counsel and was appointed the foundation registrar and librarian of the newly established

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

in 1910. Among his numerous involvements, he was a founder and president of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and a founder and trustee of the John Oxley Library. Historical papers he authored included histories of the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...

, Brisbane bridges and surveyors of the Queensland coast. In 1926 he became Garrick Professor of Law at the University of Queensland. Both Cumbrae-Stewart and his wife

Zina ''Zināʾ'' () or ''zinā'' ( or ) is an Islamic legal term referring to unlawful sexual intercourse. According to traditional jurisprudence, ''zina'' can include adultery, fornication, prostitution, rape, sodomy, incest, and bestiality. ...

were prominent and active citizens of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

early in the 20th century. Their home

Scott Street Flats Scott Street Flats is a heritage-listed apartment block at 2 Scott Street, Kangaroo Point, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Elina Mottram and built to by W B Johnstone. It is also known as Scott House. It was added ...

in Kangaroo Point is listed on the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

. The Registrar's role in Professor Cumbrae-Stewart's era was widely regarded as rigid and authoritarian. His physical presence was described as commanding and daunting. He was described as having an erect military bearing, complete with a stiffly waxed moustache. These qualities came into their own on formal University occasions, and contemporaries recalled that his impressive stature added an air of grandeur to University processions at graduation ceremonies.

Later life

In 1936, Frank Cumbrae-Stewart retired from the University of Queensland and moved to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. He died on 24 March 1938 at

South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popul ...

and was buried in

Burwood Cemetery Burwood Cemetery is a cemetery in Burwood, Victoria in Australia. It dates back to 1858, and was originally known as Nunawading General Cemetery. It is known as a resting place of notable figures from Melbourne. The site is operated by Greater M ...

References

Attribution

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumbrae-Stewart, Frank 1865 births 1933 deaths Lawyers from Brisbane Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People educated at Melbourne Grammar School People educated at Geelong Grammar School Members of the Inner Temple Academic staff of the University of Queensland Australian barristers Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Australian King's Counsel Colony of New Zealand emigrants Immigrants to Australia