Sir John Grice (6 October 1850 – 27 February 1935) was an Australian businessman, company director and

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

vice-chancellor.

Biography

Grice was born in

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborn ...

, fourth son of Richard Grice, a

merchant. He was educated at

Aston University Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first ...

1861–66 and the just-opened

Wesley College, Melbourne , motto_translation = Dare To Be Wise , slogan = A ''True'' Education (2010 – Present) , established = 18 January 1866 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender ...

(where he was the first boy to matriculate and qualify for the University of Melbourne). Grice graduated

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

in 1871, and BA in 1872. Grice founded the University Boat Club, rowed for his university and was also a member of the Victorian four-oared crew in 1872. Grice was called to the bar in 1872 but never practised. Grice instead entered the family firm of Grice, Sumner and Company and eventually became one of the leading business men of Melbourne. Grice was a 45-year board-member of the

National Bank of Australasia The National Bank of Australasia was a bank based in Melbourne. It was established in 1858, and in 1982 merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney to form National Australia Bank. History In 1858, Alexander Gibb, a Melbourne gentlema ...

, and for 26 of these years was chairman of directors. Grice was also for many years chairman of directors of the Metropolitan Gas Company, of the Trustees Executors and Agency Company, and the Dunlop Rubber Company. His ability, sound business sense, and absolute probity made him an important influence in the commercial life of Melbourne. He was also a good citizen in other ways. He was first elected to the committee of the Melbourne hospital in 1886, and was president from 1905 to 1918. He became a member of the Melbourne University Council in 1888, gave valuable service on the finance committee during a difficult period for the University, and was its vice-chancellor from 1918 to 1923. Grice's portrait, by

John Longstaff Sir John Campbell Longstaff (10 March 1861 – 1 October 1941) was an Australian painter, war artist and a five-time winner of the Archibald Prize for portraiture. His cousin Will Longstaff was also a painter and war artist. Longstaff was known ...

hangs in the architecture department. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Grice did valuable work as the first honorary treasurer of the Victorian branch of the

Australian Red Cross Society The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cro ...

. He died at Melbourne on 27 February 1935. Grice married Mary Anne (died 1931), daughter of David Power, in 1878. He was survived by two sons. One of his sons was killed in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

in 1901 and another in France in 1916. Grice was knighted in 1917.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grice, John 1850 births 1935 deaths Australian businesspeople People educated at Wesley College (Victoria) Melbourne Law School alumni Vice-Chancellors of the University of Melbourne