Colin Gilray

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Colin Gilray

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE|size=100%}} {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC|size=100%}}

| image = Captain Colin Gilray photograph (1920).jpg

| caption =

| alt =

| birth_name = Colin Macdonald Gilray

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|03|17|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Broughty Ferry, Scotland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1974|07|15|1885|03|17|df=yes}}

| death_place = East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| spouse = {{marriage|Ethel Muriel Standish|1917|1968|end=d.}}

| relatives = Thomas Gilray (father)
{{nowrap|Arthur Standish (father-in-law)}}

| education = Otago Boys' High School

| alma_mater = University of Otago
University of Oxford

| order = 2nd Principal of John McGlashan College

| office =

| term_start = 1922

| term_end = 1934

| predecessor = Arthur Gordon Butchers

| successor = Robert George Colin McNab

| order2 = 4th Principal of Scotch College, Melbourne

| office2 =

| term_start2 = 1934

| term_end2 = 1953

| predecessor2 = William Still Littlejohn

| successor2 = Richard Selby Smith

| order3 =

| office3 = Deputy chancellor, University of Melbourne

| term_start3 = 15 March 1954

| term_end3 = 11 March 1958

| predecessor3 = Arthur Dean

| successor3 = Ian Clunies Ross

| order4 =

| office4 =

| term_start4 = 2 March 1959

| term_end4 = 4 March 1962

| predecessor4 = Ian Clunies Ross

| successor4 = William George Dismore Upjohn

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

| branch = {{army|United Kingdom}}

| serviceyears = 1916–1919

| rank = Captain

| unit = Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)

| commands =

| battles = World War I

| mawards = Military Cross (1918)

| military_blank1 =

| military_data1 =

| module = {{Infobox rugby biography

| embed = yes

| position = Wing three-quarter

| height = {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m|2|abbr=on|order=flip}}

| weight = {{convert|168|lb|kg|0|abbr=on|order=flip}}

| repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}}

| repteam2 = {{nrut|Scotland}}

| repyears1 = 1905

| repyears2 = 1908–12

| repcaps1 = 1

| repcaps2 = 4

| reppoints1 = 0

| reppoints2 = 3

| province1 = {{Rut|Otago}}

| provinceyears1 = 1904–06

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| amatteam1 = Otago University

| amatteam2 = London Scottish

| amatyears1 = 1904–07

| ru_amateurclubcaps =

}}

Colin Macdonald Gilray {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE|size=85%}} {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC|size=85%}} (17 March 1885 – 15 July 1974) was a Scottish-born rugby union player, soldier and educationalist. He represented both New Zealand and Scotland in rugby union and won the Military Cross during World War I as a captain in the British Rifle Brigade. A Rhodes Scholar, he became headmaster of both John McGlashan College in Dunedin, New Zealand, and Scotch College, Melbourne, and served as deputy chancellor of the University of Melbourne on two separate occasions.

Early life and family

Born at Broughty Ferry, Scotland, on 17 March 1885, Gilray was the fourth child of Annie Gilray (née Macdonald) and her husband, Thomas Gilray,{{cite book | url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gilray-colin-macdonald-10307 | chapter=Gilray, Colin Macdonald (1885–1974) | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography | first=Geoffrey | last=Serle | authorlink=Geoffrey Serle | year=1996 |publisher=National Centre of Biography | location=Australian National University |access-date=7 February 2016}} at the time professor of English language and literature at University College, Dundee.{{cite book | chapter=University of Otago | title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Otago & Southland Provincial Districts) | url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d2-d18-d2.html | access-date=7 February 2016 | year=1905 | publisher=Cyclopedia Company | location=Christchurch | pages=154–155}} The family moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1890 after Thomas Gilray was appointed professor of English language and literature at the University of Otago in 1889.

Gilray was educated at Otago Boys' High School, and went on to the University of Otago, where he was president of the student union. He graduated in 1907 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and German (first-class honours) and classics (second-class honours).{{cite book | editor-last=Knox | editor-first=Errol G. | title=Who's Who in Australia | edition=9th | year=1935 | publisher=The Herald and Weekly Times | location=Melbourne |page=201}} Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1907, Gilray went to University College, Oxford, graduating Master of Arts with second-class honours in 1910. Between 1910 and 1913 he taught at Mill Hill School, London. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1913 and then returned to New Zealand, practising law at Milton.

On 24 November 1917, Gilray married Ethel Muriel Standish at Haslemere, Surrey, England. Ethel was the daughter of Arthur Standish, the first mayor of New Plymouth.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BH19180117.2.30 | title=Personal pars | date=17 January 1918 | work=Bruce Herald | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=5}}{{cite book | chapter=Ex-mayors | title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Taranaki, Hawke's Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts) | url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz//tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc06Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d6-d2.html | access-date=7 February 2016 | year=1908 | publisher=Cyclopedia Company | location=Christchurch | pages=54}} She was in England as a nurse at the No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital in Walton-on-Thames, where New Zealand troops were hospitalised, and was particularly noted for her massage work.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=KT19180401.2.47.2 | title=Marriages and engagements | date=April 1918 | work=Kai Tiaki | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=107}} The couple went on to have one daughter.

Rugby union

A wing three-quarter, Gilray played for the Otago University club during his undergraduate studies. He made his provincial debut for {{Rut|Otago}} in 1904, and also played for the South Island in the inter-island fixture that year. In 1905 he declined a place on The Original All Blacks tour of the British Isles, France and the United States, but he did play for New Zealand against the touring Australian side in their single Test match, at Tahuna Park, Dunedin, on 2 September 1905. The 14–3 victory by New Zealand was to be Gilray's only appearance for the national team. He continued to play for Otago through the 1906 season.{{cite web| url = http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=316 |title = Colin Gilray | last = University of Otago RFC | publisher = New Zealand Rugby Union | access-date = 7 February 2016}}

After taking up his Rhodes Scholarship, Gilray played rugby for Oxford University and London Scottish. He made his debut for Scotland on 21 March 1908 in the 1908 Home Nations Championship, against England at Inverleith, with Scotland winning the match by 16 points to 10. He was awarded an Oxford Blue later that year. In the 1909 Home Nations Championship, Gilray made two appearances for Scotland, against Wales and England. In the latter game he scored his only try for Scotland. He made a further appearance for Scotland, in the 1912 Five Nations Championship against Ireland.{{cite web |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/newzealand/rugby/player/1722.html |title=Colin Gilray |date= |website= |publisher=ESPNscrum |access-date=7 February 2016}} Gilray also captained London Scottish.

Back in New Zealand in 1914, Gilray made one final appearance as an injury replacement for the Otago University team during the local club competition final.

Military service

Gilray enlisted in the British Army in early 1916, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, in July that year.{{London Gazette |issue=29656 |date=7 July 1916 |page=6752 }} He was wounded on 13 November 1916 during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme.D.H. Rowlands, For the Duration: The Story of the Thirteenth Battalion The Rifle Brigade, Simpkin, Marshall, 1932/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2023, ISBN 978-1-4745-3765-0, p. 83. Promoted to captain, he was invalided back to England in September 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross, gazetted on 1 January 1918.{{London Gazette |issue=30450 |date=1 January 1918 |page=36 |supp=y }} For the remainder of the war, Gilray trained officer cadets at Aldershot. From 1921 until 1935, when he was transferred to the retired list, Gilray was a captain in the 2nd Battalion Otago Regiment, New Zealand Territorial Force.{{cite web |url=http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE20511783 |title=Gilray, Colin MacDonald - WWI N/N - Army |date= |website= |publisher=Archives New Zealand |access-date=8 February 2016}}

Teaching career

Gilray returned to practising law in Milton in 1919. However, in 1922 he was appointed principal of John McGlashan College in Dunedin,{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=HNS19220908.2.14 | title=Personal items | date=8 September 1922 | work=Hawera & Normanby Star | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=4}} succeeding Arthur Gordon Butchers.{{DNZB | title=Butchers, Arthur Gordon | first= Rollo | last= Arnold | id=4b53 | accessdate=7 February 2016}} During his tenure, Gilray developed music and science at the school, and raised academic standards. While visiting Queenstown in September 1931, Gilray sustained a fracture dislocation of his left ankle when it was run over by the car that he was pushing in an attempt to make it start.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19310909.2.50 | title=Former All Black hurt | date=9 September 1931 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=8}} He was left with one leg shorter than the other.

Gilray was elected to the University of Otago Council in 1925,{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19250605.2.102 | title=Personal matters | date=5 June 1925 | work=Evening Post | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=8}} and the Council of the University of New Zealand in 1927.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19270129.2.169 | title=University Council | date=29 January 1927 | work=Evening Post | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=15}} In 1933 he declined nomination as vice-chancellor of the University of Otago.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=LWM19330627.2.15 | title=Dunedin notes | date=27 June 1933 | work=Lake Wakatip Mail | access-date=7 February 2016 | page=3}}

In 1934, after 12 years at John McGlashan, Gilray took up the post of principal of Scotch College, Melbourne, following the death of the incumbent, William Still Littlejohn.{{cite book | url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/littlejohn-william-still-7209 | chapter=Littlejohn, William Still (1859–1933) | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography | first=Weston | last=Bate | authorlink=Weston Bate | year=1986 |publisher=National Centre of Biography | location=Australian National University |access-date=7 February 2016}} With 1500 pupils at Scotch College compared to about 200 at John McGlashan, Gilray found that he was fully occupied by administrative tasks, although he occasionally still found time to teach English or religious studies. Under his leadership the school developed its art, theatre and music programmes, and he resisted higher student fees.

Gilray was a member of the standing committee of the Headmasters' Conference of the Independent Schools of Australia (HCISA) from 1939 to 1952, and served as its chairman between 1949 and 1952. He retired as principal of Scotch College at the end of April 1953.{{cite news | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205715757 | title=News of the day | date=28 April 1953 | work=The Age | access-date=8 February 2016 | page=2}}

In the Australian 1951 New Year Honours Gilray was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his services as principal of Scotch College.{{London Gazette |issue= 39105 |date=1 January 1951 |page=36 |supp=y }} His brother, Thomas Gilray, was also appointed an OBE in the New Zealand 1951 New Year Honours, for services as a medical practitioner.{{London Gazette |issue= 39106 |date=1 January 1951 |page=40 |supp=y }}

Later life and death

Following his retirement from Scotch College, Gilray continued as executive officer of the HCISA for 10 years. He served as deputy chancellor of the University of Melbourne from 1954 to 1958 and 1959 to 1962.{{cite web |url=http://www.unimelb.edu.au/unisec/calendar/formoffi.html |title=Former office-bearers |date=3 March 2015 |publisher=University of Melbourne |access-date=8 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303123215/http://www.unimelb.edu.au/unisec/calendar/formoffi.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }} The University of Melbourne conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on Gilray in 1956.{{cite news | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71769552 | title='Our uni must expand' | date=4 December 1956 | work=The Argus | access-date=8 February 2016 | page=7}}

Between 1961 and 1965 Gilray was a member of the Committee on the Future Development of Tertiary Education in Australia, chaired by Sir Leslie Martin, which led to a formalised ‘binary divide’ between the universities, as research and teaching institutions, and other higher education teaching institutions.

Ethel Gilray died in 1968. Colin Macdonald Gilray died in East Melbourne on 15 July 1974, and he was buried with his wife at Box Hill Cemetery.{{cite web |url=http://boxhillcemetery.org/mapguide/BoxHill/Public/ |title=Box Hill Cemetery mapping portal |date= |website= |publisher=Box Hill Cemetery |access-date=8 February 2016}}