Mervyn Austin

{{Infobox person

| name = Mervyn Austin AM

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = 1913

| birth_place = Melbourne

| death_date = 1991

| death_place = Western Australia

| education = Melbourne Grammar School
University of Melbourne
University of Oxford

| occupation = Headmaster
University Professor

| title =

| spouse =

| parents =

| children =

| nationality = Australian

| website =

}}

Mervyn Neville Austin (1 August 1913 – 11 June 1991)[http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8834.html Cricket Information England] was an Australian headmaster and professor.

Early life

Austin was born in Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, and was the second of four sons. Mervyn's father was James William Ashworth Austin, a real-estate agent. His mother was Jane Elizabeth.{{Cite web|url = http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/austin-mervyn-neville-15478|title = Austin, Mervyn Neville (1913–1991)|accessdate = 6 May 2015|website = Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher = National Centre of Biography|last = Melville-Jones|first = John}}

From 1927 to 1931, Austin was a student at Melbourne Grammar School. For three years, he was a member of the school's 1st XI cricket side and was captain in his final year. He was a resident of Trinity College within the University of Melbourne and graduated as a Bachelor of Arts. In 1936 he was elected Victorian Rhodes Scholar and in 1937 entered Christ Church, Oxford.[http://www.unimelb.edu.au/unisec/calendar/honcausa/rhodes.html Trinity College Rhodes Scholars] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206094524/http://www.unimelb.edu.au/unisec/calendar/honcausa/rhodes.html |date=6 February 2012 }}

While at the University of Oxford, Austin won a Blue in cricket as a right-hand batsman, bowling leg-break, and googly.[http://www.cricket-online.org/player.php?player_id=33469 Cricket Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926233553/http://www.cricket-online.org/player.php?player_id=33469 |date=26 September 2007 }} He was later awarded a Master of Arts, in 1943, and a Bachelor of Divinity from the University of London.

Career

During World War II, Austin enlisted in Melbourne and served as a flying officer with the RAAF.,[http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=5380351 National Archives] including flying Mosquito night-fighters in RAAF 456 Squadron in the UK. Upon his return to Australia in 1946, he was appointed senior classics master at his old school. After the war, he obtained a lectureship at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

=Headmaster=

From 1950 until 1951 Austin was the headmaster of Newington College in Sydney.

=Professor=

Austin then served as the Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Western Australia (UWA) from 1952 until 1978 and was chairman of the Professorial Board in 1963 and 1964. After his retirement from the university, he was appointed emeritus professor and was the Warden of Convocation from 1980 until 1982.[http://uwaguide.publishing.uwa.edu.au/latest/officers Former Officers of the University of Western Australia] A trust funds a bursary for students of Ancient Greek in memory of Austin's considerable contributions to the study of Greek, the classics and ancient history at UWA.[http://spe.publishing.uwa.edu.au/latest/scholarships/undergraduate/austin Mervyn Austin Bursary for Ancient Greek] This has now been converted to support a fund for visiting lecturers.

Honours

Austin was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) during 1981 in recognition of his service to education.[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/881053 It's an Honour]