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, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

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

Melbourne Grammar School Melbourne Grammar School is an Australian private school, private Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Day school, day and boarding school. It comprises a co-educational preparatory school from Prep to Year 6 and a middle school and senior s ...

and

Geelong Grammar School Geelong Grammar School is a private Anglican co-educational boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located in Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay. Establ ...

. He matriculated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

in 1883, and graduated

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

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 association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

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 The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

in 1910. Among his numerous involvements, he was a founder and president of the

Royal Historical Society of Queensland The Royal Historical Society of Queensland (RHSQ) is a historical society founded in Brisbane, Australia in 1913. It promotes the study of Australian history especially that of Queensland and adjacent Pacific islands. It maintains an important c ...

and a founder and trustee of the

John Oxley Library State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, which draws its powers from ...

. Historical papers he authored included histories of the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...

, 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, sodomy, incest, and bestiality. ''Zi ...

were prominent and active citizens of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

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 ...

. 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 language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. 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 populati ...

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 Me ...

References

External links

34324, Francis William Sutton Cumbrae-Stewart papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of QueenslandOM75-32, F W S Cumbrae-Stewart Papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia.OM81-86, Francis William Sutton Cumbrae-Stewart Papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia

2914, Zina Beatrice Cumbrae-Stewart Papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.5745, Cumbrae-Stewart Family Papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia

OM81-36, F W S Cumbrae-Stewart Letters, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia.

Attribution

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumbrae-Stewart, Frank 1865 births 1938 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 New Zealand emigrants Immigrants to Australia