 Simon Edwin Munro1866-1945Born in Australia of Scottish parents, 'Gongie' Munro worked his way up to fleet ownership in the pearl-fishing industry, became a grazier in Queensland and investor in newspapers. |
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24 March 1866 |
Born Toowoomba Queensland of immigrant Scottish parents John Fraser Munro and Mary Ann Campbell |
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Attended Normal School, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane |
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1878-1879 |
12-13yo |
Joined James Campbell & Sons, Creek Street, Brisbane at the bottom. Fourteen-fifteen years with the firm, rose to be manager. |
Brisbane Courier 16 Jan 1893 |
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29 Sept 1885 |
19-20yo |
Brisbane Courier 29 Sept 1885 |
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25 Nov 1886 |
20yo |
Edwin Munro, 'bookkeeper to Messrs Campbell and Sons' |
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'ca 1890' |
24yo |
Posed for sporting picture with George Peter Campbell [his cousin] |
Ex Campbell family album; now item is held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland |
 Edwin Munro and his cousin George Peter Campbell in sporting gear, ca 1890 (State Lib Q'ld) |
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1893 |
27yo |
16 Jan 1893 Thursday Island 17 January 1893 Mr. Edwin Munro, manager for Messrs. Jas. Campbell and Sons, was yesterday evening presented with an address and valuable aneroid barometer on the occasion of his severing his connection with that firm. January 17 — LEURA, s., 2000 tons, Captain J. Selmes, for Townsville, via ports. Passengers . . . Edwin Munro |
Brisbane Courier 16 Jan 1893, 17 Jan 1893, 17 Jan 1893 |
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1893-4 |
27-28yo |
Munro in charge of 'the planting operations in 1893-4' (ie cultivating pearl shells for James Clark & Co) |
Brisbane Courier 20 May 1896 |
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23 October 1896 |
30yo |
Clarke and Others v. Mogg. |
 'Gongie'(Edwin) Munro on Crest of the Wave; date unknown probably 1890s; family photo |
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James Clark & Co comprised: |
TS document of family research (compiled by daughter Jessie Ruth Hamon née Munro); family papers |
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24 March 1897 |
31yo |
Munro & PP Outridge bought assets of Mogg Outridge & Co; renamed Munro Outridge & Co |
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1899 |
33yo |
Cape Melvillle hurricane 1899 4-5 March: SE Munro in Aladdin anchored at Point Claremont, 45 miles W by S of Cape Bathurst, dragged anchor then rode out storm. Details barographic progress of storm. |
Newspaper clipping of April 1935; their info taken from a memorial published by the Outridge Printing Co. Munro: MS account in family papers |
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1899 15 March |
'Mr. Munro buried a number of the bodies which were recovered.' |
Brisbane Courier Wednesday 15 March 1899, pages 5, 6 (National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3690056) |
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1904 |
38yo |
James Clark and Munro formed the Celebes Trading Company based in the Aru Islands, Arafura Sea, west of Papua New Guinea |
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1905 |
39yo |
The steamer Guthrie arrived from Thursday Island on Saturday afternoon, and sailed for Singapore, via ports, early on Sunday morning. Among through passengers was a Mr. Munro, of Thursday Island, who is said to be proceeding to Singapore to arrange for the importation of crews for the pearling industry. |
NT Times & Gazette 17 March 1905 |
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1905 |
39yo |
Wednesday evening (says the T. S. Pilot of Sept. 9) saw the departure of the pearling fleets of George Smith &. Co. and Munro, Outridge & Co. for the Aru Islands. The fleets comprised two schooners and thirty-two luggers, with a total crew of 144 coloured and eight white men. Our contemporary remarks — "They presented a fine picture sailing away in the light of the setting sun. Rather a melancholy picture for T. I. we should imagine. |
NT Times & Gazette 29 Sept 1905 |
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1908 |
42yo |
Celebes Trading Company's concession extended for 10 years For what it's worth, at least one Outridge survived the 1899 cyclone, because Percival Pitman Outridge gave evidence to the 1908 Royal Commission into the pearlshelling industry on 21st May that year. He was the second witness interviewed by the Commission (out of hundreds!) - and Edwin Munro was the very first, they both gave their evidence on the same day. |
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1910 |
44yo |
Married Mary AM Hunter |
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1911 |
45yo |
First child Helena Mary born |
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1913 |
47yo |
Second child Jessie Ruth born |
Darlo: Christmas card 1913-14 |
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1916 |
50yo |
Offer to sell his fleet of 24 boats and schooner Ariel, to James Clark for £8,500, lying at Aru Islands |
Document in Munro's hand in family papers |
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1919 |
53yo |
Formed Thylungra Pastoral Co with Forsyth and Philp |
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Also invested in newspapers; continued in grazing after leaving pearling industry: owned at least two sheep stations in Qld at time of death |
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1929 |
63yo |
A large modern sawmilling plant owned by Messrs. Munro and Lever at Grivillia, 20 miles fiom Kyogle, was destroyed by fire to-day. The damage is estimated at £6,000. Fifty men will be out of work. This is the second sawmill that Messrs. Munro and Lever have lost by fire. |
The Argus 1 Feb 1929 |
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1932 |
66yo |
One-year visa issued to Munro and wife, (accomp by daughter Ruth and possibly daughter Helena) for travel to China and Japan. 'He and Cricket [Ruth] and also probably your mother [Helena] went to Japan by ship in the early thirties where he met Mikimoto and tried, unsuccessfully, to induce him to sell him a licence of the intellectual property relating to cultured pearls.' |
Stamps in Munro's passport; and family info from Ruth's daughter Wendy, 6 October 2009 |
 'Gongie' at 66yo, from his passport (family collection) |
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1933 |
67yo |
NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING. THYLUNGRA PASTORAL CO., PTY., LIMITED (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION). Notice is horeby given in pursuance of section 242 of the Companies' Act 1931 that a General Meeting of the members or the abovenamed Company will be held at Room 15, Third Floor, Union Bank Chambers, Queen Street, Brisbane, on FRIDAY, the Fifteenth day of December 1933, at three o'clock In the afternoon, for the purpose of having an account laid before them, showing the manner in which the wlnding-up has been con- ducted, and the property of the company disposed of, and of hearing any explana- tion that may be given by the liquidator, and also of determining by extraordinary resolution the manner in which the books, accounts, and documents of the company, and of the liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Dated this Ninth day of November 1B33. E. MUNRO, Liquidator. | Brisbane Courier 11 Nov 1933 |
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1934 |
68yo |
The vacancy on the Queensland board of directors of The Union Trustee Comuany of Australia Limited, caused by the death of Mr. D. W. Gaukrodger. has been filled by the appointment of Mr. Edwin Munro, who has many pastoral and other interests in Queensland and is well known throughout the State. |
The Courier-Mail, Thursday 22 March 1934, page 10 |
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1936-1945 |
70yo-79yo |
Ham Downs [?sheep station] listing dividend payments 1936-1944: total £3418 |
MS letter in SEM's hand, family papers |
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1941 |
75yo |
Donated £5,000 to University of Queensland for Scholarship in Agric Science |
Letter from Qld Uni 23 April 1971 altering rules of bequest, refers to orig date. Family papers |
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1945 |
79yo |
Died Albion Brisbane 23 November |
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Sources:¶ Munro's notes on hurricane Mahina |
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