Edward Hippius Bromby The first librarian at the University of Melbourne Philip G. Kent The life of Edward Hippius Bromby connection was that during John is the history of Victoria’.7 Edward (1847–1938) gives us an insight into Bromby’s time as a school principal won a foundation scholarship in the educated middle class of early in Guernsey, Hugh Childers was one 1859, while his brothers Christopher, colonial Melbourne and its members’ of his pupils. Years later, Childers Ernest, Frederick and Robert also had social and career connections. Bromby became auditor-general in Victoria, distinguished records at the school, was born into a family of clergy governor of Melbourne Grammar winning many prizes between them. on 6 January 1847 in Bristol. His School and one of the founders of father, Dr John Edward Bromby, was the University of Melbourne.5 Dr from a clerical family and received Bromby’s father was a first cousin his Bachelor of Arts in 1832 at of the wife of the explorer Captain Cambridge, earning a second in Matthew Flinders. In 1803 Flinders classics. His interest in the ancient named the Bromby Islets in the texts may have inspired his son’s exotic Gulf of Carpentaria after his ‘worthy middle name:1 the deity Neptune was friend’, the Reverend John Bromby sometimes called Hippius amongst senior. other names ‘from his regulation In 1857 Dr Bromby was offered of horsemanship’,2 while Colonus the founding headmastership of Hippius, mentioned by Sophocles, Melbourne Church of England was a holy place near Athens: ‘The Grammar School. The Bromby epithet Hippius belonged to the family—comprising Dr Bromby, his God Poseidon, as horse-creating and wife Mrs Eliza Bromby, five sons, five horse-taming; it was given to this daughters and two maids—arrived in place because Poseidon Hippius was Australia aboard the Countess of Elgin worshipped there’.3 on 1 February 1858. Edward’s learned father played Melbourne Grammar School an important role throughout his opened on 7 April 1858 with 86 son’s life and provided many social students and 24 boarders.6 These and career connections. While at included the Bromby sons; Edward Cambridge in 1829 John Bromby was number 16 on the school roll. competed with Tennyson for the He and his brothers slept in the Dr Bromby (pictured above) was chancellor’s medal in poetry, the school dormitories with the boarders. learned, witty and charming, winning subject that year being ‘Timbuctoo’.4 Thus Edward began a lifetime the admiration of his students. Alfred Although Tennyson won the medal association with his school and the Deakin, for example, recalled that with his famous poem, Bromby social connections it facilitated. Bromby had a ‘fine breezy, humorous, maintained throughout his life that his Wilmot aptly states: ‘The history of prompt, passionate and impressive own poem was better! Another famous the school [Melbourne Grammar] personality’.8 Philip G. Kent, ‘Edward Hippius Bromby’ 11 Previous page: Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co., Below: Phyllis Bromby, Walter Withers’ Dr John Bromby, 1865, albumen silver carte- studio, Heidelberg, c. 1903, gelatin silver de-visite, 10.7 × 6.5 cm. Accession no. H29432, photograph, 10.0 × 12.0 cm. Accession no. Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria. H91.283/26, gift of Mr C. Bromby 1988, Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria. at the University of Melbourne. Throughout Edward Bromby’s life the intersection between education, libraries, the church and associated personalities continued. Although the University of Melbourne was to be a secular institution, the church and its hierarchy were pivotal in the life of the early town and its society. Edward Bromby’s association with the university commenced when he appeared as number 97 on the matriculation roll in 1863 and in 1866 was the 56th person to be awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the university. Edward played university football and walked to the campus from South Yarra, there being no tram service yet. Following his studies at Melbourne, Edward progressed to Queen’s College, Oxford, where he rowed for his college and sang in the choir. He studied mathematics, classics and Greek, leading to the award of his A public figure, Dr Bromby at Melbourne Grammar by Edward Bachelor of Arts degree in 1870. A was appointed to the 1866 royal Ellis Morris, who was to become a reference from the dean of Queen’s commission into the educational professor at the university, a leading College attests that Bromby was ‘a system, advocated women’s right to supporter of libraries and chair of gentleman of unblemished character, university education and in 1868 the university’s Library Committee. great industry, varied attainments was elected warden of the University Morris was responsible for and good intelligence’.10 of Melbourne Senate. He retired as formalising the library at Melbourne Back in Melbourne, Edward headmaster of Melbourne Grammar Grammar, and Alexander Leeper, a continued his university studies and in 1874 ‘full of honours’,9 but master at the school, was appointed was number 104 on the roll for those continued to serve as an Anglican its first librarian in 1875. Leeper was awarded a Master of Arts in 1873. priest. Dr Bromby was succeeded to become warden of Trinity College He embarked on a career as a private 12 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 13, December 2013 Officers of the University of Melbourne, 1894, photographic print, 10.0 × 14.5 cm. Standing, left to right: Edward Bromby (librarian), Frank Gladish (porter), John Steele Robertson (medical librarian), Philip Marchman (bellringer). Seated, left to right: John James (assistant registrar), Edward a’Beckett (registrar), Frederick Dickson (accountant). UMA/I/1292, University of Melbourne Archives. tutor then taught at Melbourne headmaster, his wife supervised daughter Dorothea both died within Grammar from 1875 to 1880 under the domestic arrangements and six months. At the age of 41, Edward the headmastership of Edward Ellis two of his sisters assisted with became a widowed father with two Morris. the teaching. But Edward and his sons and a baby daughter. In 1880 Bromby, who now had family experienced calamity in 1888. A change in career occurred the a young wife and family, moved Following the happy birth of a following year, when Edward secured to the East Leigh Girls School second daughter, Phyllis, Bromby’s the post of assistant librarian at the in Hawksburn, where he was wife Jane and their ten-year-old University of Melbourne. He was Philip G. Kent, ‘Edward Hippius Bromby’ 13 recommended for this role by his highlights the small number of taught, endured. From 1903 he was old boss Edward Morris, who had administrative staff at the university a member of the school council and been appointed professor of modern in 1894. chaired the committee that produced languages and literature at the Following an illness, in 1903–04 the school history. The preface states: university in 1884.11 Morris was Edward Bromby took leave of a devout Anglican and a member absence from the university to Who with infinite pains and of the council of Trinity College. travel with Edith and Phyllis to great research has checked He was also a trustee of the Public England for nine months. Their the University records, not Library and with Bromby would detailed journals survive in the only of Melbourne, but also be a member of the organising family papers. Edward’s distinctive of other Universities of which committee for the first Intercolonial handwriting documents their visits information was required, Library Conference, held in to family and friends throughout Mr Bromby’s knowledge of the Melbourne in 1896. England and Scotland, including early days of the School—he The position at the university old colleagues from Oxford. They was one of those who attended brought stability into Edward’s life visited a great number of churches on the opening day—has been and in 1892 he was promoted to and their descriptions feature details invaluable, and it has been a great the post of first librarian, again on of architecture and music. While in factor in the success of the work Morris’s recommendation. Edward London Bromby visited relatives, that a son of the ‘dear old doctor’ then married Edith Browne. The including Captain Matthew should be associated with it.15 couple established their family Flinders’ grandson, the eminent home in Heidelberg and became archaeologist William Matthew Continuing illness and the active in the life of the local church, Flinders Petrie. The journal records arduousness of the post of university continuing Edward’s parallel career Bromby’s fascination with ‘pots and librarian prompted Bromby to in organ and choral music.12 The pans of several thousand years ago’.14 retire in December 1915. He and artist Walter Withers and his Another aspect of family life Edith moved to their seaside home family settled in Heidelberg in centred on the wilderness in the in Flinders, the town named after 1894. His daughters Gladys and Dandenong Ranges to the east of Edward’s relative Matthew Flinders. Margery became close friends with Melbourne. Around 1874 Bromby But in 1918 the couple returned to Edward’s daughter Phyllis, a keen took up a selection of land at live in East Malvern, where Edith photographer who documented Gembrook, which served as a retreat died in 1935. Edward died at the family life. for the family. Another surviving age of 91 in 1938 and was buried Bromby’s career as librarian photograph (opposite) of Edward alongside Edith, his famous father at the University of Melbourne depicts their leisure pursuits. and other family members in the is documented in greater detail Edward’s association with Melbourne General Cemetery, in another publication.13 A rare Melbourne Grammar School, where close to the university where he photograph of Bromby (see page 13) he had been educated and had had served for 26 years.