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News The Sir Frederick McCoy Appeal The Brighton Cemetorians launched an appeal in September to raise funds for the restoration of the grave of Sir Frederick McCoy. The amount we need to raise is $ 10,000.
All donations may be sent to: The Brighton Cemetorians PO Box 8054 North Road LPO East Brighton Vic. Australia 3187 Sir Frederick McCoy was born in Dublin in 1817 he was the second son of Doctor Simon McCoy He married Anna Marie Harrison in 1843, there were two children, a son and a daughter. McCoy studied Medicine at Dublin and Cambridge Universities but before taking his degree his energies and interests were diverted to natural history and palaeontology. In 1841 his catalogues of the museum of the Dublin Geological Society and of the shells and organic remains of the Sir Collections in the Dublin Rotunda were published. In the following fourteen years his large and important contributions to the study of British and Irish fossils were published. McCoy’s prodigious number of articles in learned journals was read and admired by scientists across the whole globe. In August 1854 he was appointed the Professor of Natural Science, becoming one of the first four Professors at University of Melbourne which opened in April 1855. At the time of his appointment he was Professor of Geology and Mineralogy and Curator of the Museum at Queen’s College, Belfast. He arrived in Melbourne in December 1854 and from this point in time he cemented his Australian reputation becoming Director of the National Museum, State Palaeontologist and President of the Royal Society of Victoria, amongst a host of other responsibilities. He received many national and international awards for his efforts and he must be regarded as an important figure amongst both Australian and world scientists. He became the first professor of an Australian University to be knighted. Sir Frederick built a house in South Road Brighton and named it Maritama, the Latin word for house on the coast. In 1936 the house became the property of Xavier College. The house still retains its name today. McCoy was fiery, impulsive, resilient man unsuited to collective enterprises, proud of his robustness and smart in dress. McCoy was of medium height with waved reddish hair, side whiskers and a determined chin. He retained in old age his verve, his jaunty step and his capacity for geniality. From 1886 he suffered periods of protracted bronchial illness and he fell ill and died on 13th. May 1899. and was buried at Brighton General Cemetery in the Church of England section. Sir Fredrick’s grave has fallen into disrepair. A Scientist on a recent visit from overseas contacted The Brighton Cemetorians saddened by the poor state of McCoy’s gravesite. References Australian Dictionary of Biography, Fendley G.C., Online Edition The Victorian Naturalist: McCoy Special Issue 2001. Museums Victoria Australia 2006 The University of Melbourne 150 Anniversary. Notes prepared by Elizabeth Paine for The Brighton Cemetorians |
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Last Updated: 24-Oct-2007 18:13.