Henry Langley (Dean of Melbourne)

Henry Thomas Langley (30 March 1877 – 28 November 1968) was the Anglican Dean of Melbourne from 1942 to 1947.[1]

The Very Reverend

Henry Langley
Born
Henry Thomas Langley

30 March 1877
Windsor, New South Wales
Died28 November 1968 (aged 91)
Hawthorn, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
TitleDean of Melbourne
Spouse(s)
Ethel Maud Du Ve
​
(m. 1901)​
Children4 sons; 1 daughter
Parent(s)Henry Archdall Langley (1840-1906); Elizabeth Mary née Strachan
ChurchAnglican
Orders
Ordination1900 (deacon); 1901 (priest)
Personal details
DenominationAnglican

Family

The son of the first Anglican Bishop of Bendigo, Henry Archdall Langley (1840-1906),[2] and Elizabeth Mary Langley (1842-1923), née Strachan, Langley was born in Windsor, New South Wales on 30 March 1877.[3]

He was the sixth of Langley's 12 children. One of his brothers, Frank Langley, played Australian rules football for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1900 to 1906; another was the Archdeacon of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney; and four of his sisters were involved with St Catherine's School, Toorak, two serving as its principal.

He married Ethel Maud Du Ve (1878-1957),[4] fourth daughter of Charles Ignatz Du Ve (1836-1915), and Agnes Adamson Du Ve (1845-1915), née Buntine, on 4 September 1901.[5][6][7][8] They had four sons, and one daughter:

  • Henry Archdall "Hal" Langley (1902-1965).[9]
  • Charles Ethelbert Langley (1904-1981),[10][11] who taught at Caulfield Grammar School from 1934 to 1960.[12]
  • Philip D'acres Langley (1907-2000).[13][14]
  • Thomas Laurence Langley (1911-).[15]
  • Ethel Grace Archdall Langley (1915-).[16]

Education

Along with four of his five brothers,[17] he attended Caulfield Grammar School in the 1890s.[18]

An excellent scholar, he was awarded a theological studentship in 1893 (for 1894),[19] in 1894 (for 1895),[20] and in 1895 (for 1896).[21] He began his studies at Trinity College, Melbourne in 1894, graduating Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1899,[22] and Master of Arts (M.A.) in 1904, with final honours in logic and philosophy.[23]

Cleric

He was ordained in 1901.[24][25]

After curacies served at St Paul's Church, Sale,[26] St. Mary's Church, Morwell,[27] Holy Trinity Church, Yarram,[28] St. Clement's Church, Marrickville,[29] and St Philip's Church, Sydney,[30] he became the rector of St James' Church, Traralgon in 1907.[31]

He then served as the incumbent at St Mary's Anglican Church (now known as Oaktree Anglican Church) in Caulfield, Victoria, as "Canon Langley", from 1911 to 1942.[32][33]

Caulfield Grammar School

While at St. Mary's he served as Caulfield Grammar School's chaplain.

In 1931, the school (at the time owned by Walter Murray Buntine) ceased being a "private school", and it became a "public school", with its operation conducted by a private company limited by guarantee.[34][35] Langley served on the Caulfield Grammar School Council (the company's governing body) from its foundation in 1931 until 1945.[36]

Military chaplain

On 1 January 1916, Langley was appointed as a military chaplain to the First AIF.[37]

Shelford Girls' Grammar School

As the Vicar of St Mary's, Langley had been giving the pupils of the highly respected Shelford Girls' School weekly lessons in religious instruction for quite a number of years.[38]

The school, established in 1898 (in Glen Eira Road) by Emily Dixon, was relocated to 77 Allison Road, Elsternwick by its second principal, Dora Mary Petrie Blundell (1865-1943),[39][40][41] who served as the school's second principal from 1904 to 1921.[42]

Dora was assisted and supported by her sisters, Lucy Annie Blundell (1850-1922), Fanny Blundell (1851-1937) and Margaret Helen Petrie Blundell (1866-1953),[43][44][45] in performing her wide range of duties.

In 1923, Langley was responsible for the relocation of the school from 77 Allison Road, Elsternwick to "Helenslea" in Hood Crescent, Caulfield North — adjacent to St Mary's Church — the re-establishment of it as the Shelford Girls' Grammar School, and the appointment of Miss Ada Mary Thomas as its head mistress.[46][47][48][49] Miss Thomas went on to serve as the school's headmistress from 1922 to 1945.

St. Margaret's, Caulfield

As Vicar of St. Mary's, he was also responsible for the foundation of St. Margaret's Anglican Church, in Ripley Grove, Caulfield, in 1923. St. Margaret's operated as "chapel of ease" to St. Mary's church.[50] Its adjacent hall was also the home of the 2nd. Caulfield Scout Troop.[51]

Dean of Melbourne

In August 1942, Langley was elected Dean of Melbourne[52][53] — replacing Archbishop Head who had acted as dean since the retirement of George Aickin in 1932 — and continued in that position until he retired in April 1947.[54]

Political views

According to Hansen (2000), Langley "associated himself with socialist movements and marched annually in the May Day procession".[55] Over his lifetime, he was quite outspoken on a wide range of political and social issues:[56]

"Dean Langley has created a place of respect and affection in the life of Melbourne by his fearless and creative utterances in the Cathedral and on the Yarra bank as to the implications of the Christian Gospel to the social order as well as the life of individuals" — Williamstown Chronicle, 5 September 1947.[57]

Death

He died on 28 November 1968, at Hawthorn,[58] and was cremated.[59]

See also

Footnotes
  1. "Inside". Mahalo.com. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  2. He was also the nephew of John Douse Langley (1836-1930), who served as the second Bishop of Bendigo from 1907 to 1920.
  3. Births: Langley, The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, (Saturday, 14 April 1877), p.473.
  4. Births: Du Ve, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 30 September 1878), p2; "Law Notices, Ethel Maud Langley", The Age, 12 November 1957, p. 11.
  5. "Death of Mr C.I. Du Ve", The Rosedale Courier, 7 September 1915, p. 2.
  6. The Morwell Historical Society News, Vol.4, (1965), p.20:
    "The Du Ve family is of Polish origin, having left that country a long time ago because of political unrest there, and finding refuge in England.
    Charles Ignatz Du Ve was born in England in 1835, and emigrated to Australia in 1853, at the age of 18 years. He seems to have spent the rest of his life in Gippsland, living for the greater part of the time at Rosedale. He was manager of Gelantipy Station round about 1865, but he is better known as the Clerk of Courts for a number of townships in a wide area, stretching from Moe to Sale. For example, the Rosedale records show that he was the Clerk of Courts there in 1867, Secretary of the original Church of England Board of Guardians, and a member of the School Committee. The Morwell Directory for 1888 lists him there as the Clerk of Courts.
    In 1864, he married Miss Agnes Adamson Buntine, a member of another very early Rosedale family. There was a large family of twelve children (five boys and seven girls), one of whom, died in infancy. Both Charles Du Ve and his wife, Agnes Du Ve, died in 1915. One daughter, Miss Ethel Maud Du Ve, married Canon Langley, and some of their descendants still live in the Boolarra area. Another son, Mr. Hugh Du Ve, was a lay reader in the Church of England, and frequently took the service at the church in Morwell."
  7. Passed Away: Death of Mrs. C.I. Du Ve, The Gippsland Farmers' Journal, (Friday, 8 January 1915), p.2.
  8. Orange Blossoms: Langley—Du Ve, The Morwell Advertiser, (Friday 13 September 1901), p.3.
  9. Births: Langley, The Australasian, (Saturday, 15 November 1902), p.59; Weddings: Langley—Lang, The Brisbane Courier, (Saturday, 23 November 1929), p.26.
  10. Births: Langley, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 31 October 1904), p.2; Athletic Sports: Caulfield Grammar School, The Argus, (Tuesday, 25 October 1921), p.5.
  11. Weddings: Langley—McLennan, Table Talk, (Thursday, 24 January 1929), p.59.
  12. Webber (1981), pp.116, 268, 301; Wilkinson (1997), pp.72-73, 125.
  13. Births: Langley, The Argus, (Wednesday, 20 November 1907), p.1; Associated School Sports, The Argus, (Saturday, 5 November 1921), p.20; College Sports, The Australasian, (Saturday, 11 November 1922), p.26; School Sports, The Age, (Saturday, 7 November 1925), p.13.
  14. Weddings: Langley—McLennan, Table Talk, (Thursday, 24 January 1929), p.59.
  15. Births: Langley, The Argus, (Saturday, 16 September 1911), p.13.
  16. Births: Langley, The Argus, (Saturday, 8 January 1916), p.1.
  17. Frederick Archdall Langley (1868-1952), Aylmer John Langley (1872-1943), William Leslie Langley (1875-1952), and Francis Ernest Langley (1882-1946) all attended Caulfield Grammar School (Webber, 1981, p.301). Arthur Theodore Langley (1886-1947) attended Geelong Grammar School (see: Obituary: Dr. A. T. Langley, The Age, (Wednesday, 21 May 1947), p.2).
  18. Webber, 1981, pp.277, 301; Wilkinson, 1997, p.28.
  19. University of Melbourne: Trinity College Scholarships, The Argus, (Saturday, 23 December 1893), p.11.
  20. Trinity College Scholarships, The Argus, (Saturday, 22 December 1894), p.8.
  21. Trinity College Scholarships, The Argus, (Saturday, 28 December 1895), p.9.
  22. "MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY". Nla.gov.au. 30 December 1899. p. 36. Retrieved 29 November 2017.; "Degrees Conferred 1899-1900: 18th November, 1899: "Bachelor of Arts", University of Melbourne Calendar 1901, University of Melbourne, p.420.
  23. "UNIVERSITY COUNCIL". Nla.gov.au. 24 December 1904. p. 10. Retrieved 29 November 2017.; "Degrees Conferred 1904–05: 23rd December, 1904: "Master of Arts", University of Melbourne Calendar 1906, University of Melbourne, p.497.
  24. Notes of the Month, The Church of England Messenger for Victoria and Ecclesiastical Gazette for the Diocese of Melbourne, (Sunday, 1 July 1900), p.99.
  25. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1947-48, p. 681, Oxford, OUP, 1947
  26. Parochial Intelligence: Gippsland: Sale, The Church of England Messenger for Victoria and Ecclesiastical Gazette for the Diocese of Melbourne, (Sunday, 1 July 1900), p.102.
  27. (News Item), The Morwell Advertiser, (Friday, 7 September 1900), p.2; Church News, The Australasian, (Saturday, 20 October 1900), p.5.
  28. News in Brief: Victoria, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 4 January 1902), p.26.
  29. (News Item), The Morwell Advertiser, (Friday, 16 September 1904), p.2.
  30. The Churches, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Saturday, 13 January 1906), p.9.
  31. St. James' Church, The Traralgon Record, (Tuesday, 3 December 1907), p.2; St. James' Church, The Traralgon Record, (Tuesday, 10 December 1907), p.3.
  32. About People, The Age, (Wednesday, 26 April 1911), p.10.
  33. About People, The Age, (Monday, 14 October 1918), p.6.
  34. Caulfield Grammar School: To Become a Public School, The Age, (Tuesday, 9 December 1930), p.11; Personal, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 5 January 1931), p.5.
  35. Webber, 1981, pp.122-123.
  36. Webber, 1981, pp.123, 277.
  37. Appointments, Promotions, etc.: 3rd Military District: Chaplains Department, Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.12, (27 January 1916), p. 184.
  38. Letters to the Editor: Shelford Girls' School, The Age, 1 September 1942, p. 2.
  39. Matriculation Examination, October Term, 1882: Honour Examination: Class Lists: English and History, The Ballarat Star, 9 January 1883, p. 2.
  40. "Educational: Shelford Girls' School", The Argus, 11 February 1907, p. 11.
  41. "Deaths: Blundell", The Argus, 30 August 1943, p. 2.
  42. From the Principal: ANZAC Day Reflection 2018, Shelford Girls' Grammar.
  43. "Deaths: Blundell", The Argus, 15 May 1922, p. 1.
  44. "Deaths: Blundell", The Argus, 24 June 1937, p.1.
  45. "Deaths: Blundell", The Argus, 4 July 1953, p. 16.
  46. "The Schools", The Argus, 23 February 1922, p. 9.
  47. Shelford, The Argus, 22 December 1922, p. 14.
  48. "Church and Education", The Argus, 23 February 1923, p. 11.
  49. A photograph, "Head Mistress and Staff of Shelford Girls' School, Caulfield", including Langley (second from right) is at: Schools & Colleges: Shelford Girls' School, Table Talk, 10 April 1924, p. 24.
  50. Caulfield's Oldest Church, The Age, (Monday, 13 August 1928), p.10.
  51. Proposed Scout Hall in Caulfield, The Prahran Telegraph, (Friday, 28 September 1928), p.5; Objections to Scout hall, The Prahran Telegraph, (Friday, 12 October 1928), p.4; Proposed Scout Hall Causes Worry, The Prahran Telegraph, (Friday 19 October 1928), p.5; Scouts Hall at Caulfield, The Argus, (Tuesday, 28 January 1930), p.14.
  52. "In the Churches", The Argus, (15 August 1942), p. 6.
  53. New Dean of Melbourne: Canon H. T. Langley, The Age (29 August 1942), p.2.
  54. "Dean Langley Retires", The Age (5 April 1947), p. 11; About People, The Age (16 April 1947), p. 2.
  55. For example, 100 churchmen in May Day March, The Argus, (Monday, 5 May 1947), p.4.
  56. For example: Russian Minister Stays away from Soviet-Day Dinner, The Weekly Times, (Wednesday, 13 November 1946), p.4; Discussion on World Ills, The Argus, (Saturday, 6 September 1947), p.45; Not Communists, Clerics Say, But Want Free Speech, The Argus, (Thursday, 14 April 1949), p.5; Tatt's Protest, The Newcastle Sun, (Wednesday, 14 October 1953), p.2; He Wears Badge, The Barrier Miner, (Tuesday, 20 October 1953), p.7; Lottery Vote, The Age, (Monday, 2 November 1953), p.2.
  57. Dean Langley, Williamstown Chronicle, (Friday, 5 September 1947), p.1.
  58. Death Notices: Langley, The Age, (Friday, 29 November 1968), p.19.
  59. Funeral Notices: Langley, The Age, (Friday, 29 November 1968), p.19.

References
  • Hansen, I. V. (2000). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 29 November 2017 – via Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  • Webber, Horace (1981). Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981. Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda). ISBN 0-9594242-0-2.
  • Wilkinson, Ian R. (1997). The Fields At Play – 115 years of sport at Caulfield Grammar School 1881–1996. Playright Publishing. ISBN 0-949853-60-7.
Religious titles
Preceded by
Frederick Waldegrave Head		 Dean of Melbourne
1942–1947		 Succeeded by
Alfred Roscoe Wilson
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