Often when searching history you learn about the people involved, their personalities, likes, dislikes and life achievements, other times just about the achievements. In researching the life
of Stanley Simpson Addison it was somewhat easier to find out about his achievements than Stanley, the person.
Whilst born into a modest farming family at Aldinga, near Adelaide on 14th October 1880 he qualified from university, travelled overseas prior to World War 1, served on the battlefields of Egypt, Gallipoli and France, was awarded an M.B.E., was a Justice of the Peace and later president of the Eltham Shire Council in Victoria. Significant achievements for a farming lad from South Australia.
Stanley left school to work as a farm labourer, then at 17 years old was indentured to a blacksmith in Aldinga. He soon changed jobs to be a coachman for Dr Frank Hone who encouraged Stanley to study and introduced him to William Henry Bragg, a British Professor
then at Adelaide University. There, Stanley studied mathematics and physics and during and after completing his Science Degree (1908) worked with Bragg as a laboratory assistant and instructor. Through exposure to Bragg’s lectures, studies and experiments he became one of the first Australians associated with ground breaking research that ultimately led to determining the structure of DNA, among other significant discoveries.
William Henry Bragg and his son William Lawrence Bragg, who had also studied at Adelaide University, were awarded a Nobel Prize in 1915 for their discovery and experimentation of X-ray crystallography. They are the only father/son combination to receive this prestigious award and are now recognised as one of the most scientifically brilliant teams in history. Their work led to
X-ray crystallography being used across many fields including medicine, pharmacy, physics, mining and biology.
Later when writing about the six years he spent as assistant to Bragg, Stanley said his chief gain from the experience was ‘the capacity to observe and relate to perform, that is the function of a catalyst; helping behind the scenes, to make diverse ends meet and therefore create new patterns. Such a capacity is a valuable acquisition; compensating, it may well be for a sense of shyness’. Stanley’s quotation provides an understanding of the positive influence Bragg had on his work and life.
At the University Stanley joined the tennis and lacrosse teams and was a keen golfer. He was treasurer of the Scientific Society, was appointed as the first general secretary for the Australian Student Christian Union (ASCU) in Australia and New Zealand and was the editor of their publication the Australasian Intercollegian, which he enlarged to a national journal. As an activist general secretary he was instrumental in expanding the organisation, appointing professional staff and ambitiously establishing Melbourne as the national headquarters. He went on three trips between 1908 and 1913 as their travelling secretary visiting universities in Britain, Europe, the United States of America, the Middle East and India.
A quietly spoken man he was an effective negotiator and networker, who raised significant funds for the ASCU, though some there felt the changes he implemented unreasonably strained their budget. Stanley’s organisational and investigative skills, together with his strong religious beliefs and personal connections, especially ASCU ones, were pivotal to his future life direction.
When the First World War broke out many in the ASCU answered the call to arms and Stanley subsequently obtained leave of absence from his general secretary role so he could also pursue active service. However, when attempting to enlist he was found to be ‘medically unfit’ for the military, so in October 1915 he volunteered with the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross Society and trained to undertake enquiries into missing soldiers. Bearing some of his own expenses he served alongside Australian Forces in Egypt, Gallipoli and France attached to the Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau of the Australian Red Cross Society, a branch of the British Red Cross Society. The Bureau, which also commenced operations in October 1915, sought to identify, investigate and respond to enquiries regarding the fate of Australian service personnel.
Searchers with the Enquiry Bureau wore a Red Cross uniform to assist recognition by service personnel when travelling to hospitals on the battlefields and elsewhere collecting information and preparing reports about soldiers who were wounded, missing, dead or captured. Information from these searchers helped inform families about what had happened to their loved ones, or if they were still alive, when their whereabouts were unknown or their details lost in active combat zones. Often even minor details sent by post or cable helped family members. During his time in France Stanley also managed on several occasions to meet up with his brother Brant, who was serving in the Australian Army.
While Stanley’s observation, communication and meticulous record keeping skills would have helped with these demanding tracing duties, the battlefield horrors he was exposed to would have directly challenged his strong Christian and humanitarian beliefs. This included being at Gallipoli just prior to the evacuation of forces. It is difficult to know the short and longer-term effects such experiences had on his health and wellbeing. At that time little was known about the impact of war trauma on those directly involved.
In 1918 Sir William Henry Bragg, then a scientific advisor to the British Admiralty, arranged for Stanley to leave the Red Cross to assist him with secret research he was undertaking in England into applying ‘sound ranging’ recording to detect submarine movements. As a result Stanley joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (March-September 1918) with the rank of Sub-Lieutenant attached to the Ante Submarine Division at Dover. Bragg was later engaged with original research contributing to development of the atomic bomb and use of nuclear energy.
Records show that on leaving the Red Cross, Stanley was commended for his long and very valuable contributions, including ‘useful service he rendered in driving and keeping in repair the Society’s Ford touring car (known as Gladys!) in France’. There is also mention of his ‘very fine’ work in Lemnos, Gallipoli, Egypt and France.
A testimonial from the O.I.C. of Sound Ranging stations stated that: ‘Mr. S. S. Addison has been engaged on important work of a confidential nature for the Admiralty. His duties have involved a sound knowledge of theoretical and practical matters, including administration and control of men. In all these matters he has shown himself capable and persevering and I have pleasure in recommending him to the favourable consideration of a prospective employer.’
Throughout his adult life various bouts of ill health and nervous conditions restricted Stanley’s ability to continue in some roles. When he contracted paratyphoid in December 1915 at Gallipoli he returned to Egypt for three months convalescence and in 1917 had trench fever in France.
In September 1918 he was considered medically unfit to continue in the British Admiralty, though he was able to work as a temporary member of the Australian Arsenal Branch in London until December 1919 overseeing the welfare and repatriation of Australian munitions workers and war workers in Britain, as well as their dependents.
He married Minnie Vera Elizabeth Staley on 8 January 1917 in Brondesbury near London, having met her earlier in Melbourne. Vera, as she was known, was in England as a Volunteer Aid Detachment (VAD) working as a nurse’s aid in military hospitals. He delighted in informing people that he was born a Baptist, was a Presbyterian by choice but became an Anglican by compulsion as a result of marrying one.
Following the war the ASCU committee requested Stanley to return to his general secretary position in Australia, but when they did return early in 1920 he accepted the new position of assistant registrar at the University of Melbourne. He still maintained involved with some ASCU activities, including development of their literature department, until he formally resigned in 1921.
At the University he went on to establish a student employment bureau and is known to have excited interest in his informal study groups. Stanley remained there until 1930 and played a substantial role in setting up a book room, which through his initiative led to the establishment, with Professor Berry, of Melbourne University Press. He then became an ex-officio director and part time inaugural managing director (1922 -1930) and his passion and innovative drive contributed to the early growth of MUP. Again others benefitted from his ‘helping behind the scenes’ to ‘make diverse ends meet and therefore create new patterns’ as learned from his earlier experiences with Bragg. During this time he also completed a Bachelor of Arts while further expanding his literary skills as an author, editor and writer of academic and technical articles.
After leaving the University, again due to ill health, Stanley continued with various financial and economic activities during the 1930s in Melbourne. He presented radio broadcasts about these interests as well as empire affairs, attended the Royal Commission on Banking for sixty-five days, was a founder of the Victorian Council for the Maintenance of Sound Monetary Conditions and was president of the Sound Finance League connected with the National Bank in Melbourne.
During the post war resurgence and aftermath of the great depression Stanley continued contributing to his personal development, as well as encouraging general community awareness particularly of sound financial management, which was an ongoing interest. A reporter at the time described Stanley as ‘tall, clean shaven and slightly stooped, with ‘round beaming glasses’ and a mild scholarly face’. In 1920 he was awarded an M.B.E. ‘In recognition of service to the Australian Red Cross in London and during the Royal Visit 1920’.
In 1938 at age 58 Stanley joined the Victorian Branch of the Australian Red Cross Society as Secretary General, their most senior position. During the Second World War he played a major role there in establishing services responsive to wartime demands using his earlier war experiences in several roles including Research Officer and Chief Controller of Voluntary Aid Detachments. Their Guide to Searchers was based on his own experiences and he supervised the distribution of their reports. He was also involved with the Central Bureau for Prisoners of War. He retired aged 69 from the Red Cross Society in 1949.
One can wonder how a shy farming boy educated at a local state school in rural South Australia managed to achieve such extensive life experiences and contributions to society. Various changes in his life direction came about through either association with some outstanding leaders, by sheer circumstances he became immersed in, contacts he pursued or through his own decisions.
Following retirement from the Red Cross Vera and Stanley moved to ‘High Acre’ a 20-acre property in Kangaroo Ground on the western side of the main road just north of the General Store. Not being a man to retire gracefully he soon became actively involved in local community matters, was elected as an Eltham Shire Councillor and was Shire President, including during 1953, the Coronation Year of Queen Elizabeth. At one time he also owned the Kangaroo Ground General Store.
During his seven years as a councillor he was active in many community based initiatives including negotiating the connection of electricity services to the Kangaroo Ground, Smiths Gully and Panton Hill areas, development of the Eltham War Memorial Trust complex and establishment of various community and business related groups, including the Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Diamond Valley Community Hospital, where he was made a life member.
After retiring again, this time from extensive community roles Stanley and Vera moved to North Balwyn in 1968, where he pursued interests in cabinet making, copper plate printing and gardening. Perhaps because of a delicate constitution as a child he was not athletic, but was a keen golfer throughout his life. He was a member of the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne, the Naval and Military Club and the Constitutional Club. In his retirement he continued to write, including about the history of the Red Cross during the Second World War, the history of the wool industry in Victoria and the history of the Eltham War Memorial, where he was once president. Stanley died in 1972 at 91 years of age and was cremated, Vera died in 1974, aged 85.
Recently Stanley’s nephew described his uncle as well spoken with a mild, relaxed manner and a good sense of humour who enjoyed reminiscing about his life, including various people he had met. Another person who knew him felt he was relatively quiet and reserved, until he became more acquainted with you. Stanley was very well connected, particularly within political and academic circles with some influential friends, including many from his time with the ASCU such as Prime Minister Robert Menzies, who as a student had been active in the ASCU when at Melbourne University.
Stanley’s sense of humour was evident even at his funeral, as during his oration Sir John Nimmo mentioned the instructions left for this service included two requests that revealed Stanley’s approach to life. His first was that those attending sing the hymn ‘O love that will not let me go’, while the second to bring the service to a close was the Seekers number ‘The Carnival is over’.
Throughout his remarkable, extraordinary life journey Stanley Simpson Addison was a religious caring man who dedicated himself to helping others and in so doing contributed to the lives of many people in various parts of the world, including in local communities within the then Shire of Eltham.
by Jim Connor – May 2015
Research for this article has involved various sources including the Addison Family, the National Archives of Australia, the Australian Red Cross Society, the Addison Collection held by the Eltham District Historical Society, the National Archives (UK) and the book ‘A Century of Influence’, by Renate Howe about the Australian Student Christian Movement 1896-1996, published (2009) by the University of New South Wales Press Ltd, ISBN 978 1 92141 095 6 (pbk.).
This story also appears in “Fine Spirit and Pluck: World War One Stories from Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea” published by Yarra Plenty Regional Library, August 2016
