Morrison Collection

George Ernest Morrison was born in Geelong, Victoria, on 4 February 1862 to George Morrison and his wife Rebecca, née Greenwood.

This guide was made by combining research into themes in Morrison’s life, the existing index of correspondence created in 1977, the updated item descriptions also created as a result of the NFACR grant project, the Correspondence of G. E. Morrison edited by Lo Hui-Min and early drafts transcripts of Morrison’s diaries, also by Lo Hui-min.

The Morrison collection contains material common to a classic biographical collection: diaries, correspondence, photographs, subject files, and personal ephemera.

Morrison experienced some of the decisive moments in China’s history at the turn of the century. While he was absent for some major events, such as the return to power of Empress Dowager Cixi in 1898 and the early days of the Boxer Rebellion, there were many other events during which he observed or took a direct part.

An inveterate traveller, George Morrison made a point of visiting every Qing territory aside from Tibet and Mongolia in his career as Times correspondent.

Morrison’s network of contacts was incredibly broad. During his life he met and corresponded with some of the most famous people of his day, including Theodore Roosevelt, Rudyard Kipling, Banjo Paterson, and the Dalai Lama.

This section includes a select list of works and resources that take Morrison as a key subject, both within the library’s collection and found elsewhere.