HAGENAUER, Dr Henry Alexander (1878-1949)Henry Alexander Hagenauer, usually known as 'Harry', was born on the 7 November 1878 and enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1892, possibly only for that year. He was the son of the Reverend Friedrich Augustus Hagenauer and Louisa Christiane nee Knobloch. His address at enrolment was 'Ramahyuck', near Stratford in Gippsland. In the 1892 Speech Day Prize Lists, he was awarded 1st in Greek in the 4th Class and 2nd in Algebra in the Lower 4th Class.
He attended Ormond College, and The University of Melbourne, where he graduated MB BS. While at Ormond he played one football game for the Melbourne Football Club against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval in 1898. The
Bairnsdale Advertiser also noted his local football career when the Bairnsdale Football Club protested his inclusion in the Sale Team.
'Mr W Pearson, secretary of delegates has received the following lettter from the secretary of the Sale Football Club, with reference to the protest entered by the Bairnsdale Club over the last match for the Pearson trophy: - In reply to yours of the 23 inst., protesting against our playing Mr Hagenauer, I beg to submit to you the fact that Mr Hagenauer is and has always been for the past twenty and a half years a resident of Ramahyuck. At present he is an inmate of Ormond College but when not in actual study resides with his parents at the station. Trusting we will not have any trouble in this matter. Yours etc Arthur Heathcote.' The report continued:
'The BFC officials were not aware when they entered the protest that Ormond College was at Ramahyuck, and this evidently being the case it is more than probable that there will be no fiurther trouble in this matter' He married a hospital nurse, Margaret Bruce Hay, daughter of Leslie Hay, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England) His wife died at Traralgon in 1914.
The following year on 30 June 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) as a Captain, (serving under the anglicized name of Hagen) and embarked from Geelong via Adelaide for Egypt on
HMAT A2 Geelong on 18 November 1915 as Regimental Medical Officer to the 32nd Battalion. His attestation record states that he was qualified as Licence Royal College of Surgeons (LRCS) and Licence Royal College of Physicians (LRCP), Edinburgh. He was posted to 2nd Anzac Headquarters on 31 August 1916 in France but was invalided to England in January 1917. He was then attached to No 1 Convalescent Depot till September 1918, before being transferred to No 1 Australian Dermatological Hospital. He had been promoted to Major on 28 January 1918, and was demobilised on 7 January 1919. He re-married on 7 April 1921 at the College Church, Parkville to Sara Howat, younger daughter of the late George Howat, of Royal Park.
After the war he practised in Traralgon. The
Traralgon Record newspaper reported his departure in 1929:
'Dr H A Hagen has disposed of his professional practice in Traralgon to Dr Max Rees of Melbourne, and will be taking his departure shortly. Dr Rees will be taking over the practice in a few days. During his residence in Traralgon, Dr Hagen has made many friends, who will regret his departure. He associated himself with many movements for the advancement of the town, and was mainly responsible for the formation of the present Coursing Club of which he has been President since its inception. He was an ardent coursing enthusiast, and his dogs have not only won on the local Plumpton, but have met with success in the metrpolitan area. The Coursing Club will indeed miss their genial President. Dr Hagen also associated himself with the Gun Club and the Fish and Game Society, of which bodies he has been President. By his removal the Tennis Club will lose a staunch supporter. By the aid of his lawn court Dr Hagen netted a goodly sum for the Club during the last season. He was a lover of Birds and native animals, and his menagrerie was the envy of a great number of people. Dr Hagen's future home will be in the metropolitan area.' 'Harry' died 29 July 1949.
During World War II, 'Harry's son, Frederick Leslie Hay Hagen (serving as 2nd Lt Michael Frederick Leslie Hay Worth) died aged 32, while serving with 1st Battalion, The Tyneside Scottish Royal Highlanders (The Black Watch) on 13 October 1940. He was buried in Plymouth Cemetery (Weston Mill Sec. C. Cons. Grave 5325).
Harry had at least three brothers: Gustave Alfred Hagenauer (1869-1945); George Herman Hagenauer (1871-1959); and
Rev. Frederick (Friedrich) August Hagenauer (1875-1957). All three of these brothers attended Scotch College in Melbourne, however Frederick also came to College as a boarder from 1889 to 1891.
Sources: Traralgon Record 1 Aug 1929 p3; The Argus (Melb) 21 May 1921 p13; Pegasus December 1957 p57; 'Geelong Collegians at the Great War' compiled by J. Affleck. p 206-207 (citing Pegasus, The University of Melbourne: Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants (1926); L J Blake, ‘Hagenauer, Friedrich August (1829 - 1909)’ by L J Blake, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4, The University of Melbourne Press, 1972, pp 314-315; National Archives).