LONGDEN, Frank Reginald (1862-1938)Frank Longden was born on 2 August 1862, the son of Duncan Longden and Augusta nee Arthur of Geelong. He was possibly registered as 'Francis' rather than 'Frank' but was known throughout his life as 'Frank'
He was enrolled at Geelong College on 17 July 1871 though no other entry details are listed for him. He was re-entered on 31 July 1879 and his father was listed as D Duncan, editor of Gheringhap St. He was possibly not at the College during the early part of 1879. Four brothers were allready enrolled at the School. The Longden brothers featured in the early history of the School and four of them, including Frank, played football in the fledgling Victorian Football Association (VFA) for the Geelong and Melbourne Football Clubs. Frank Longden gained a variety of prizes which were listed in the Annual Reports of the period. They included:
1871 2nd, English, 1st Class.
1873 2nd, Geography, 2nd Class.
1873 1st, Reading, 2nd Class.
1874 2nd, Arithmetic, 2nd Class.
1875 3rd Dux, 3rd Class.
1875 2nd, English, 3rd Class.
1876 5th, English, 3rd Class.
1876 3rd, Algebra, 2nd Class.
1877 1st, French, 2nd Class.
1878 1st, French, 4th Class.
1879 Dux of University Class (aeq).
1879 1st, Latin, 5th Class.
1879 2nd, Euclid, 3rd Class.
1879 1st, French, 3rd Class.
He matriculated in 1879. After College, Frank attended The University of Melbourne, where he studied Medicine. Co-incidentally, George Ernest Morrison ('China' Morrison) commenced Medicine at Melbourne that same year. Frank went on to Edinburgh University to complete his studies, graduating LRCP, LRCS.
The year 1882 was significant in Frank Longden's life. Not only did he play football with the Merbourne Football Club, his life was imperilled on Corio Bay. The
Weekly Times newspaper recounted the incident:
'The Geelong Times reports that on Saturday afternoon last another fatality was nearly added to the long list which have already occurred in Corio Bay. A boating party, consisting of two of Captain Longden's sons and Mr Fred Mervin, so favourably known in the metropolis in connection with the opera of 'La Fille du Tambour Major', were bathing from their boat in the channel between the lightship and Point Henry, when one of their number, Mr Frank Longden, was suddenly seized with cramp and sank. Mr Mervin, who was some little distance away at the time, hearing the cries for help, immediately swam to the spot, and succeeded, after diving twice, in rescuing him from his perilous position.' After completing his studies Frank gained a position at Ballarat District Hospital but for most of his life had a general practice in Buninyong near Ballarat where he had a dispensary attached to his house in Learmonth St when it was built in 1896.
Memorial to Longden Family, Buninyong Cemetery.
In 1890, he married Josephine Mary Robertson, the daughter of William and Mary Robertson. After enlisting in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) with the rank of Captain, on 29 December 1915, aged 53, he served as Resident Medical Officer on
HMAT Demosthenes and
Nestor, and then at No 1 AGH, Heliopolis, in Egypt.
He returned to Australia on 9 February 1916, and was demobilised on 30 March 1916.
The
Age newspaper reported his death in 1938:
'Dr Frank Reginald Longden, the oldest medical practitioner in the district died on Tuesday night at his home at Buninyong. wherw he practised for more than sixty years. He was 80 years of age. For many years he was health officer to Buninyong shire. He was a keen lover of sport, particularly horse racing, and was a noted billiard player. One of his sons (Norman Alexander Longden) is a doctor at Ballarat. The funeral at the Buninyong Cemetery yesterday was attended by many mourners. including doctors and sportsmen.' He died on 26 July 1938.
His two sons,
Cedric Reginald Longden (1891-1938), and
Norman Anderson Longden (1895-1945) were also educated at Geelong College.
His four brothers,
Herbert Longden (1855-1918),
Edward Wrixon Longden (1856-?),
Walter Campbell Longden (1857-1920), and
Arthur Longden (1861-1941), were educated at Geelong College.
Sources: The Age (Melb) 19 Oct 1935 p9; The Age (Melb) 28 July 1938 p17; Weekly Times (Melb) 7 Jan 1882 p7; Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 237 (citing Pegasus; National Archives, The University of Melbourne: Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants (1926); The Pegasus; National Archives).