McINTYRE, Kenneth Gordon OBE MA LLB Comenda da Ordem do D, Henrique (1910-2004)

Modified on Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:14 by Caroline Stok — Categorized as: Biography - All, Biography - Collegians in the News 1911-1960, Biography - Students, Geelong College, Biography of Literature, Music and Performing Arts

Ken McIntyre played the title role 'Robert Spalding' in the play, 'Private Secretary', in 1927.

Ken McIntyre played the title role
'Robert Spalding' in the play,
'Private Secretary', in 1927.

McINTYRE, Kenneth Gordon OBE MA LLB Comenda da Ordem do D, Henrique (1910-2004)

'Ken' McIntyre, author, historian and local government councillor, was born in Geelong to parents Daniel Organ McIntyre and Martha Eleanor nee Schmidt and attended the Geelong College between 1920 and 1927. Previously, he had attended St Andrews School, Geelong. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1926 and 1927 and was School Dux in 1926. He wrote the words of the School Song The School on the Hill when in Form VI, 1927 (see Pegasus, December 1928).

After leaving the School, he attended Queen’s College, Melbourne University graduating Master of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. While at university the talented Ken devised the game rotation used by the Victorian Football League (VFL) to organise the finals competition, a system still used by the Australian Football League (AFL) and many other sporting competitions. He was also alleged to have named the Geelong Football Club the 'Cats' in 1923.

From 1931 to 1945, he lectured in literature at Melbourne University. He practised law at Box Hill from 1945, becoming a local councillor and mayor. In his legal practice he developed a recognised expertise in the law relating to housing and building societies for which he was awarded an Order of the British Empire. A notable colonial historian, Ken, in his later years pursued his historical interest in Portuguese navigation publishing his research on the Portuguese role in Australia’s exploration and Captain Arthur Phillip. His book, the Secret Discovery of Australia, published in 1977 won him controversial acclaim.

Sources: Obituary - Geelong Advertiser 29 May 2004; Article by Glen Quartermain – Geelong Advertiser Date Unknown; Obituary- The Age (Melb) 15 June 2004.