SOUTER, Murray Irvine (1923-1980)
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Born on 19 December 1923 at Mt Pleasant, South Australia, son of the Reverend Frederick Stewart McNab Souter and Rachel, nee Hossack. Murray was enrolled at Geelong College from 10 February 1937 to December 1941. He had previously attended Gisborne SS. His address at enrolment was The Manse, Gisborne and he was entered by Reverend Y. Souter.
At College, he was a notable sportsman and participant in many activities. He was a member of the 1st Football XVIII in 1940 and 1941 and its Captain in 1941. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1940 and 1941, and a School Prefct and Morrison House Captain in 1941. He earned additional House Colours in Athletics, Cricket, Swimming and Tennis and was a member of the Cricket, Football, Music, Swimming and Tennis Committees. At the College Swimming Sports, he came 3rd in the Open Diving, 2nd in 50 metres backstroke and 4th in the overall swimming championship. In 1940, he was a member of the Glee Club Committee and participated in Debating. In 1941, he was awarded the Music Prize and a Hume Robertson Memorial Scholarship.
In the Glee Club dramatic production of 'HMAS Pinafore' in 1939, Murray played the part of 'Dick Deadeye'. Pegasus commented: 'For a piece of distorted and altogether revolting humanity it would be difficult to imagine anything better than 'Dick Deadeye, as portrayed by Murray Souter, whose features, after the expert attention of Mr. Bernard Manning (adorned as they were with fierce red whiskers), would have rivalled Quasimodo for sheer repulsiveness. His looks, however, in no way detracted from the excellence of his singing and acting, the duet with Captain Corcoran, 'Kind Captain, I've important information,' being particularly well rendered.'
Pegasus Magzine commented on his performance as 'Pooh Bah in The Glee Club productionof 'The Mikado' in 1940:
'Pooh-Bah (M. I. Souter). Great also was the achievement of Pooh Bah — monstrous and haughty. From a rather restricted part he extracted the maximum humour, and his side-splitting actions in sitting and standing were one of the highlights of the evening.' He was also popular in the 1941 edition of the Warrinn revue, 'Cottage Pie'; the 'impersonations by Ginger Souter received hearty applause' The following year Pegasus wrote of his performance in the Glee Club production of 'The Pirates of Penzance': 'A villainous Pirate King, M. I. Souter showed off his fine voice and acting ability to good advantage, and was popular throughout, though especially so in the rousing song, 'For I am a Pirate King'.
During World War II, he served (No. 428369) from 13 February 1942 with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps Training Depot until he transferred to the RAAF in October that year. He trained at 11 EFTS Benalla, 5 SFTS Uranquinty, No. 2 OTU Mildura, CFS Tamworth, 6 SFTS Mallala, 7 OTU, 1 OTU East Sale. He was a Staff Instructor at the time of his posting to 32 Squadron in August 1945. He was discharged on 9 November 1945.
Murray died on 20 June 1980.
'Bill' Rogers wrote the following eulogy for Murray Irvine Souter's funeral:
'Murray Irvine Souter, also and more commonly known as 'Ginge' or 'Blue', was one of the most accomplished and talented persons I have known. As a schoolboy at Geelong College, he was an outstanding footballer, cricketer, athlete, scholar, artist and the possessor of a magnificent baritone voice. He also had a wonderful sense of humour which could be subtle or uproarious according to the company and his mood. He was, however, extremely kindly in his application of humour, and to meet him was to like him. To be in his company was always a happy experience.
A son of the Manse, he rebelled against his strict country church upbringing, and it was perhaps this sense of rebellion which encouraged him into a way of life of which he was never completely the master.
Upon leaving school, he joined the Air Force and became a pilot instructor. He was, according to his contemporaries, a great pilot and of course the centre of activity in the Mess.
After the war, 'Blue' qualified as an architect. He was, however, always more interested in drawing than design, and although he practised for some 25 years, he never really achieved the degree of satisfaction for which perhaps he was hoping.
His marriage failed after apparently being idyllic and for the last years of his all too short life he returned to drawing and painting, which next to music was probably his first love.
For everyone fortunate enough to be counted as his friend, his passing is a great loss. For those of us who have acted and sung Gilbert & Sullivan with him, there will never be another like him. 'Blue' mightn't have scaled the peaks of which he was capable, but he was a warm and wonderful friend. '
His brother, John Norwood Souter (1925-2011) was also educated at Geelong College.
Born on 19 December 1923 at Mt Pleasant, South Australia, son of the Reverend Frederick Stewart McNab Souter and Rachel, nee Hossack. Murray was enrolled at Geelong College from 10 February 1937 to December 1941. He had previously attended Gisborne SS. His address at enrolment was The Manse, Gisborne and he was entered by Reverend Y. Souter.At College, he was a notable sportsman and participant in many activities. He was a member of the 1st Football XVIII in 1940 and 1941 and its Captain in 1941. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1940 and 1941, and a School Prefct and Morrison House Captain in 1941. He earned additional House Colours in Athletics, Cricket, Swimming and Tennis and was a member of the Cricket, Football, Music, Swimming and Tennis Committees. At the College Swimming Sports, he came 3rd in the Open Diving, 2nd in 50 metres backstroke and 4th in the overall swimming championship. In 1940, he was a member of the Glee Club Committee and participated in Debating. In 1941, he was awarded the Music Prize and a Hume Robertson Memorial Scholarship.
In the Glee Club dramatic production of 'HMAS Pinafore' in 1939, Murray played the part of 'Dick Deadeye'. Pegasus commented: 'For a piece of distorted and altogether revolting humanity it would be difficult to imagine anything better than 'Dick Deadeye, as portrayed by Murray Souter, whose features, after the expert attention of Mr. Bernard Manning (adorned as they were with fierce red whiskers), would have rivalled Quasimodo for sheer repulsiveness. His looks, however, in no way detracted from the excellence of his singing and acting, the duet with Captain Corcoran, 'Kind Captain, I've important information,' being particularly well rendered.'
Pegasus Magzine commented on his performance as 'Pooh Bah in The Glee Club productionof 'The Mikado' in 1940:
'Pooh-Bah (M. I. Souter). Great also was the achievement of Pooh Bah — monstrous and haughty. From a rather restricted part he extracted the maximum humour, and his side-splitting actions in sitting and standing were one of the highlights of the evening.' He was also popular in the 1941 edition of the Warrinn revue, 'Cottage Pie'; the 'impersonations by Ginger Souter received hearty applause' The following year Pegasus wrote of his performance in the Glee Club production of 'The Pirates of Penzance': 'A villainous Pirate King, M. I. Souter showed off his fine voice and acting ability to good advantage, and was popular throughout, though especially so in the rousing song, 'For I am a Pirate King'.
During World War II, he served (No. 428369) from 13 February 1942 with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps Training Depot until he transferred to the RAAF in October that year. He trained at 11 EFTS Benalla, 5 SFTS Uranquinty, No. 2 OTU Mildura, CFS Tamworth, 6 SFTS Mallala, 7 OTU, 1 OTU East Sale. He was a Staff Instructor at the time of his posting to 32 Squadron in August 1945. He was discharged on 9 November 1945.
Murray died on 20 June 1980.
'Bill' Rogers wrote the following eulogy for Murray Irvine Souter's funeral:
'Murray Irvine Souter, also and more commonly known as 'Ginge' or 'Blue', was one of the most accomplished and talented persons I have known. As a schoolboy at Geelong College, he was an outstanding footballer, cricketer, athlete, scholar, artist and the possessor of a magnificent baritone voice. He also had a wonderful sense of humour which could be subtle or uproarious according to the company and his mood. He was, however, extremely kindly in his application of humour, and to meet him was to like him. To be in his company was always a happy experience.
A son of the Manse, he rebelled against his strict country church upbringing, and it was perhaps this sense of rebellion which encouraged him into a way of life of which he was never completely the master.
Upon leaving school, he joined the Air Force and became a pilot instructor. He was, according to his contemporaries, a great pilot and of course the centre of activity in the Mess.
After the war, 'Blue' qualified as an architect. He was, however, always more interested in drawing than design, and although he practised for some 25 years, he never really achieved the degree of satisfaction for which perhaps he was hoping.
His marriage failed after apparently being idyllic and for the last years of his all too short life he returned to drawing and painting, which next to music was probably his first love.
For everyone fortunate enough to be counted as his friend, his passing is a great loss. For those of us who have acted and sung Gilbert & Sullivan with him, there will never be another like him. 'Blue' mightn't have scaled the peaks of which he was capable, but he was a warm and wonderful friend. '
His brother, John Norwood Souter (1925-2011) was also educated at Geelong College.