His Life
Hargrave was born in Greenwich, England, the second son of John Fletcher Hargrave (later attorney-general of NSW) and was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland. He immigrated to Australia with his family, arriving in Sydney on 5 November 1865 on the La Hogue. He circumnavigated Australia on the Ellesmere after being offered a place. Although he had shown ability in mathematics at his English school he failed the matriculation examination and in 1867 took on an engineering apprenticeship with the Australasian Steam Navigation Company in Sydney. He later on found the experience of great use in constructing his models.
In 1872, as an engineer, he went on a voyage to New Guinea but the Maria was wrecked, and in 1875 he again sailed as an engineer on William John Macleay's expedition to the Gulf of Papua. From October 1875 to January 1876 he was exploring the hinterland of Port Moresby under Octavius Stone, and in April 1876 went on another expedition under Luigi D'Albertis for over 400 miles up the Fly River on the SS Ellengowan. He returned to Sydney, joined the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1877, and in 1878 became an assistant astronomical observer at Sydney Observatory. He held this position for about five years, retired in 1883 with a moderate competency, and gave the rest of his life to research work.
Read more about this topic: Lawrence Hargrave
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“A man’s whole life is taxed for the least thing well done. It is its net result.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There is a delicate balance of putting yourself last and not being a doormat and thinking of yourself first and not coming off as selfish, arrogant, or bossy. We spend the majority of our lives attempting to perfect this balance. When we are successful, we have many close, healthy relationships. When we are unsuccessful, we suffer the natural consequences of damaged and sometimes broken relationships. Children are just beginning their journey on this important life lesson.”
—Cindy L. Teachey. “Building Lifelong Relationships—School Age Programs at Work,” Child Care Exchange (January 1994)