CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
EN/FR
Search
Menu
Research dossier · People & Ideas

Henry Murray (athlete)

New Zealand hurdler and architect (1886-1943)

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
People and ideasInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 1, 2026
Entity authorityQ15613681 ↗
Source-derived summary

Henry St Aubyn Murray (14 January 1886 – 12 April 1943) was a New Zealand architect and athlete.

Biography

Murray was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1886. He received his education at Christ's College. All Black Toby Murray was his cousin. After school, he went to the local architect Frederick John Barlow as an apprentice.

Murray was the New Zealand champion hurdler from 1906 to 1910, over 440 yards. He finished third behind John Duncker in the 120 yards hurdle event at the British 1908 AAA Championships.

He competed for Australasia in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England. He competed in two athletic events. In the 110 metres hurdles he was second in the heat (16.3).

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Henry Murray (athlete)” as new Zealand hurdler and architect (1886-1943). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA productive starting point for separating a subject’s documented career from later reputation and commemoration. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1886, 1943, 1906, 1910—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1886-01-14. The account is most persuasive where Henry, Murray and athlete can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as new Zealand hurdler and architect (1886-1943). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15613681. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1886, 1943, 1906 and 1910.

Critical limits

A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Henry Murray (athlete)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Henry Murray (athlete) primary sources, Henry Murray (athlete) archive and Henry research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Henry Murray (athlete)”?
  2. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
  3. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Henry Murray (athlete)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.