John Shirley
11 August 1849 — 5 April 1922
Dr John Shirley (20‑25‑6)
Also from Dorset was Dr John Shirley who was born in Dorchester on 11 August 1849 to Sergeant John Shirley of the Grenadier Guards and Una (née Turner). John Shirley graduated with a Bachelor of Science from London University then trained as a teacher.
He arrived in Brisbane in 1878 and was immediately appointed headmaster of the school at Roma. The following year he was promoted to the position of Schools Inspector. He covered thousands of miles on horseback, visiting schools all over Queensland. This life gave him the opportunity to further study natural sciences, which had formed his final University course and he published many scientific papers. He was awarded the degree of D.Sc. at the age of 63.
In 1914 Dr Shirley became the first principal of the newly established Teachers' Training College in Brisbane, a position he held until retirement in 1919. He died at his residence in Bowen Hills on 5 April 1922 following a seizure.