Introduction
Sir Brian William Hone OBE FACE (1907–1978) was an Australian headmaster and, in his youth, a first-class cricketer.
Brian was born on 1 July 1907 to Dr. Frank Sandland Hone and his wife Lucy Hone, née Henderson, at Semaphore, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. He was educated at Prince Alfred College and the University of Adelaide (B.A. Hons, 1928) where he won Blues in cricket, football and tennis. During the 1929–30 cricket season he opened the batting for South Australia, scoring a century against Victoria and averaging nearly 50. In 1930 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to attend New College, Oxford (B.A., 1932; M.A., 1938), and achieved honours in English. (C. S. Lewis was his tutor). He won Blues in cricket and tennis.
Brian was the brother of Garton Hone. Brian and his wife Enid had four children: civil engineer Christopher Peter Hone, academic Judith Ann Hone, corporate lawyer Geoffrey William Hone, and sportsman and educator David Jeremy Hone.
From 1933 to 1939, Hone taught at Marlborough College, Wiltshire, and was made head of the new department of English. While in England he wrote Cricket Practice and Tactics, (London, 1937).
1940–1950: Headmaster, Cranbrook School Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
1951–1970: Headmaster, Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria, Australia.
1973–1974: Deputy Chancellor, Monash University.
He died in Paris on 28 May 1978. His remains lie near the Norfolk Island pine planted in Dr J E Bromby's honour in the grounds of Melbourne Grammar School.
Selected bibliography
- R. M. Jukes, Liber Melburniensis, 4th edn, Melbourne Church of England Grammar School (Melbourne, 1965)
- J. W. Hogg, Our Proper Concerns (Sydney, 1986)
- C. E. Moorhouse, "Sir Brian Hone", Unicorn, Vol 14 No 1, February 1988
- C. E. Moorhouse, Challenge and Response (Melbourne, 1989)