James Nicholas Murray

Formal portrait of James Nicholas Murray in his A.I.F. uniform.

Document provided by C.L Morell, authorised Surveyor, Emerald, Queensland to certify that James Nicholas Murray was professionally and continuously employed by him as a field assistant from 3 November 1910 to 15 December 1910. 

Document signed by James Murray to declare his agreement to serve as a field assistant to W.H. Hassall, Authorised Surveyor from 17 April 1911 to 17 January 1912. 

Handwritten note to James Murray providing him with the address for Lieutenant J.E.G. Stevenson at Gallipoli. 

Letter to James Murray from an unknown colleague asking after his health and enclosing a statement which Murray requested. 

An order from General Headquarters, authorising the names of a number of Gallipoli localities for general use. The locations were surveyed by James Murray.

Handwritten application from Private James Murray to transfer from 25th Battalion to 5th Field Company Australian Engineers. The application was not approved.

Certificate of discharge for James Nicholas Murray, aged 30. Murray was discharged as medically unfit with deafness caused by chronic otitis media.

Photocopy of the marriage certificate of James Nicholas Murray and Everilda Lois Evelyn Ponsonby Hawke. The couple were married in St Andrew's Church, South Brisbane.

Letter to James Murray to confirm that his name will be registered for inclusion in the ballot for portion 108, parish of Milton. A transcript is available.

Gladstone District Land Office certification of James Murray's Certificate of Discharge.

Unsigned certification that James Nicholas Murray passed the Land Surveyors' Examination and was registered as an Authorised Surveyor for the State of Queensland on 15th October 1934.

Small box in which one of Private James Nicholas Murray's First World War service medals was sent.

The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, illustrated from original drawings made in the Holy Land. This edition was published as a 'prized specialty for soldiers'. The signature inside is that of H.H. McGregor.

1915 diary of Private James Nicholas Murray, in which he describes embarkation from Brisbane, the voyage to Egypt and then to Gallipoli. Murray details life and death in the dug outs and trenches of the Peninsula, and reveals how he was summoned to A&NZ Headquarters and tasked with surveying the trenches. He also describes the evacuation.

Transcript of the diary of James Nicholas Murray from Tuesday 17 December 1915 to Monday 3 April 1916. Murray describes time spent on Lemnos and on a troopship after the evacuation, and details his activities in and around Cairo once back in Egypt. He records his voyage home and arrival in Sydney on 3 April 1916.

Transcript only - Original not held

James Murray's grid pattern Field Service correspondence book, which contains his surveyor's notes and measurements for many locations on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Instruments used by Surveyor Murray for the observations noted were a prismatic compass, a clinometer and a graduated 20 foot (6.09 metres) long piece of string.

Map which appears to be hand drawn by Captain M. Connor, Officer Commanding D Company at Durrants Post. The map is a plan showing the disposition of troops in the vicinity of Durrants Post.

Brief hand drawn map showing various features of the Gallipoli Peninsula, including Suvla Bay, Anzac Cove, Hill 60, Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair, Chailak Dere, Russell's Top, Monash Gully, Schrapnel Valley and Lone Pine.

Contour map on which is hand written the names of various features at gallipoli - Battleship Hill, Table Top, Chunuk Bair, Chailak Dere.

Poster sized map of Europe with an inset map of the Dardanelles. Map is surrounded by advertisements for businesses in New South Wales, including the Armidale Chronicle.

1914 map of Cairo, scale 1:15,000.

Map of traversed trench and tunnel positions around Russell's Top, Gallipoli. Produced by the surveying firm of James Nicholas Murray's grandson Mark Murray, from Private James Murray's original field notes. Private Murray's notes were made between 1 October and 1 November 1915. The traverses shown are of Todd Road, White Lane, Broadway, Meldrum Lane, Paul Avenue, Rocket Street, Murphy's Lane, Main Street, Jenkins Avenue, Uther Lane and D.Sah.