Art & Heritage Collections

Professor GC Henderson was appointed Chair of Modern History and English Language at the University of Adelaide in 1902. He came from a modest working-class family in Newcastle, New South Wales, and was a graduate of the universities of Sydney and Oxford.

Professor Henderson advocated teaching and promoted studying Australian history. He was a member of the South Australian Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery Board, and as part of his research he recommended and secured the establishment of South Australian archives in 1920 - an Australian first.

The University was given a small selection of personal items and a substantial collection of books by his niece after his death in 1944. Recently the University hosted his two great, great nieces who are researching family history. They marvelled at the respect held for their relative within the University, after all this time. They intend to return and work on the material in the Henderson Room at the School of History and Politics, where a new display telling his story will be installed in 2012.

If you would like to view the Henderson collection items, please contact us: art.heritage@adelaide.edu.au

Mirna Heruc, Manager, Art & Heritage Collections