Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 5 August 1937, page 8


I DEAN AICKIN I

1 - -And I Dea I Ii Yesterday

i I

a VALUABLE LIFE ENDS

The very Rev. George Ellis Aickin, who was Dean of Melbourne from 1917 until 1932, when he retired because of ill-health, died at his home in Ardoyne street, Black Rock, late yesterday afternoon

Dean Aickin had done work of great value as a clergyman and an educationist He was a man of fine culture and of exceptional scholarship with wide interest in literature and the arts His sermons and lectures had much grace of expression and a high quality of thought

He was born at Liverpool, England, In 1869 His early education was at Liverpool College where he won a number of scholarships and his brilliance was shown at Cambridge, where he was foundation scholar and Naden divinity student of St John's College, He graduated B A (first-class classical tripos) in 1891, and he received his M.A. degree in 1902 In Victoria he was principal of Ridley College from 1910 to 1918 and other appointments of the period were rector of St Paul s Bendigo rector of Mornington, Canon and Archdeacon of Bendigo and Archdeacon of Dandenong He was examining chaplain to the Bishops of Gippsland and Bendigo and, from 1922 to the Archbishop of Melbourne In 1927 he became Dean of Melbourne, and in 1928 Vicar-General

Expert Linguist

Hebrew was one of the languages with the) Dean Aickin was closely acquainted and he knew most of the modern European languages including Russian When a reception was given in Melbourne to the delegates to the Eucharistic Congress Dean Aickin was able to converse with each person in his own tongue His speech on that occasion made a great impression by its learning and by the understanding rctealed of the points of fact or others As J churchman Dean Aickin was a Broad Et angelical but he could sympathise with other schools of thought

Study of the classics and, of literature generally appealed greatly to Dean Aickin One of his many subjects of reading was that of the history antiquities and folklore of Ireland He was a lover and a composer of music and a skilled organist and he took deep inlet est in hymns and hymnology From time to time he had written li j nuis for special occasions A carol with words by Dean Aickin and music by Mr Fritz Hart was published in 1930 and It was sung in several churches]

at Christmas Dean Aickin painted a number

of seascapes in water-colour and he was fond of drawing On the walls of his

The Late DEAN AICKIN

study it St Pauls Cathedral there were many examples of his work His interest in art was further indicated by his books on that subject including Eyes of the masters In early life he was a keen participant in athletic sport particularly boxing and running

In 1009 Dean Aickin married Miss Rachel Millicent Butler daughter of Mr William Butler of Dublin Mrs Aickin survives him

The bus lal will take place in the Coburg Cemetery to morrow afternoon The funeral will be preceded by a service at St Paul a Cathedral at 2 30 p m to be conducted by Archbishop Head assisted by the Bishop of Geelong (the Right Rev. J J Booth) A A. Sleight Pty. Ltd is in charge of the funeral arrangements