Vroland, Anton William Rutherford   (1874 - 1957)

Born on 12 September 1874, in Gledefield, Victoria; died on 19 August 1957 Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria.

Anton was born on 12 September 1874 at Gledefield, near Ararat, Victoria, eldest of at least nine children of Carl Häkam Ferdinand Vroland, a schoolteacher from Sweden, and his Victorian-born wife Janet Huntley, née Scott.

Educated at the rural schools where his father taught and at Trinity Grammar School, Maldon, he became a student-teacher at Daylesford State School in 1892. He gained his certificate at the Melbourne Training College next year.

Beginning at small country schools, he was a head teacher of primary schools for the whole of his career, except while studying for a diploma of education at the University of Melbourne in 1910-11.

In his early career at Strathbogie North (1901-06) and Allambee East (1906-10), Vroland experimented with 'practical' arithmetic, spelling and reading reforms, and nature lessons in the bush.

Later in life he is credited with transforming Elsternwick State School into a beacon of progressive education. He instituted an opportunity class, pioneered the use of film as a teaching aid, set up a central library, taught foreign languages, and – as he had done in the bush – divided the school's grounds into sections for playground, cultivated garden and natural habitat.

In 1938 he was a founder of the Education Reform Association.

When young, he had been a good sportsman. At Bingomunjie he had broken horses, and in his sixties he rode with a party from Briagalong to Omeo.

He was tall and slim with a long face, strong jaw, thick brown hair (later a distinguished grey) and dense moustache. Pupils and student-teachers had regarded him with awe, but never feared him, and came to appreciate his wry sense of humour and passion for teaching.

He was married to Anna Fellowes Vroland (1902-1978), schoolteacher and human-rights advocate.

He died on 19 August 1957 at his Box Hill home and was cremated.

Source: Extracted from:
Sitarani Kerin and Andrew Spaull, Australian Dictionary of Biography:
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/vroland-anton-william-rutherford-11928
Portrait Photo: seeking portrait

Collecting localities for 'Vroland, A.W.R.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 88 specimens