Montague Thomas Robson Younger
(1836–1899)

Montague Thomas Robson Younger was born in Sydney on 25 June 1836, third son of Charles Younger, ironmonger, and his wife Harriett, née Mills. His father was a talented amateur musician who helped found the Sydney Philharmonic Society in 1854.

Montague attended a private school at Surry Hills conducted by Rev. Thomas L. Dodd and at 12 was appointed organist of St Thomas’ Church, North Sydney, as successor to his father. He took music lessons at first from Stephen Marsh and later from C.S. Packer.

A partner in his father’s firm, Younger and Son, ironmongers, until 1865, he was also organist at St Peter’s Church, Cook’s River. On 26 October at St Peter’s he married Anna Maria Reilly. That year he took up music professionally and moved to Ipswich, Queensland, where he was appointed organist of St Paul’s Church and director of the local Philharmonic Society.

On his return to Sydney in 1868 he became the first Organist of St Andrew’s Cathedral where a large organ had been installed. He also developed a profitable teaching connexion and became vice-warden of the Sydney College of Music. Among his pupils was Arthur Mason, Sydney City Organist in 1901-07. He was one of the judges at the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879-80 and chairman of the committee which approved specifications for the new Grand Organ in the Sydney Town Hall.

As a teacher Younger influenced the development of music in the colony and he was a polished performer, the first native of Sydney to reach eminence as an organist.

He died of broncho-pneumonia at Ashfield on 26 December 1899 and was buried in the cemetery of St Thomas’ Church of England, North Sydney. A memorial plaque was placed in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney. He was survived by three sons and his intestate estate was valued at £179.

From an article by E.J. Lea-Scarlett in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au.