AustLit

Pembroke Lathrop Murray, journalist and soldier, was the son of Robert William Felton Lathrop Murray and his wife Eleanor, née Dixon. In 1849, he went to England with his mother to join his father, who had returned to claim an estate in Shropshire. Following the latter's death in 1850, Murray's mother sold the property and returned to Melbourne in 1853.

Initially, Murray intended to train for the law and in March 1863 was articled to a Melbourne solicitor. On 30 September 1865, he sailed for England 'to study for the Bar for three years', but returned in November 1866. He moved to Sydney and on 21 May 1870, describing himself as a reporter, married Margaret Mary Therese McDermott at St Patrick's Catholic Church. That year, his The Three Bears and Little Silverhair the Charming, a burlesque pantomime, was produced at the Royal Victoria Theatre on Christmas Eve.

In 1871, Murray enlisted in the New South Wales volunteer artillery. Appointed second lieutenant in 1874 and promoted to lieutenant next year, he was commissioned in the colony's permanent artillery on 5 September 1876 and promoted to captain in October 1878. During these years, Murray continued writing, contributing articles and stories to the Australasian as 'L' for over fifty years, chiefly about early Melbourne and Sydney: the last piece appeared two days after his death. He also wrote on military subjects: he compiled and edited the Official Records of the Australian Military Contingents to the War in South Africa [1911] for the Department of Defence and a couple of other military publications. Following his wife's death, he married Dublin-born Constance Nora Frances Connors on 2 May 1900 at St Patrick's Church. In March 1901, he went to South Africa in charge of troops on the Ranee, and engaged in active service. (Details from Australian Dictionary of Biography).