Alexander Sutherland (educator)

The family came to Australia in 1864 on account of the father's health, and Alexander at 14 years of age became a pupil-teacher with the education department at Sydney.

[1] Coming to Melbourne in 1870, he first taught at John Meeson's[2] Hawthorn Grammar School, then entered on the arts course at the University, largely supported by scholarships, and graduated with honours in 1874.

Sutherland had long brooded over this work and was greatly pleased at receiving the commendation of some of the leaders of philosophic thought in England.

With his brother, George Sutherland, he wrote a short History of Australia, selling 120,000 copies, and he collaborated with Henry Gyles Turner in a useful volume, The Development of Australian Literature (1898).

He contributed on scientific subjects to the nineteenth century, and did a large amount of lecturing on literature and science in Melbourne.

[1] In 1898, he went to London as representative of the South Australian Register, but found the climate oppressed him and returned to Australia towards the end of 1899.