Sir Edward Charles Stirling CMG FRS FRCS (8 September 1848 – 20 March 1919) was an Australian anthropologist and the first professor of physiology at the University of Adelaide.

Edward Stirling and his wife Harriett, née Taylor[1] His father was the illegitimate child of a Scottish planter in Jamaica and an unknown woman of colour.

Stirling returned to South Australia in 1875 and on 27 June 1877 married Jane, eldest daughter of Joseph Gilbert, and took his new wife to London for medical treatment.

He then expanded on his argument for women's suffrage using the following quote from Plato: 'There is no natural difference between the sexes except in strength and both should equally participate in the Government of the State.'

Edward Charles Stirling was appointed the first President of the State Children's Council by its founder Catherine Helen Spence.

A later President was his oldest daughter Harriet (OBE), who also founded the Mothers and Babies Health Association with Helen Mayo.

[1] He was appointed director of the Adelaide museum in 1895 and built up there a remarkable collection including invaluable specimens relating to aboriginal life in Australia.

A fine two-storey house was constructed in 1882–83, and during the following decades, Stirling himself oversaw the establishment of one of Australia's finest private botanical gardens which included trees and shrubs imported from interstate and overseas.

A major feature of his gardens were South Australia's first rhododendrons, one of which was named Mrs E C Stirling, and several new varieties were developed by Edward and his head-gardener.

His eldest sister Mary Eliza Collingwood Stirling married William James Ingram MP on 10 November 1874.

C. Verco Stirling wrote a valuable article on hydatid disease for Allbutt's System of Medicine, he fostered and brought to maturity the young medical school at the University, and he did significant work in developing the Adelaide museum.