User:Kakapo100/Herbert Murphy

Herbert Murphy (1879-1971) was an Australian adventurer and Antarctic explorer.

Early life
Murphy was born in Como, Melbourne on 18 October 1879 to Alexander Dyce Murphy, son of Sir Francis Murphy, and Ada Maud Florence, daughter of John Rout Hopkins. He was educated at Cumloden School in East St Kilda, Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, and then Tonbridge School, Kent. As a schoolboy he travelled to Russia with his mother, and was taken on three Arctic expeditions with his uncle Sir William Waller. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford in May 1900.

Early work
During vacations at Oxford Murphy claimed that he worked as a navigator on an Arctic whaler. He was recruited by the director-general of military intelligence for secret work which required him to live as a woman, 'Edith Murphy' for several years. He thoroughly enjoyed this work but was forced to give it up after his deepening voice made it difficult to disguise his masculinity. He then worked as navigator on a whaler to the Canary Islands, a voayage which included visits to the Antarctic. After returning to Europe he purchased a Norwegian whaler, on which he voyaged to Tierra del fuego and Novaya Zemblya, adopting two Norwegian orphan girls in the process.