Murray Geddes was born 27 Feburary 1909 in New Plymouth and was the son of Joseph and Edith (nee Urquhart) Geddes. Murray was one of five siblings; two sisters, Edith and Agnes, and two brothers, John and William (who became a renown anthropologist).
Murray attended New Plymouth Boy's High School before going to Dunedin Teacher’s Training College and Otago University where he graduated in 1937 with an MA in Mathematical Astronomy. He returned to New Plymouth to teach where he became a leading member of the New Plymouth Astronomical Society.
In 1932 he was appointed Director of the Auroral and Zodiacal Light section of the New Zealand Astronomical Society. It was in this role he was involved with plotting the Auroral Zone around the South Pole. In the same year he discovered a telescopic comet, named for him as the Geddes Comet, which brought him world-wide renown and several international awards. In 1939 he was appointed the Director of the Carter Observatory.
When World War Two broke out Geddes enlisted in the Navy as a Sub Lieutenant where he served on several ships. In Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) he trained for Radio Direction Finding duties and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He then served with the Fleet Air Arm as a Fighter Direction Officer on four different ships. He was promoted to Acting Lieutenant Commander in 1943. He was then transferred to the United Kingdom where he was a key man in the development of Radar.
He died of a brain haemorrhage on 23 July 1944 at a hospital in Glasgow. It was believed this had been due to over work as he understood the importance of his work and worked night and day on the task. He was buried at Cardonald Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland.
In 1945 the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand began the Murray Geddes Memorial Prize which is awarded annually to a person or persons for contributions to astronomy in New Zealand. The prize is still being awarded.
Books
Lest we Forget: a tribute by New Plymouth Boy's High School, New Plymouth, to the 227 men of the School who died while serving their Country during the Second World War, 1939-1945, Jack West, TRCT940.5467 WES
The Heavens Declare: a centennial history of the New Plymouth Astronomical Society, Nicolas Gladstone TRCT520.6093 GLA
New Plymouth Observatory: the first 50 years 1920-1970, TRCT522.1 WOO
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