Rate My Professor David Murray

Dr. David Murray serves as an Archivist at Hocken Collections, University of Otago, where he manages the arrangement and description of extensive archival collections, including architectural records and cultural materials related to New Zealand history. He holds a PhD from the University of Otago, awarded in 2005, for his thesis titled 'Raffaello Squarise (1856-1945): The Colonial Career of an Italian Maestro,' a detailed examination of the life, musical career, and contributions of the Italian musician and composer in colonial Dunedin, based on research begun in 2001. Prior to his doctorate, Murray completed a music performance degree at the University of Otago and has performed as a cellist with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra since 1998.

Murray's academic interests and research focus on music history, built heritage, and the social history of Dunedin, disseminated through his blog Built in Dunedin, launched in 2012, which features in-depth explorations of local architecture accompanied by historical photographs and ephemera, with some posts published in the Otago Daily Times. At Hocken Collections, he authors posts for the Hocken Blog on diverse topics such as University of Otago college histories, early public radio broadcasts by Professor Robert Jack, ephemera like Cookie Bear promotions, and industrial archives from the Cadbury factory. He has undertaken research and reviews for private and local authority commissions on built heritage and contributed to educational courses. Murray has given public lectures, including the 2017 R.A. Lawson Lecture on built heritage and a 2018 NZ Music Month presentation 'False Accents: the extraordinary manipulations of Monsieur Léon-Driver.' In 2021, he received the Dunedin Bluestone Award for his contributions to heritage awareness and preservation.