When 22-year-old Murray Rainsford Smith wrote home from the trenches of France during the First World War, he likely never imagined his words would be read more than a century later or that his name would live on through generations of engineers at the University of Sydney.
“Most of the trenches are blown to bits,” he wrote. “Wire, shells, rifles, bombs, and remains of men lie everywhere, though this place passed into our hands some months back... There is no water for washing, except in shell craters, which I don’t fancy, so there is no real wash to be had.”
Despite the horror, one of his final letters closed with hope: “This should reach you about Christmas time. So the best of wishes for a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I hope the latter will see a victorious peace and me home again.”
He never made it back.
Transforming grief into action
In the wake of his death, Murray’s mother, Adelaide Smith, made a quiet but powerful gesture. The University of Sydney, where her son had once been a promising civil engineering student, received a gift of £76 - the exact amount of his outstanding pay. With this donation, she established a student prize in his name: the Murray Rainsford Smith Prize in Civil Engineering.
Created in 1918, the prize has been awarded every year since. While modest in its financial value - now $200 annually - its emotional and historical weight is considerable.
Professor Stuart Khan, Head of the School of Civil Engineering, recently unearthed the story behind the prize. “I was looking at the details of the gift and realised it had been paid since 1918,” he said. “There was a little bit of information about the origin of it, this gift of 76 pounds, which was the amount of pay outstanding to Murray Rainsford Smith at the time of his death. His mother gave it to the University shortly after receiving news of his passing.”
His curiosity led him to the University archives and the Australian War Memorial, where Murray’s wartime letters are preserved. “They’re really fascinating, shocking, even,” said Professor Khan. “It’s very moving to think about the sacrifice behind such a longstanding prize.”
Adelaide Smith’s deep and personal act of philanthropy, born of grief, has since become a living legacy, one that continues to touch the lives of students more than a century later.
Aakash Singh, in front of the University of Sydney War Memorial bearing Murray Rainsford Smith’s name. Photo credit: The University of Sydney/Fiona Wolf.
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Aakash Singh was attending Westlake Boys High School in New Zealand when he found his dream degree. He worked hard to finish his high schooling, and his academic achievements were recognised when he applied for the University of Sydney, receiving the Chancellor’s Award which supported his move to Sydney.
Now, in the final year of his double degree in Civil Engineering and Architecture, Aakash is the recipient of this year’s Murray Rainsford Smith prize. For him, the award’s significance extends beyond academics.
“Learning about Murray Rainsford Smith’s studies, service and ultimately, sacrifice was incredibly moving,” Aakash said. “Knowing that he made such sacrifices at 22, the same age I am now, allowed me to reflect on how different our realities are and how much was given so that mine could be possible.”
“My parents made sacrifices so that I could pursue a tertiary education, my mum was 22 when she had to leave her university degree. When I told mum about the award, she was emotional, she saw her own story reflected in its history. It came from a mum who wanted to make sure her son, who wasn’t able to fulfill his dreams, would be remembered, and that resonated, because I moved to Sydney with my Mum’s support, to fulfill my dreams.”
For Aakash, the prize is a reminder of the legacy that education and philanthropy can carry. “Receiving this prize is not just a recognition of academic performance, but a reminder of how fortunate I am to live in a time and place where I can pursue my passions freely,” he said.
That enduring connection, between past and present, between one young life cut short and the many shaped by his memory, lies at the heart of the Prize.
“It’s not a huge amount of money,” Professor Khan acknowledged, “but it’s enough to signify to a student that they’ve been recognised. That they’ve done well.”
It’s a sentiment that speaks to the deeper role of philanthropy, not just as financial support, but to recognise and give credit to those doing good work. It’s also a way of connecting generations and preserving stories that might otherwise fade.
As Professor Khan put it: “The fact that Murray Rainsford Smith is someone we can talk about and acknowledge more than 100 years later shows that philanthropy is an effective way of preserving somebody's legacy and memory.”
For Aakash, the experience has become a moment of clarity and inspiration. “It has inspired me to continue making the most of the opportunities available to me with purpose and gratitude,” he said. “It’s easy to lose perspective and take that for granted. This story brought it back into sharp focus and it’s something I’ll carry with me.”
Aakash reading a letter written by Sapper Murray Rainsford Smith on the frontlines of World War One. Photo credit: The University of Sydney/Fiona Wolf.
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LinkReceiving this prize is not just a recognition of academic performance, but a reminder of how fortunate I am to live in a time and place where I can pursue my passions freely.
Aakash Singh, Civil Engineering and Architecture student
Hero image: Aakash looking at an image of Sapper Murray Rainsford Smith (University of Sydney Archives, REF-00018349) who was killed in France in 1916. Photo credit: The University of Sydney/Fiona Wolf.