Nationality Australian Name Prosper Ellis | Died 1980 | |
Occupation SurveyorGolf course architect Spouse(s) Alice Victoria Grace (nee Birdsall) Parent(s) George and Christina Ellis | ||
Prosper de George Ellis (14 August 1895 – 29 July 1980) was an Australian surveyor, golf course architect and amateur scratch golfer.
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Family and education
Ellis was born at Newtown, New South Wales, the second child of George and Christina Ellis. He attended Newington College from 1908 until 1912. In 1923, Ellis married Alice Victoria Grace Birdsall (1897–1967) in Sydney.
Working life
After completing high school, Ellis trained as a surveyor and worked for the Department of Railways New South Wales. On his retirement from surveying, he became a golf club administrator and was Secretary at Pymble Golf Club and Bonnie Doon Golf Club. He was instrumental in arranging the amalgamation of the Metropolitan Golf Club at Pagewood with the Bonnie Doon Golf Club in 1950.
Columnist
On its founding in 1949 The Sunday Herald carried a golf column, On The Fareways, by Ellis. The byline described him as "three times Pymble champion ... one of Sydney's oldest "A" grade golfers."
Golf course designs
Ellis was often a remodeller of existing courses but his status as a leading amateur golfer led to major design commissions. He at times remodelled The Australian Golf Club (since totally remodelled throughout the 1970s), Bonnie Doon Golf Club, Pymble Golf Club, Killara Golf Club, Castle Hill Golf Club, North Ryde Golf Club, Liverpool Golf Club (since relocated to a new site), Avondale Golf Club, Blackheath Golf Club, Deniliquin Golf Club, Chatswood Golf Club, Tamworth Golf Club, Merewether Golf Club and Kogarah Golf Club. In the 1960s he did a redesign of the Coolamon Golf Club, introducing new water and substantial planting. His major design commissions include Federal Golf Club (1946), Belmont Golf Club (1952), Windsor Golf Club (1963), Woollahra Golf Club (1960) and Camden Valley Golf Resort (1964). Other designs are Muswellbrook Golf Club's extension by 12 holes (1964), Toronto Golf Links between 1968 and 1982, Nelson Bay Golf & Country Club's second 9 holes (1970) and Mittagong-Highlands Golf Club (1972).
Death
Ellis died in Bowral on 29 July 1980. His wife had predeceased him in 1967. They lived at Winterslee, Burradoo. The Prosper Ellis Plate is played for at Bowral Golf Club where Ellis was the club's first Honorary Life Member. Income from his bequest to Newington College is used to support The Halse Rogers Scholarship or Bursary for All-Round Achievement.