Lionel Logue

If it had not been for the award winning 2010 movie, The King's Speech, Lionel Logue and his contribution to society would have remained forgotten.

Lionel George Logue CVO, the son of George Edward Logue, a clerk, and his wife Lavinia, née Rankin, was born 26 February 1880 at College Town (now St Peters) SA. He attended Prince Alfred College and then the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the Adelaide University where he studied under elocutionist, Professor Edward Reeves. In 1902 he became Reeves' secretary and assistant-teacher before moving to Kalgoorlie. Prior to leaving South Australia, Lionel Logue received many positive reviews for his recital performances. He established elocution schools in Adelaide and Perth where public speaking and acting was taught. He staged plays, recited Shakespeare and Dickens at concerts, and founded a public-speaking club. Lionel also taught at the Young Men's Christian Association and at Scotch College. From 1910 he was teaching part time at the Perth Technical School.

As a Christian Scientist, Lionel Logue was also highly committed to helping his fellow man and in World War I he treated returned soldiers afflicted with speech impediments caused by shell-shock. His technique was to teach the afflicted exercises for the lungs and diaphragm, and to breathe sufficiently deeply to complete a sentence fluently.

In 1924, Lionel Logue relocated his practice to Harley Street in London where he was approached by the stammering Duke of York in 1926. Logue's exercise program relaxed the tensions so that the Duke was able to open the Australian parliament in Canberra in 1927 without any sign of a stammer. Logue remained a supporter of the Duke, later George VI, as he prepared for all his major speeches including his coronation in 1937 and the VE Day broadcast in May 1945.

Lionel Logue founded the British Society of Speech Therapists in 1935 and was a founding fellow of the College of Speech Therapists in 1944. His award, Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) in 1937, was upgraded to Commander (CVO) in 1943.

Lionel George Logue married Myrtle Gruenert in St Georges Cathedral, Perth on 20 March 1907 and the couple had three sons. He died 12 April 1953 in London.