 Eric Henry Stoneley Burhop was born in Hobart , Tasmania , on 31 January 1911 , the third child of two Salvation Army officers , Henry Augustus Burhop and his wife Bertha née Head . He had two older sisters , Edna and Vera . His family was not wealthy , and they moved frequently owing to the nature of his parents ' evangelical work . The family moved to Ballarat in 1923 , where he attended Ballarat High School for most of his secondary education , receiving his leaving ( Year 11 ) certificate in 1926 . He transferred to Melbourne High School for his final year . 
