George Merrick Long, Anglican bishop and educationalist, was educated at Maryborough Grammar School and began work at the local branch of the City of Melbourne Bank. From 1899 to 1901, he studied logic and philosophy at Trinity College, University of Melbourne and was awarded a Hastie exhibition and the Trinity College Dialectic Society's medal for oratory. Long was made deacon on 28 May 1899 and priested on 10 June 1900. He had charge of the district of Foster in Gippsland. and was senior curate at Holy Trinity Church, Kew. It was here that he suggested the foundation of a boys' school despite opposition from the council of Melbourne Church of England Grammar School; after twelve months as a preparatory school, Trinity Grammar School accepted boys of all ages and Long became headmaster in 1904. In 1910 he was made a canon of St Paul's Cathedral. When in May 1911 Long was elected to the see of Bathurst, New South Wales, he became one of the few Australian-born bishops.
In November 1917 Long enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a chaplain and honorary captain. In January 1918, he joined the Australian troops in France. His eldest son Gavin Merrick (q.v.) became official historian of World War II.
