Rupert Murdoch Murdoch was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was Sir Keith Murdoch. The elder Murdoch was a well-connected member of the Australian gentry, working as a journalist and adviser to Billy Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia during World War I, and became Australia's most influential newspaper executive and media owner, directing the Melbourne-based Herald and Weekly Times Ltd. He was reportedly often frustrated by the slowness of young Murdoch's early progress and despaired of his son being able to take over from him. Rupert Murdoch was deeply influenced by his father, and although he clearly wished to emulate him, he often rebelled.
Murdoch's mother is Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, née Elisabeth Greene. Dame Elisabeth, at 97, remains a strong influence on Rupert, usually in the direction of moderation. The young Murdoch was educated at Geelong Grammar School and later at Worcester College at the University of Oxford.
