Background
He was born in Nelson, New Zealand on 7 November 1875.
He was born in Nelson, New Zealand on 7 November 1875.
Milner was educated at Nelson College from 1889 to 1892, and at Canterbury College, where he completed his Bachelor in English and Latin in 1895, and his Master of Arts with first-class honours in language and literature in 1896.
He taught at Nelson College between 1897 and 1906, and applied unsuccessfully for the headmaster"s position there in 1903. From 1906 until his death in 1944 Milner was the rector of Waitaki Boys" High School in Oamaru, where he was known as "The Manitoba".