Australian Army Major General, Politician, and Diplomat. The 4th child of parents who were farmers, he received his education at the One Mile State School in Gympie, Queensland, and Maryborough Grammar School. He left school to work as a junior clerk in the office of a mining company in Gympie and later as a clerk in the Queensland National Bank in Gympie. In 1897 he joined the Wide Bay Regiment, Queensland Mounted Infantry and travelled to London, England to represent Queensland at the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. He then served in South Africa in the Second Boer War as a lieutenant in the 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry Contingent, participating in the relief of Kimberley, and the occupation of Bloemfontein. After returning to Australia, he became partners with his younger brother Alexander, and they took over his father's grocery store in Gympie and later he purchased and operated a cattle station in central Queensland. In 1903 he organized the 13th Light Horse Regiment at Gympie. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1906 and to major in May 1912. When World War I broke out in 1914, he was appointed to the Australian Infantry Force with the rank of major in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in August of that year. The following month he was sent to Egypt where his regiment trained until called forward for dismounted service at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. In August 1915, as second in command, he lead an attack on Dead Man's Ridge, that had sweeping views of the Battle of the Nek, and after the attack failed, he ordered a retreat and covered the retirement, finally making it back carrying one of his wounded troopers. Afterwards, he was appointed to command the regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In March 1916 he became commander of the 13th Infantry Brigade, which was engaged in combat at Mouquet Farm, France in September 1916, Messines, Belgium in June 1917, Polygon Wood, Belgium in September 1917 and Dernancourt, France in April 1918, where the brigade helped stop the German advance. In June 1918 he became commander of the Australian 1st Division, which was fighting alongside the British at Flanders, Belgium. On August 8, 1918, the 1st Division joined the other four divisions on the Somme front, participating in the Battle of Amiens, Lihons, Chuignes, and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line, all in France and part of the 100 Days Offensive on the Western Front. After the German surrender in November 1918 that marked the end of World War I, he returned to Australia in May 1919 and was elected to the Senate as a member of the Nationalist Party. In June 1926 he became Minister for Home and Territories and then from April 1927 to October 1929 was Minister for Defence. He then became deputy leader of the Opposition in the Senate and in 1931 he lost his seat. He gave up his political career and resumed his pastoral interests and became director of several companies. In January 1936 he became a member of the Queensland board of advice of the National Bank of Australasia Limited and President of the Queensland branch of the United Australia Party. In December 1939 he was appointed first Australian High Commissioner to Canada. In August 1943 and September 1944 he attended the Quebec Conferences between US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King. In 1945 he returned to Australia to resume his pastoral and business interests and died at the age of 76. Among his military and foreign awards include the British Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, the British Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, the Distinguished Service Order, the United Kingdom World War I Victory Medal, the French Legion d'Honneur, the French Croix de Guerre, the Belgian Croix de Guerre, and was mentioned in dispatches (a superior officers official written report that describes a soldier's gallant or meritorious action while engaging the enemy) on 10 occasions. In 1966, a bronze statue in his honor was erected in Brisbane, Australia and is currently located at the Post Office Square.