Soldier, Engineer and Administrator. He was born in Dudley Street, West Melbourne, the first of three children of Louis Monash (formerly Monasch of Jewish Prussian origin) and his wife Bertha, née Manasse. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and at 16 was dux of the school. He graduated from the University of Melbourne: B.A. 1887; master of civil engineering in 1893; in law 1895, and doctor of engineering in 1921. He married Hannah Victoria Moss in 1891 and they had one daughter, Bertha. He worked as a civil engineer, introduced reinforced concrete to Australian engineering practice, was engineer for a bridge over the Yarra river and took a leading part in his profession becoming a president of the Victorian Institute of Engineers, and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. His involvement in army service spanned 36 years from 1884 (when he joined the university militia unit) until 1920 (in his role of in-charge of repatriation of troops after WW I). When war broke out in 1914, he became a full-time army officer despite his German background, and he was sent to Egypt as commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade. His service can be summarised as follows: Gallipoli campaign; Battle of Messines; Battle of Broodseinde; First Battle of Passchendaele; Battle of Hamel; Battle of Amiens; Battle of the Hindenburg Line. Even his army service could not be classed as smooth, and at one stage the then Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, arrived at the front before the Battle of Hamel prepared to replace Monash, but after consulting the senior officers, and seeing the superb power of planning and execution he displayed, Hughes changed his mind. The official Australian War Historian, Charles Bean was not a fan of Monash's early military career, but he noted that Monash was more effective the higher he rose in the army, when he had a greater capacity of utilising his skill for meticulous planning and organising, and to innovate in the area of technology and tactics. On 12 August 1918 he was knighted KCB on the battlefield by King George V. He returned to Australia on 26 December 1919 to a tumultuous welcome and he filled many important positions in his post-army career, including: head of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne until his death; president of the Rotary Club; one of the principal organisers of the annual ANZAC day; chairman of the constructing body of the Shrine of Remembrance; and, president of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. In the 1920's Monash was broadly accepted, as the greatest living Australian.He died at his home Iona and there was a State Funeral with crowds of at least 250,00 and was buried with Jewish rites.