Donald Charles Cameron

Donald Charles Cameron
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1879 – 1960 81 years

Born 19 November 1879 in Brisbane, QueenslandDied 19 November 1960 in Barcaldine, Queensland, aged 81

Managed the family property Kensington Downs, near Longreach, with his brothers for twelve years, and was involved in their associated pastoral and other business activities. He visited Europe and the United States in 1903 and toured China and Japan after his marriage in 1914, returning home just before the outbreak of war. He returned to Kensington Downs after demobilisation in 1919.

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Family

Parents

JC John Cameron 1845–1914 father

Spouse

EJ Evelyn Stella Jardine 1888–1960 m. 18 February 1914

Places 14 locations

BirthOtherWorkMarriageDeath / burial

Timeline

1870s
Born 19 November 1879

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1890s
Overseas tour and Boxer Rebellion service, China 1899–1901 aged 20

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Left Australia in 1899 on a tour of Europe and Asia. He was in China during the Boxer Rebellion and, attaching himself to an American infantry regiment despatched from Manila, accompanied it to Peking. He returned to Australia in 1901.

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1900s
South African War service, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen from 19 March 1901 to June 1902 aged 21

South Africa

Volunteered for the South African War on his return from Asia and was commissioned lieutenant in the 6th (Queensland Imperial Bushmen) Contingent on 19 March 1901. He reached Cape Town in May and for the next year took part in patrolling and mopping-up operations in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony. On 16 June he risked his life to rescue a wounded trooper and was mentioned in despatches. His unit was disbanded in June 1902.

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Occupation (Pastoralist, Kensington Downs) 1902–1914 aged 23

Longreach, Queensland, Australia

Managed the family property Kensington Downs, near Longreach, with his brothers for twelve years, and was involved in their associated pastoral and other business activities. He visited Europe and the United States in 1903 and toured China and Japan after his marriage in 1914, returning home just before the outbreak of war. He returned to Kensington Downs after demobilisation in 1919.

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1910s
Married to Evelyn Stella Jardine 18 February 1914 aged 34

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Death of father John Cameron 25 June 1914 aged 34

Brisbane, Queensland, Australiaaged 69
Australian Imperial Force service from 30 September 1914 to 6 October 1919 aged 34

Queensland, Australia

Enlisted in the AIF on 30 September 1914 as a captain in the 7th Light Horse Regiment, transferring to the 5th Light Horse on 17 November and embarking for Egypt in December as second-in-command of C Squadron. From 20 May 1915 until the evacuation his regiment fought as infantry at Gallipoli, where he was wounded on 9 June and again severely on 28 June in the attack on the Turkish trenches known as the Balkan Gun Pits; the bullet was never removed and the wound troubled him for the rest of his life. Promoted major on 9 September 1915, he commanded his squadron across Sinai from April 1916 and fought at Romani on 4-5 August. He was twice wounded and three times mentioned in despatches.

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Title (DSO) 16 August 1917 aged 37

Distinguished Service Order, awarded for service in the Sinai and Palestine campaign with the 5th Light Horse Regiment.

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Commanding Officer, 5th Light Horse Regiment, AIF from 30 October 1917 to 1919 aged 37

Queensland, Australia

Promoted lieutenant-colonel on 30 October 1917 and took command of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, leading it in the attack on Beersheba and the advance on Jerusalem. After leave in England in early 1918 he resumed command for the offensives against the retreating Turks that ended in their capitulation at Ziza on 30 October 1918, where he had to protect the surrendering enemy force from Allied Bedouin troops while arranging the surrender. He was regarded as an able commanding officer who obtained machine-like discipline without demanding it, and morale in his regiment was always high. He returned to Australia on 5 September 1919.

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Title (Order of the Nile, 3rd Class) 1918 aged 39

Appointed to the Egyptian Order of the Nile, third class, for service in the Sinai and Palestine campaign.

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Title (CMG) 9 December 1919 aged 40

Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, appointed for war service.

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Member for Brisbane, Australian House of Representatives from 13 December 1919 to 19 December 1931 aged 40

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Won the seat of Brisbane for the Nationalist Party at the 1919 federal election and held it through four re-elections until defeated by Labor at the 1931 election. He was a tireless worker who always had the interests of ex-servicemen at heart and was a leading parliamentary spokesman for the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia. He sat on the joint select committee on Commonwealth electoral law and procedure in 1926-27, and joined the United Australia Party on its formation in May 1931.

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1920s
Commanding Officer, 14th Light Horse Regiment from 31 March 1921 to 2 January 1924 aged 41

Queensland, Australia

Commanded the 14th Light Horse Regiment in the citizen forces while sitting in the House of Representatives. When a history of the 5th Light Horse Regiment was printed in 1926 he paid the publishing costs and presented a copy to every member of the regiment.

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Australian delegate, League of Nations Assembly 1923 aged 44

Represented Australia at the 4th Assembly of the League of Nations in Switzerland in 1923. He was again a delegate to the 13th Assembly in 1932, and in the same year to the League's Permanent Mandates Commission.

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1930s
Title (KCMG) 3 June 1932 aged 52

Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, appointed in the year after he lost the seat of Brisbane. He was thereafter styled Sir Donald Cameron.

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Member for Lilley, Australian House of Representatives from 15 September 1934 to 21 September 1937 aged 54

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Returned to the House at the 1934 election for the neighbouring seat of Lilley as a United Australia Party member. He resigned the seat on 21 September 1937 to contest the Senate for Queensland at that year's election, was defeated, and retired from politics. Ill health had earlier forced his retirement from Brisbane.

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Undated
Occupation (Clerk, Queensland Meat Export and Agency Company)

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Educated at Toowoomba and Brisbane Grammar schools, and at eighteen became a clerk in the Queensland Meat Export and Agency Company, of which his father was chairman of directors. He spent his early childhood at Kensington Downs, a family grazing property near Longreach.

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Chairman, New South Wales RAAF recruiting committee

Queensland, Australia

Served as chairman of the New South Wales recruiting drive committee for the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. He was also hospitaller and almoner of the Order of St John in Australia, and president or patron of many social organisations.

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1960s
Buried 1960 aged 81

Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia

Cremated with Presbyterian forms. In accordance with his wishes his ashes were buried near the grave of his grandfather in the family cemetery on Home Creek station near Barcaldine. His wife and their only daughter predeceased him.

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Death of wife Evelyn Stella Jardine 19 July 1960 aged 80

Brisbane, Queensland, Australiaaged 72
Died 19 November 1960 aged 81

Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia