Hugh Connell
Encyclopedia
Hugh John Connell DSO
, MC & Bar
(12 June 1884 – 31 January 1934) was an Australia
n politician and soldier.
suburb of Woollahra, New South Wales
and educated at Woollahra and Paddington
public schools, Fort Street High School
and at a teachers' training college. He taught at state chools in Sydney (1900–1905, Golgolgon and Tarcoon (1905–1908), Broken Hill
and nearby Alma (1908–1910). As a result of criticism of employers during the 1909 lockout, he was transferred to Goulburn
. He then taught at Howell (near Guyra
), the Newcastle
suburb of Wickham
and the Sydney suburb of Burwood
(1910–1915) and finally at the Newcastle suburb of Carrington
.
in military training and in 1916 joined the First Australian Imperial Force
as a lieutenant
in the 35th Battalion and was promoted to captain in May 1916. He was awarded a Military Cross
at the Battle of Messines
in 1917. He received a bar to his Military Cross during the German
Spring Offensive
of 1918. He retired in 1919 as a major
.
member for Newcastle
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1920 to 1927. In 1927 he was elected to the seat of Kahibah
and on its abolition in 1930, he was elected as the member for Hamilton, which he held until his death in the Newcastle suburb of Merewether
.
in 1917, Military Cross
in 1916 and bar in 1917, and was twice mentioned in despatches.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC & Bar
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
(12 June 1884 – 31 January 1934) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and soldier.
Early life
Connell was born in the SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Woollahra, New South Wales
Woollahra, New South Wales
Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. The Municipality of Woollahra takes its name from the...
and educated at Woollahra and Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
public schools, Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and at a teachers' training college. He taught at state chools in Sydney (1900–1905, Golgolgon and Tarcoon (1905–1908), Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
and nearby Alma (1908–1910). As a result of criticism of employers during the 1909 lockout, he was transferred to Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
. He then taught at Howell (near Guyra
Guyra, New South Wales
-References:...
), the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
suburb of Wickham
Wickham, New South Wales
Wickham is an inner suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.-Origin:Wickham which was a Misspelling of Whickham, a suburb of Newcastle-on-Tyne in the north of England. Means village by the creek...
and the Sydney suburb of Burwood
Burwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
(1910–1915) and finally at the Newcastle suburb of Carrington
Carrington, New South Wales
Carrington is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and is named after Lord Carrington, governor of N.S.W. in 1887 when the area was proclaimed a municipality.-Origins:...
.
Military service
Connell Served from the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in military training and in 1916 joined the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 35th Battalion and was promoted to captain in May 1916. He was awarded a Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
at the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
in 1917. He received a bar to his Military Cross during the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
of 1918. He retired in 1919 as a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Political career
In 1920, Connell was elected as an Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member for Newcastle
Electoral district of Newcastle
Newcastle is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales named after and including Newcastle. It is represented by Tim Owen of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1920 to 1927. In 1927 he was elected to the seat of Kahibah
Electoral district of Kahibah
Kahibah was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member districts from part of the electoral district of Newcastle and named after the Newcastle suburb of Kahibah. It was abolished in 1920, with the...
and on its abolition in 1930, he was elected as the member for Hamilton, which he held until his death in the Newcastle suburb of Merewether
Merewether, New South Wales
Merewether is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district with a population of around 10,000. The suburb stretches from Merewether Beach in the east to Adamstown in the west.- Establishment :...
.
Honours
Connell received a Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1917, Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1916 and bar in 1917, and was twice mentioned in despatches.