John Monash GCMG KCB (1865 - 1931)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Formative years 1.2 inventive engineer 1.3 Australia's greatest military leader 1.4 life apart from work and the military 1.5 Honours and awards 1.6 legacy 2 Sources

Biography

Monash's "presence and prestige...
made anti-Semitism ... impossible in Australia"
- Colin MacInnes

General Sir John Monash GCMG KCB VD DEng MCE LLB BA was a civil engineer, businessman and a highly decorated Australian military commander of the First World War. He is considered one of the best Allied generals of the First World War and the most famous commander in Australian history.

Formative years

John Monash was born on 27th June 1865 in Richhill Terrace, 58 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); the only son of Jewish parents, Louis Monasch and Bertha Manasse ^[1] who, although born in Prussia were of Polish descent. The Monasch's were of the Tribe of Manasseh (the patriarch Joseph's older son). ^[2] The family spoke German as their native language. As might have been expected from a man brought up by cultivated Prussian parents who had arrived in Australia barely two years before John's birth, John spoke, read, and wrote German fluently. However, from 1914 until his death, Sir John Monash had no good reason to attract attention to his German background. ^[3] In 1874, after Louis' merchant business went 'sour', the family moved to the small town of Jerilderie in the Riverina region of New South Wales, where they ran a general store. Young John's school teacher advised them to move back to Melbourne to let John reach his full potential, and they moved back in 1877; his father returning later after saving sufficient to build a modest cottage at Hawthorn, six kilometres (3.7 miles) east of Melbourne's central business district. Although his parents had largely abandoned religious practice, John sang in the choir at the East Melbourne synagogue and celebrated his bar mitzvah there. John's mother was a proficient pianist and attracted a wide circle of friends, regularly entertaining at home German and Jewish families, including the Deakins. ^[3] John was educated under Alexander Morrison at Scotch College, Hawthorn, where he passed the matriculation examination when fourteen years of age. The following year, 1880, John was second in mathematics and logic to (Lt Gen. Sir) Jim McCay, his lifelong friend and rival. John returned to Scotch for one more year, in which he became dux of the school. He enrolled in engineering and mathematics at the University of Melbourne. ^[3] In 1884 he was one of the first to join the university company of the 4th Battalion, Victorian Rifles: the raw recruit, 180cm tall, well-built but slim and agile, rose to the rank of Colour Sergeant within fourteen months. ^[3] Losing his mother in 1885, to whom he has exceptionally close, set John back. He dropped back on his studies, gaining part-time work from which to help support his two younger sisters. He eventually graduated Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE) in 1891, Master of Civil Engineering (MCE) in 1893, and Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1895. ^[3] On 8th April 1891, John married Hannah Victoria 'Vic' Moss. ^[4] Their only child, Bertha, was born in 1893. ^[5] The couple made their home at Iona, St George's Road, Toorak, in Melbourne's south east.

inventive engineer

As a sign of things to come, John worked on the construction of the Princes Bridge in Melbourne and in 1888 was placed in charge of constructing a new railway; even though he had yet to complete his degree. He and a friend established a private engineering practice in 1894. The business grew steadily but a series of setbacks left him with large debts in 1902. Starting again, John recovered and his business prospered. In 1905 he joined with the builder David Mitchell and industrial chemist John Gibson to form the Reinforced Concrete & Monier Pipe Construction Co. ^[6] Following The Great War, the now Sir John Monash returned to business and in 1920 was appointed manager of Victoria's State Electricity Commission. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a final degree; Doctor of Engineering (DEng) in 1921. He increasingly took a leading part in his profession, being elected president of the Victorian Institute of Engineers and becoming a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. ^[7]

Australia's greatest military leader

Deciding to combine engineering with a military career, in 1895 John transferred from the Victorian Rifles to the Garrison Artillery , on promotion to Captain. In 1897, he was promoted to Major in the North Melbourne Battery and served there for eleven years. John opted not to volunteer to deploy to the Second Boer War (1899-1902), in South Africa, as he saw it to be purely a British drive for expanding its empire. In 1901, upon the federation of the six British Colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia, John transferred to the newly-created Commonwealth Military Force. He gained promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Intelligence Corps in 1908. ^[8] In 1913 he took command of the 13th Infantry Brigade, on promotion to Colonel. ^[9]

Upon declaration of war John was appointed to the Australian Imperial Force, his young nation's newly-created, all-volunteer, expeditionary force, on 13th September 1914, and given command of the 4th Infantry Brigade. ^[10] It was with the 4th Brigade as a Brigadier General that he landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 and participated in that famous (infamous?) campaign. For this service he was Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry) ^[11] and appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). ^[12] He took the brigade to northern France and Flanders – the 'killing fields' of the Western Front – in June 1916. ^[13] He was promoted to Major General in July and took command of the 3rd Division. ^[14] The division's first major battle, Messines, was hailed as a great success. Further success followed and in May 1918, John was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of the Australian Corps; the largest corps fielded by the British Empire on the Western Front, comprising all five Australian Infantry Divisions. ^[15] He remained in command through the victorious battles in the last months of the war. John Monash was an innovative leader who earned high praise from many leading political and military figures. ^[8]

Brigadier General John Monash

On 12th August 1918 Lieutenant General Monash was created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on the battlefield by King George V, the first time a British monarch had honoured a commander in such a way in 200 years. ^[16] As well as the numerous Imperial awards bestowed on him, John was appointed to foreign orders of chivalry: the French Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur (Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour) and the Belgian Grand-Officier Ordre de la Couronne; was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (War Cross) and the United States Distinguished Service Medal. ^[8] After overseeing the repatriation of the AIF, John was welcomed home to Melbourne by an enthusiastic public on Boxing Day 1919. He was subsequently demobilised from the AIF and returned to the Militia, aged 53 years. ^[17] He remained an advocate and spokesman for returned soldiers for the remainder of his life. From 1925 he led the annual Anzac Day march in Melbourne. John Monash's skills in planning and military precision, and personality, overcame constant and vehement persecution (based on his German Jewish ancestry) by members of the media who tried time and again to undermine his position. However, he always had the full support of his superiors, peers, and soldiers. ^[3]

life apart from work and the military

Sadly, Lady Monash, or Vic as she was known to all, passed away just months after Sir John returned from the war as a national hero. Bertha married Army dentist, Gershon Bennett, in 1921. Bearing her father's pain, the young couple lived with Sir John at Iona until his death, where he delighted in his grandchildren. Gershon was regarded as the son that Sir John never had. ^[3] John Monash's haven was his home, Iona. He took a keen interest in the garden and in 1923, after joining the Astronomical Society, had a platform built for his telescope. ^[3] From 1923 he was Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University, and in 1924-26 president of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science. He became a leading figure in Melbourne's Jewish community, and lent his name to the Australian Zionist Federation as national president. His opinions on a much-varied range of issues were widely sought by the community. ^[3] Aged just 66 years, Sir John passed away of a heart attack on 8th October 1931 at home in Toorak. ^[18] He was accorded the honour of a state funeral to which an estimated 300,000 mourners, the nation's largest funeral crowd to that time, came to pay their respects. After a Jewish service and a 17-gun salute, his remains were buried in Brighton General Cemetery.

Honours and awards

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
• Officier de la Légion d'honneur (France)
• Grand-Officier Ordre de la Couronne (Belgium)
• Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France)
• Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
• Mentioned in Despatches
• 1914-1915 Star
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal
• Volunteer Officers Decoration
• Doctor of Engineering (DEng)
• Master of Civil Engineering (MCE)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

legacy

Australian $100 note

• Freeways, a university, an electoral division, scholarships, science centres, medical centres, horse races, suburbs, towns, and even a city have been named in Sir John Monash's honour and remembrance.
• In recognition of his enduring influence, John's face is depicted on Australia's highest value currency note ($100); on the reverse side of the 1997 and 2020 polymer notes (Dame Nellie Melba, also a Melbourne-born Aussie icon, appears on the obverse).
• He is honoured in a cantata for chorus, soloists and orchestra called Peace - A Cantata for John Monash by composer/conductor Dr David Ian Kram.
• According to author Colin MacInnes, as recounted by Monash's biographer, Geoffrey Serle, Monash's "presence and prestige ... made anti-Semitism ... impossible in Australia".
• The City of Melbourne commemorates Sir John through a bronze statue unveiled on 12th November 1950 in King's Domain, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne. ^[19] Others statues have been dedicated by Monash University (by renowned Australian sculptor Peter Corlett OAM) ^[20] and the Australian War Memorial (by Brisbane artists Charles Robb and Sarah Holland-Batt). ^[21]

Sir John Monash statue in King's Domain

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #16991/1865
2. ↑ unsubstantiated family records
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Serle, Geoffrey. Monash, Sir John (1865–1931). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1986, accessed online 11 Jun 2018
4. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #4340/1891
5. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #7622/1893
6. ↑ Encyclopaedia of Australian Science: Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co Pty Ltd (1905-); accessed 11 Jun 2018
7. ↑ Trove: Monash, John, (Sir)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Australian War Memorial: General John Monash; accessed 11 Jun 2018
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial: 13th Infantry Brigade; accessed 11 Jun 2018
10. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant General John Monash; accessed 11 Jun 2018
11. ↑ Australian War Memorial: MiD; accessed 24 Dec 2018
12. ↑ Australian War Memorial: CB; accessed 24 Dec 2018
13. ↑ Australian War Memorial: 4th Infantry Brigade; accessed 11 Jun 2018
14. ↑ Australian War Memorial: 3rd Australian Division; accessed 11 Jun 2018
15. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: John Monash; accessed 11 Jun 2018
16. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: John Monash KCB
17. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant General John Monash; accessed 11 Jun 2018
18. ↑ Victoria Death Index #12204/1931
19. ↑ Monument Australia: General Sir John Monash; accessed 23 Aug 2023
20. ↑ Monash University: Unveiling of Sir John Monash statue; accessed 23 Aug 2023
21. ↑ Australian War Memorial: General Sir John Monash commemorative sculpture; accessed 23 Aug 2023

See also:

• Longstaff, John Art Tree (4 Portraits).
• National Portrait Gallery: Sir John Monash GCMG KCB.
• Perry, Roland. Monash & Chauvel. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, 2017. ISBN 978-1-76052-600-9/
• National Portrait Gallery: Quinn, James, 1919 John Monash.
• Index of War Artists 1916-1918
• Virtual War Memorial: Sir John Monash.
• Wikipedia: John Monash; accessed 11 Jun 2018.