Basil Edward Fairfax-Ross CBE (1910 - 1984)

Born 4 Apr 1910 in Springwood, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Jessie Agnes (Dalton) Fairfax-Ross — married 25 Apr 1946 in Yeronga, Queensland, Australia

Died 9 Nov 1984 at age 74 in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Basil Fairfax-Ross CBE is Notable.

Basil Fairfax-Ross CBE was an Australian 'Rat of Tobruk', commando, Coastwatcher and businessman who spent the majority of his working life in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. He served as a nominated member of the Legislative Council of Papua New Guinea for twelve years and an inaugural member of the Council of the University of Papua New Guinea.

Formative years

Basil Fairfax-Ross CBE was born in New South Wales, Australia

Basil Edward Fairfax-Ross was born on 4th April 1910 in Bonnie Doone, Springwood, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second child and older son of New South Wales-born parents Basil Fairfax-Ross and Doris McCulloch. ^[1] He was a great great grandson of English-born printer, bookseller, journalist, company director, politician, librarian, newspaper owner and Christian John Fairfax. The Daily Telegraph published the following birth notice on Saturday, 9th January: ^[2]

"BIRTH NOTICE. FAIRFAX-ROSS.—April 4, at "Bonnie Doone," Springwood, the wife of Basil Fairfax-Ross—a son."

The family later moved to Blacktown, in Sydney's north west, before much later settling in Cremorne, in Sydney's lower north shore. Basil Senior served in the Australian Imperial Force during The Great War, between 1914 and 1917. ^[3] Basil Junior attended The King's School in North Parramatta but the family was unable to afford for him to study law at university.

Following a short spell as a jackaroo, Basil moved to the Territory of Papua in 1931 and obtained employment as a plantation assistant with the Pacific Islands trading company and shipping line, Burns Philp. By the end of the decade he had become an assistant inspector and was based in Rabaul, on New Guinea's New England island. Prior to the First World War, New Guinea had been a German colonial possession, however, the League of Nations mandated it as a Territory of Australia in 1919. ^[4]

War

Basil Fairfax-Ross CBE is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1940-1946
2/12th Infantry Battalion; M Special Unit; Coastwatchers

On 19th January 1940 at Rabaul, within the first few months of the Second World War, Basil enlisted in the Australian Army's newly-formed Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF). His regimental number indicates the earliness of his enlistment: NGX8. Being yet single, he listed his father as his next-of-kin. ^[5] In July, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and posted to the 2/12th Infantry Battalion, 18th Brigade, taking part in the 1941 defence of Tobruk (Summer in the desert) – a Rat of Tobruk – and then undertaking garrison duties in Syria (Winter in the snow), before returning to Australia in early 1942.

Upon his subsequent return to Australia, Basil transferred to the Allied Intelligence Bureau, serving both in M Special Unit and as a Coastwatcher. Sailing to Papua and its tropical jungles in the Paluma, he carried out coast-watching duties at Oro Bay, on Papua's northern coast. Early in 1943 he led a party attempting to relieve two coast-watchers on New Guinea’s Rai Coast. Although wounded, he and other survivors escaped over the mountains to Bena Bena. In 1944-45 Basil commanded (as a Captain, and temporary Major from January 1945) a force of fifteen coastwatchers and some two hundred local men engaged in guerrilla operations against the Japanese in southern New Britain. ^[6]

The war over, and won, he was demobilised on 5th April 1946 and transferred to the Reserve of Officers the following day. ^[5] For his war service he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945. Basil's brother, Gordon, also served in the AIF during the war, also returning home safely.

He was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry, gazetted in February 1946 and a second time on 6th March 1947 in London and Canberra, for 'exceptional service in the South West Pacific area' and 'distinguished service in the South West Pacific area' respectively. ^[7][8] He was awarded the United States' Medal of Freedom, gazetted in Canberra on 2nd January 1948. ^[9][10]

Marriage

Basil was happily married to Mollie Dalton for 38 years

Putting the war behind him in the best possible way, Basil became engaged to be married to Jessie 'Mollie' Dalton, ^[11] and very soon afterwards, on 25th April - Anzac Day - married his young sweetheart in St Sebastian's Roman Catholic Church, Yeronga, Queensland. ^[12] The Courier Mail published the following notice of the wedding on Staurday, 27th April: ^[13]

"ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT. FAIRFAX-ROSS—DALTON.—The engagement is announced of Mollie, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Dalton, Roma, to Major B. Fairfax-Ross, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. B. Fairfax-Ross, Cremorne, Sydney."

"MARRIAGE NOTICE. FAIRFAX-ROSS—DALTON.—At St. Sebastian's church. Yeronga, 25th April, at 3 p.m., Mollle, only Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Dalton. of Roma, Q'ld., to Basil Edward, elder Son of Mr. & Mrs. B. Fairfax-Ross, of Cremorne, N.S.W."

Territorian

Basil was a prominent PNG businessman, administrator and parliamentarian for 25 years

The couple made their home in Papua (after the war, the two Australian territories of Papua and New Guinea were combined into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea from 1975 the independent nation of Papua New Guinea). There, they had two daughters. He was appointed assistant general manager of the British New Guinea Development Company, and was elected president of the Papua Planters' Association in 1949, a post he held until 1971. He became the company's general manager and a member of the Copra Marketing Board in 1951. In 1951 he was also appointed to the Papua New Guinea Legislative Council, remaining so until 1963.

Basil was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in 1953 whilst resident in Papua. ^[14]

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours 1964 for his 'service as a member of the Legislative Council of PNG'. ^[15][16]

Basil subsequently served as an inaugural member of the Council of the University of Papua New Guinea from 1965 to 1971 and as chairman of the Papua New Guinea Copra Marketing Board between 1971 and 1973.

Retirement

After he retired from the British New Guinea Development Company in 1971 the couple moved to the Mosman-Cremorne area of northern Sydney, although remaining a director of Burns Philp and Bougainville Copper. Although his father had passed away there in 1960 his mother lived until 1976.

Aged 74 years, Basil passed away on 9th November 1984 in Royal North Shore Hospital. ^[17] He was briefly survived by Mollie, who passed the following year, and their two daughters and their families.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM Birth Reg: #20203/1910
2. ↑ The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930) Sat 9 Apr 1910, Page 12
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant Basil Fairfax-Ross; accessed 19 Jan 2024
4. ↑ Burns Philp Staff Record Cards - Fairfax-Ross, Basil E. - Australian National University Noel Butlin Archives - https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/185502
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NGX8 Captain Basil Fairfax-Ross; accessed 19 Jan 2024
6. ↑ Fairfax-Ross, Basil Edward. (1945). Allied Intelligence Bureau field report : subject : A.I.B. field activities South Coast, New Britain, from April, 1944, to March 1945 Retrieved January 19, 2024
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Mention in Despatches; accessed 19 Jan 2024
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Mention in Despatches; accessed 19 Jan 2024
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: US Medal of Freedom; accessed 19 Jan 2024
10. ↑ Government Gazette Appointments and Employment (1948, January 2). Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 - 1973), p. 931. Retrieved January 19, 2024
11. ↑ ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1875 - 1948) Fri 5 Apr 1946, Page 2
12. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1946/B/6774
13. ↑ Marriage Notice: The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954) Sat 27 Apr 1946, Page 12
14. ↑ Coronation Medal - CORONATION MEDALS FOR P-NG RESIDENTS, (1 July 1953). (1953-07-01). In Pacific islands monthly : PIM. XXIII (12), 22. Retrieved January 19, 2024
15. ↑ Australian Honours: CBE; accessed 19 Jan 2024
16. ↑ C.B.E. - New Year's Honours (1964, January 1). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 4. Retrieved January 19, 2024
17. ↑ NSW BDM Death Reg: #25376/1984

See also

• Lewis, D C. 'Fairfax-Ross, Basil Edward (1910–1984)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, (MUP), 2007.
• Lindsay, Patrick. The Coast Watchers: The Men Behind Enemy Lines Who Saved the Pacific. Random House, North Sydney, 2011. ISBN 978 1 74275 312 6.
• Wikipedia: Basil Fairfax-Ross.