Asher Alexander Joel KBE AO (1912 - 1998)

Born 4 May 1912 in Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Olga Helene (Parish) Doon — married 1937 (to before 1949) in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Sybil (Jacobs) Joel — married 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 9 Nov 1998 at age 86 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Asher Joel KBE AO is Notable.

Sir Asher Joel KBE AO was an Australian public figure and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for twenty years. Although he was Jewish, he received a papal knighthood in 1994.

Asher Joel KBE AO was born in New South Wales, Australia

Asher Joel KBE AO has Jewish Roots.

Asher Alexander Joel was born on 4th May 1912 in Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia. He was the eldest of three sons of English emigrant Moses Joel and Victorian-born Phoebe Jacobs. ^[1]

Employed as a journalist, he was living at 2 Barden Street, Arncliffe, New South Wales in 1935 and at 30 Derby Street, Vaucluse, New South Wales in 1936.

Asher married Olga Parish in 1937 in Randwick, New South Wales. ^[2] The couple had two sons, Richard Alexander and Roy David, however divorced before 1948.

Asher Joel KBE AO is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Military Force 1939-1948

Asher Joel KBE AO is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Australian Navy 1943-1945
Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Asher served in the Australian Military Force from 1939. On 7th September 1942 he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force and was posted to the 2/1st Infantry Battalion; then preparing to enter the Kokoda Trail in Papua. ^[3] On 4th November he discharged and was commissioned in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (one cannot transfer between the services), ^[4] joining the staff of General Douglas MacArthur between 1944 and 1945. The war over, and won, he was demobilised on 17th August 1945 at HMAS Lonsdale with the rank of Lieutenant, returning to the Militia until 1948.

In 1946 he founded Asher Joel Pty Ltd, a public relations firm. He was instrumental in the 1949 founding of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. He was living at 4A High Street, Randwick in 1949.

Asher married a second time, to Sybil Jacobs in 1949 in Sydney. ^[5] (Olga also married again earlier that year) They had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Susan Lea 'Alexandra'. The couple made their home at 21 Pleasant Avenue, Lindfield, New South Wales (as listed in 1954 and 1958).

In 1958, Asher was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council as an Independent, but joined the then Country Party (now the National Party) the following year. In 1971–1972, he served as party treasurer, and in 1971, he served on the central executive.

The family lived at at 2 Ormiston Avenue, Gordon, New South Wales (as listed in 1963 and 1968).

In 1975, he established the Sir Asher Joel Foundation to assist Macquarie University students to participate on archaeological digs with Tel Aviv University.

He retired from the Legislative Council in 1978.

Asher was a member of NAJEX (NSW Association of Jewish Service & Ex-Service Men & Women); one of the oldest Jewish organisations in Australia.

Aged 86 years, he passed away on 9th November 1998 in Sydney, New South Wales and is buried in Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium. He was survived by his wife Lady Joel, children Richard, David, Michael and Alexandra, and grandchildren Natasha, Phoebe, Bennett, Alina, Arabella and Nicholas.

Honours and awards

Asher was deservedly honoured in many instances during an illustrious career:

• US Bronze Star Medal, 1945
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1956 ^[6]
• Knight Bachelor, 1971 ^[7]
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), 1974 ^[8]
• Maginoo (Officer) of the Ancient Order of Sikatuna, Philippines, 1975
• Torch of Learning Award of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1978
• Knight Commander of Rizal, Philippines, 1978
• Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 1986 ^[9]
• Citation of Honour, New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, 1992
• Knight of the Order of St Sylvester (papal knighthood), 1994
• Certificate of Honour from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #13220/1912; registered at Annandale with father listed as Henry
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #14032/1937; registered at Randwick
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX113532 Lance Corporal Asher Alexander Joel; accessed 19 Nov 2023
4. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: Lieutenant Asher Alexander Joel; accessed 19 Nov 2023
5. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #7597/1949; registered at Sydney
6. ↑ Australian Honours: OBE; accessed 19 Nov 2023
7. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 19 Nov 2023
8. ↑ Australian Honours: KBE; accessed 19 Nov 2023
9. ↑ Australian Honours: AO; accessed 19 Nov 2023

See also

• Wikipedia: Asher Joel; accessed 19 Nov 2023.