Soon after General Sir John Monash's return
to civilian life in 1920, he gave a clear indication that his war records would
eventually be donated to the Memorial. It took decades for the bequest to be
finalized, however, and large parts of Monash's records relating to
his war service are located at the National Library of
Australia.
Monash corresponded with the War Museum (as the Australian
War Memorial was then known) in 1921, stating that it was his intention to
bequeath to it 'certain documents' of a 'personal nature'. Monash wrote to the
War Museum again in 1924, stating that he had a large quantity of documentary
material relating to the 'exercise of command of the Corps, comprising my
drafts of orders, my personal battle plans and fighting maps, and such inward
and outward correspondence of a then confidential nature which was never placed
on the official files... All of it will be bequeathed to the War Museum, or
will
be handed over when I have completed arranging and annotating
it'.
Monash's death in 1931 came before any papers were formally
handed over to the Memorial. Soon after his death, his daughter and her
husband, (Dr Gershon Bennett) informed the Memorial that Monash had not
formally
bequeathed his papers to the Memorial, but rather had 'left a letter in which
he expressed himself in favour of the records being made available'. The
Bennetts stated that it was their intention to retain the Monash papers until
at least 1932, as a biography was planned.
The Bennetts informed the
Memorial in 1949 that they wished to 'place in the keeping of the War Memorial
the collection of war relics and records left by General Sir John Monash'. It
was not until 1958, however, that the physical transfer of the Monash papers
took place, although smaller donations of Monash materials, including
newspaper cuttings and maps, had already taken place in 1936.
In
1986,
Monash's granddaughter made a further donation of his medals, orders and
decorations, including the ceremonial sword used at his knighting. These are
held in the Memorial's Military Heraldry collection.
Open
Copyright of materials described in this guide is governed by copyright law in Australia. For further information contact the Curator of Private Records, Research Centre.
Papers of General Sir John Monash, Australian War Memorial 3DRL 2316
The Australian War Memorial holds additional material on General Sir
John Monash in the following collections: Photographs, Art, Official Records,
Private Records, Films, Books, Serials, Maps and Military Heraldry and
Technology. Information about these may be gained through the collection
databases on the Memorial's website.
Material relating to Monash's military and civilian life is
scattered amongst several collections. The largest collection (MS1884)
comprising 35 meters is located at the National Library of Australia
(http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids). It is considered to be the most
extensive collection of private papers in Australia. Military records are
included within this collection.
The La Trobe papers, held at the
Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria, contains several
items (http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/slv/manuscripts/).
Records relating to the Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe
Construction Co Pty Ltd, located at the University of Melbourne Archives,
contains material prior to and including the Monash and Anderson business
partnership.
(http://www.unimelb.edu.au/collections/archives/archgen.html).
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria Archives contains the
Chairman's correspondence and papers, which includes materials relating to
Monash.
Four portraits were painted by Sir John Longstaff, the official war artist
(1918-1919). The Australian War Memorial holds two, another is held at
Monash University and the fourth is held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Two portraits were painted by James Quinn, official war artist (1918
- 1919). One is held by the Australian War Memorial and the other by the
Bennett family.
A portrait by Isaac Cohen (1919?) is held by the National Gallery of
Victoria.
A portrait by Percy White (late 1920s) is held at Monash House in
Carlton, Melbourne.
Grave of Sir John and Lady Monash, Jewish Section of the Brighton
Cemetery, Caulfield. Melbourne.
Morell Bridge Memorial Stone, Anderson Street, South Yarra,
Melbourne, laid 24 February 1899. The bridge was designed by Monash utilising
the then newly developed Monier system of reinforced concrete.
Sir John Monash Statue, corner of Government House Drive and Birdwood
Avenue, Melbourne. A bronze equestrian statue designed by William
Leslie-Bowles and cast in Italy. The statue shows Monash in military uniform
astride a charger on a stone pedestal. Unveiled 12 November 1950.
Sir John Monash, John Field Drive, Moe City, Newborough, Melbourne.
Bronze bust of Monash on plinth in front of a sandstone block. Erected by
State Electricity Commission of Victoria as a permanent record of their
'affection and admiration'. Unveiled 27 November 1932.
Early life and education
John Monash was the eldest of three children and the only son of Louis
Monash and Bertha nee Manasse. Louis Monash migrated to Melbourne in 1854 from
Poland, returning to Europe in 1863 to marry. The couple returned to
Melbourne the following year, and John Monash was born two years later.
Monash's parents did not strictly observe their Jewish religion,
however Monash celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, and throughout his life attended
Jewish religious services. He included Jewish men on his military staff
wherever
possible and upon return to civilian life, represented Jewish interests. Monash
spoke German and French. Both
languages were to prove useful during his wartime career.
As a
child, Monash attended St Stephen's Church of England School in Richmond,
Melbourne, for three years. Due to his father's business losses the family
moved to Jerilderie, New South Wales; from 1875 to 1877 Monash attended the
local public school. His teacher, William Elliott, noted Monash's academic
abilities. Monash's mother
returned to Melbourne with the children and enrolled John in Scotch College. In
his final year, Monash was dux in mathematics and modern languages and
equal dux of the school.
University Education and related activities
Monash enrolled in Melbourne University where he completed the
following degrees: a Bachelor of
Civil Engineering in 1891; Master of Civil Engineering in 1893; Bachelor
of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 1895. During his university years, Monash was
an avid self-educator, delving into literature and history. Monash enjoyed
politics and debating and was co-founder of the Melbourne University Union, and
editor of the
The degree of Doctor of Civil Laws was conferred upon
Monash by Oxford University and the degree of LLD conferred by Cambridge
University, both in 1919. After publication of
During his university years Monash was often short of money
and gave private tuition to students; he was also employed as an engineer. He
was involved in the construction of the Princes
Bridge over the Yarra, and showed such ability that in 1888, at the age of 22,
he was placed in charge of the construction of the Outer Circle eastern
suburban railway line in Melbourne.
Monash began his career as a
citizen soldier
when he was 19 years of age. He joined the University company of the 4th
Battalion, Victorian Rifles, and quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant.
In 1887, he moved to the North Melbourne Battery, Metropolitan Brigade,
Garrison Artillery, which he commanded from 1896 to 1903. He attained the rank
of
major in 1897.
From 1908 Monash was Victorian commandant of the
Australian Intelligence Corps (Militia) and continued to educate himself in the
military field. He attended Colonel Hubert Foster's schools in military science
at the University of Sydney and showed a special interest in military history.
From June 1913 Monash was appointed Colonel commanding the 13th Infantry
Brigade.
Following his graduation with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering
degree, Monash gained a position in 1891 as assistant engineer and chief
draughtsman with the Melbourne Harbour Trust; in the same year he married
Hannah Victoria Moss. They had one child, Bertha, born in 1893. Unfortunately
the land boom, which made engineering prosper, failed and Monash lost this
position in 1894. He then entered private practice as a consulting engineer and
patents attorney and gradually was sought as an expert witness on engineering
matters in the law courts.
From 1900 Monash specialised in reinforced
concrete construction and introduced reinforcing methods in Victoria, Tasmania
and South Australia. By 1915, he was widely known in the Melbourne community.
He was President of the Victorian Institute of Engineers, director and chairman
of a number of commercial and industrial companies, and member of Melbourne
University Council.
Monash's organisational and leadership abilities,
coupled with his expertise in engineering, were attributes which contributed
substantially to his wartime military career. After the outbreak of the war,
it was only a small step for Monash to be appointed to command the 4th
Infantry Brigade, AIF, after having served as Deputy-Chief Censor for a
brief four weeks.
Military career
Monash proceeded to the Front in command of the 4th Brigade and
the 2nd Expeditionary Force Convoy. He served in Gallipoli from the
landing on 25 April 1915 to the evacuation on 19 December 1915.
Monash
then served at the Suez Canal Defence Zone in 1916, before taking the 4th
Brigade
to France. In July 1916 Monash was promoted to Major General and given command
of the 3rd Australian Division, which fought at Messines and Passchendaele.
Monash was noted for his achievements at the Albert-Amiens front after the
German offensive of 1918.
He assumed command of the Australian Army
Corps in France in 1918. Under Monash, the Corps contributed substantially to
the
Allies' counter-offensive. Monash planned and commanded the highly successful
battle of Hamel on 7 July 1918 and a succession of victories followed until the
breaking
of the Hindenburg Line.
After the war ended, Monash was appointed on 1
December 1918 as Director-General, Repatriation and Demobilisation. In less
than nine months Monash organised the return of 160,000 Australian servicemen
to Australia, many with enhanced educational qualifications as a result of
the AIF Education Scheme which he was instrumental in organising.
His appointment with
the AIF was terminated on 13 June 1920. Many military historians and his
various biographers consider that his opportunity to high command came too late
for
him to fully realize his potential. He was nevertheless a military leader of
considerable achievement
viewing warfare as an engineering problem which could be solved. In the 1920s
Monash was generally referred to as the 'greatest living
Australian'.
Monash's own views of his military achievements are worth
noting. In the official record completed by Monash himself for the Australian
War Records Section on 21 February 1919, he considered his 'most interesting'
service in the AIF to be the 'stoppage of the German advance East of Amiens in
the spring of 1918' and the 'most important' to be 'our counter-offensive in
the summer of 1918'.
Return to civilian life
After the war, Monash returned to his engineering practice, taking
on the directorship of the Hume Pipe Company as well as other directorships. At
the same time, the Victorian government was planning to harness Gippsland's
brown coal for use in Victorian industry; the government in 1920 offered Monash
first the position of General Manager, and then the position of Chairman of
the State Electricity Commission. He occupied this position until his death,
and has been credited with providing cheap electricity throughout
Victoria.
Following his return to civilian life Monash was active in a
number of spheres. He was a spokesperson for those of the Jewish faith and
returned soldiers, led Melbourne's ANZAC Day marches, served as President of
Rotary in 1922, managed the Special Constabulary Force during the police
strike of 1923 and chaired the subsequent royal commission. He also acted as
part time Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University from 1923 and served as
President of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science in
1924-1926.
From 1927 Monash suffered with high blood pressure, but he
continued a hectic pace of engagements and work. On 8 October 1931, Monash died
of coronary vascular disease. He was given a state funeral, reputed to have
drawn a crowd of more than 250,000. Monash was buried with Jewish rites in
Brighton cemetery. The extensive commemorative tributes to Monash upon his
death testified to the fact that he was widely revered by
Australians.
Ranks held/date of appointment
Colonel and T/Brigadier, 15 September 1914
T/Brigadier, 9 July 1915
Major General, 10 July 1916
Lieutenant General, 1 June 1918
Appointments held/date of appointment
4th Infantry Brigade, 15 September 1914
Commanding Officer, 4th Infantry Brigade 31 October 1915
Commanding Officer, 3rd Australian Division, 14 July 1916
T/Commanding Officer, Australian Corps, 1 June 1918
AIF Headquarters, 30 November 1918
Director-General
Repatriation and Demobilisation, 1 December 1918
AIF appointment terminated, 13 June 1920
Honours and awards
1907, Colonial Auxiliary Forces, Officer's Decoration,
(VD)
1915, Companion of the Order of Bath
1918, Knight Commander of the
Bath
1918, Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown, (Belgium)
1918,
Grand Officer Legion d'Honneur
1918, Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
1918,
Croix de Guerre avec Palme (France)
1919, Knight Grand Cross of St Michael
& St George
1919, Distinguished Service Medal (United States of
America)
1929, Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal
1931, Kernot Memorial
Medal
Mention in Dispatches
5 August 1915
28 January 1916
Mention in London Gazette
No 303022, 22 September 1917
No 30448, 28 December 1917
No 30706, 28 May 1918
No 31007, 20 December 1918
References:
This collection consists of 18 boxes (3.8m) of papers dating from
1914-1919 covering Monash's wartime military career and his related activities
as
Director-General, Repatriation and Demobilisation from 1918-1919 while
still in the Australian Imperial Force.
While the majority of the material relates to military operations
there is a significant amount of material relating to Monash's social
activities while on leave. Also of interest is the inclusion of extensive
examples of sports, social and leisure programs and menus. These provide a
strong record of
the social life of the men during their military activities.
The diverse wartime records includes Monash's authority to conduct
court martials, training instructions for protection against gas attacks, the
use of the Lewis gun and tactical exercises for trench warfare and assaults,
recommendations for awards, commendations for promotions, codes, convoy and
transportation orders, schedules of movements by foot, train and ship,
published documents, standing orders, operation orders and reviews of
operations, conference agendas, handwritten and typed notes, translations of
enemy documents, summaries of interviews with
German prisoners of war, information from scouting expeditions, reports
relating to
external conditions such as the moon phases, rain, terrain, presence of water,
place names, signal operations, force orders and special orders, messages and
signals
When planning
operations and in conference with his officers, Monash initially created draft
documents in extensive note form, followed by a second draft with detailed
editing and finally as a document for use. Monash's thinking processes and
particular emphasis are thus revealed.