CARMICHAEL, Ambrose Campbell
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 January 1916, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 36th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hobart, Tasmania, 19 September 1871 |
| Home Town: | Leichhardt, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Christ College High School, Hobart |
| Occupation: | Public Accountant |
| Died: | Natural causes, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 15 January 1953, aged 81 years |
| Cemetery: |
Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, Officer, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 36th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
| 13 May 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 36th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 10 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 36th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Ambrose Campbell Carmichael's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Greg Sharon
Ambrose Campbell Carmichael was born in Hobart on September the 19th, 1866 to Scottish migrants, William Carmichael who was a shipping agent, and his wife Emma. He was educated at the High School of Hobart Town (Christ College). Later he trained as an accountant and then for a time studied law. He later became a selector on the Lachlan River in NSW and by 1899 had cleared and fenced 1000 acres for sheep and cattle raising.
He joined the Labor Party and in 1907 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Leichhardt and being a brilliant speaker he was soon a leading parliamentarian. He held a ministry from 1910 to 1915 and whilst Education minister he had 2 key achievements: the University Amendment Act, 1912, brought in free university places and linked the school system with the university; and setting up day-time training for apprentices at technical colleges. During this time Ambrose also reserved part of the Art Gallery of N.S.W's annual grant for the purchase of Australian work, and in 1914 he established the N.S.W. Conservatorium of Music.
He was in London when WWI broke out and he took note of the preparations being made for the war. Returning to Sydney in September, and influenced by what he had seen in London, he organized voluntary rifle-drilling companies. He resigned from the ministry in March 1915 and subsequently decided to enlist.
In November 1915 he announced that he had the support of military and recruiting authorities to carry out his own programme to raise a thousand recruits who would join the A.I.F. with him. 'Car's' successful campaign raised 1000 troops, became the talk of Sydney and the troops were known as 'Carmichaels Thousand'.
Enlisting on the 23rd of November 1915 as a private, he gave his age as 43 when in fact he was 5 years older, Ambrose was allotted to the 36th Battalion. He was quickly promoted to Sergeant; he was then promoted to Second Lieutenant on the 16th of March 1916. He embarked for England on the 13th of May and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of August; he and proceeded to France on the 12th of November 1916.
At the Western Front he was wounded in the head at Houplines on the 21st of January 1917. An action in which he was awarded the Military Cross. As a result of the wound he spent time in hospital in England. On the 2nd of May 1917 he was promoted to Captain . Carmichael was wounded a second time, on the 4th of October 1917, receiving wounds to his left leg and right arm. As a result he was invalided home, returning to Sydney via America in February 1918. It was during the time of his return that he spoke in favour of conscription.
He became chairman of the NSW State Recruiting Committee, and again took on the recruiting task. He successfully raised another 'Carmichaels' thousand'. The 'thousand' were entertained by a theatre troupe at the Sydney Town Hall on the evening of 25 May 1918, at a function organised by the National Rifle Association and the 36 Battalion Comforts Committee. It was at this function that he was presented with the Yarran boomerang by the Premier. This regimental mascot came from the Brewarrina District of NSW. The boomerang bears the Aboriginal word 'Thynulungatha', which was translated from the Aboriginal dialect of the district as 'come back here'. Carmichael rode at the head of his 'thousand' when they left Sydney on the 19th of June 1918. He returned to France in late September by which time the war was coming to an end and he came back to Sydney on 20 February 1919. Carmichael, was now something of a national figure.
After falling out with the Labor Party after the war, he formed the “People’s Party of Soldiers and Citizens” standing as a candidate for the seat of Balmain. He was defeated, and became a public accountant. Ambrose was twice married: to Mabel Pillinger in 1893 at Lake Cargelligo; and to Olive Thorngate Weston in 1934 in Sydney. During his life he was an active Freemason. He died at Darlinghurst on the 15th of January 1953 and was cremated, with a Christian Scientist service, at the Northern Suburbs crematorium.
Sources:
- Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7
- Wikipedia
- AWM
- NSW Parliament
Click images to start slideshow.