Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Thomas Reginald Mellor was born on 15th of January 1893 at Semaphore to James Taylor Mellor and Emma Masterman Adams (SA Birth Registration 514/467). He had siblings, Gwendolin Eleanor b1891, Kenneth James b1894 Robert Thornton b1899 and Kathleen Marion b1906. The family lived at Avenel Gardens Road, Medindie. James Taylor Mellor, a lawyer, served on the Walkerville Council (See Appendix 1).

Schooling

Thomas attended Prince Alfred College and competed in the PAC Sports in 1907 & 1908. He passed his Junior Examinations in 1908 coming seventh on the Special Honours list in Inorganic Chemistry. He played Inter-collegiate football for PAC in July 1909 and passed his Senior Examinations in December 1909 and Special Senior Examinations in 1910.

University

Thomas commenced studying Law at Adelaide University in 1910 gained his Final Certificate in Law in 1914.

University Sport

Athletics
Thomas competed in the Obstacle Race at the University Sports in 1911.

Rowing
Thomas was Cox for the Law boat at the University Boat Regatta in August 1910. Thomas was in the ‘Varsity crew for the Sir Edwin Eights in the Henley-on-Torrens Regatta in November 1912.

Cricket
Thomas played B Grade cricket to the University in the 1910/11 season.

Football
Thomas played football for the University A grade in the 1912, 1913 and 1914 seasons and competed in the Intervarsity Football matches in 1913 & 1914 (emergency).

Other Activities

Athletics
Thomas competed in One Mile Flat race in the Y.M.C.A. Sports Adelaide against a Brisbane team in March 1910.

Baptist Young Men’s
He was a member of the Baptist Young Men’s Class in February 1911.

Military
Thomas joined the Citizens Military Forces and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in November 1912 and a Lieutenant by May 1914.

World War I

Thomas enlisted on the 1st of July 1915, he was four months short of completing his articles when he applied for exemption from the rules and was admitted to the Bar later in July 1915. He left Australia on the ‘R.M.S Persia” on 10th August 1915. He served in Egypt, France and Belgium with the 5th Divisional Artillery. He was progressively promoted Lieutenant (8 December 1915), Adjutant (13 May 1917), Captain (1 September 1917) and Major (13 September 1918).

On the 17th of July 1917 Thomas was at the PAC and SPCS reunion on the Western Front. Thomas was twice Mentioned in Dispatches and was recommended for the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War, France) and the DSO and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) on 15 September 1919. Thomas returned to Australia on 18th June 1919 on board the ‘Leicestershire’.

Post World War I

Thomas joined the legal firm W & T Pope after the War and returned to Adelaide University, he completed his LLB in 1920. Thomas was actively involved in Returned Soldiers activities, attending reunions and by 1921 he was on the council of the S.A. branch of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia.

Family Life

Thomas married, aged 26, on 22 Nov 1919 to Dorothy Evelyn Corry, aged 27, daughter of Samuel Corry at Methodist Church Archer St North Adelaide (Sa Marriage Registration 281/873). The couple had four children, James Corry (1920), Margaret Anne (1922), Geoffrey Lloyd (1924) and David Edison (1926).

Other Activities

A number of Pen Portraits were written about Thomas and they detail his other activities as honorary solicitor to the Baptist union, Adelaide City Mission, Aborigines Friends’ Association and the British and Foreign Bible Society. He played tennis and was vice-president of a number church cricket teams. He was a member of the Knight Templers and director of King’s College. he was a past master of the Duke of Leicester and United Services Lodges. In 1931 he became President of the Baptist Union.

He was awarded the volunteer officers’ decoration having served in the Colonial Forces and giving over 20 years of effective service. Thomas maintained his interest in Military matters and became Commander of the 113th Artillery Brigade. He was Chairman of the military services committee of the Y.M.C.A..

In 1936 Thomas was elected to the Burnside Council where he joined fellow Adelaide University Black, Returned Serviceman and Solicitor, PA (Paddy Ohlstrom).

A Pen Portrait of Thomas Reginald Mellor was published in the News on 28th September 19 (see document).

World War II

In August 1940, Lt.-Col. T. R. Mellor was appointed to command of the Burnside Unit, R.S.L. Voluntary Defence Corps.

Thomas enlisted on 7th November 1941 and served within Australia. His WWII record was not digitally available at time of writing the document.

It is now available at
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6466752
Service Number - S69678

Post-World War II

Burnside Council

In May 1946, Thomas became the Mayor of Burnside. He served on the Burnside Council from 1936 to 1955. In 1940, Thomas had resigned from his role as a Councillor at Burnside to take on the role of Alderman.

Mellor Reserve at 12 Howard St, Beulah Park is named in his honour.

Thomas joined the Board of Directors of several companies including Mathais & Co Ltd (1949) and Savery’s Ltd and Radio Electric Wholesalers Ltd (1950). In 1952 he became Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mathais & Co Ltd.

Family Matters
Thomas and Dorothy’s second son, Geoffrey, was married to Barbara Cowling at St Peter’s Church Glenelg in May 1951 and their third son, David, married Yvonne Roach at St Judes, CofE, Brighton in January 1954. Thomas was still working actively as a solicitor aged 61 (newspapers beyond December 1954 are not available digitally to confirm any later details).

Death

Thomas passed away on the 30th November 1960, aged 67 years, and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, South Australia, Australia. His last abode had been at Toorak Gardens.

Thomas’ wife Dorothy passed away in September 1967, aged 75.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.

Note – Biographies for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project were written in the period 2015-2019. Any references to the website https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au were correct at the time of writing, but are now redundant and the reader should look for the equivalent or updated information on the Virtual War Memorial Australia at https://vwma.org.au/