Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Published Biography

Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who served in World War 1. Verco, Summers, Swain and Jelly 2014.

Additional Biography

Early Life

Dean Dawson was born at Gumeracha, South Australia on 13th March 1881. He was the third son and fifth child of Henry Dawson, a farmer, and Mary, née Lillecrapp.

Schooling

He was educated at Prince Alfred College from 1892. In 1894 he passed his preliminary examinations. He competed in the PAC Sports winning the 130 yards Medley race in 1996. In 1900 he was second in the 440 yards flat at the Intercollegiate Sports.

He played Intercollegiate Cricket for PAC against St Peter’s College in 1895 & 1896 and 1900. In 1900 his outstanding batting with 83 in the 1st innings and 87 in the 2nd innings resulted in him winning the Silver Medal for Cricket and a Cricket Bat presented by J Langley . He also played Intercollegiate Football for PAC v St Peter’s in 1896.

In 1900 Dean passed his Senior Public Examinations.

While at College he was a member of the Iroquios Lacrosse team (1897-1900) and was part of the premiership winning teams of 1899 and 1900. In July 1900 he represented South Australia in a winning Lacrosse match against Victoria.

Adelaide University

Dean commenced studying medicine at the University of Adelaide in 1901, winning the Dr Davies Scholarship in Third Year (1903) and graduating MB BS in 1905. Dean was a candidate for the 1895 Rhodes Scholarship which was awarded to Roy Lister Robinson.

Other Sporting Teams

Throughout his university years, Dean continued to play sport including cricket for the Waverley team . He showed good form in January 1901, making 111 in a match against Mitcham and winning the highest batting average for Waverley in the 1901/02 season. Between 1899/1900 and 1904/05 seasons he periodically played A Grade cricket for East Torrens scoring 335 runs at an average of 23.93 with a highest score of 88 not out.

He also continued to play lacrosse for Iroquios and the South Australian team in 1901 and football for Norwood from 1901-1906.
Adelaide University Sport

Cricket

Although playing for East Torrens at the time, Dean appeared for an Adelaide University team which played against his old school on the PAC ground. The strong PAC team thrashed University, however Dean top scored with 27 and took 2 wickets.

Lacrosse

In 1903 Dean played Lacrosse for the Adelaide University Lacrosse Club.

Football

Dean was already an established league football player with the Norwood Football Club and had played in their 1901 Premiership. It was not surprising that in 1904 Dean was chosen to captain the Adelaide University Football team in the first Intervarsity match played on Adelaide Oval against Melbourne University.

In 1905 Dean also played several matches for University; in July against the visiting Wesley College tea and in September against Melbourne University in Melbourne.

League Football Career - Norwood Football Club

In 1901 Dean joined the Norwood Football Club and was a renowned and successful player for the club. He was a forward noted for his kicking and in particular, long place kicks. He played in the 1901 and 1904 premiership teams and was appointed captain in 1906. Unfortunately he contracted a very bad cold and was unable to play in the 1906 premiership match, his absence being considered by many to be a factor in Norwood’s defeat on the day. Dean’s kicking prowess was still being commented upon long after his career and the highest praise for younger footballers was to have their kicking described as ‘Dean Dawson like’.
http://www.redlegsmuseum.com.au/ON_FIELD/PLAYERS/DAWSONDean.aspx

Pre War Career and Family Life

Dean was a house surgeon at the Adelaide hospital in 1906. In addition to playing football for Norwood he played for South Australia in a match against Broken Hill. He played cricket for the Adelaide Cricket Club in the first half of the 1906/07 season.

In December 1906, Dean took up a practice at Laura in the mid north of South Australia and became engaged to Dr Eulalie (Lullie) Barnard. He commenced playing cricket for Laura in the second half of the 1906/07 season.
In March 1907, Dean married Eulalie Burnard (also a 1905 Medical Graduate), the daughter of Mr RT Burnard (Head Master of the Flinders Street School) and a younger sister of Dr Renfrey Gershom Burnard. Dean and Eulalie moved to Laura to work with Dean.

Tragically Eulalie passed away in September 1907, aged 23 and having been married and resident in Laura for just over 5 months.

After the death of his wife Dean returned to Laura accompanied by his sister, Bessie, who acted as his housekeeper. Dean continued to play cricket winning the Batting Average for Laura in the 1908/09 season. In 1908 he was a judge at the Laura Jockey Club. He played for and coached the Laura Football Club in the 1909 season.

Dean became engaged to Lorna Muriel Deeley, the daughter of Mr CE Deeley, of Glenelg in April 1909 and they married on the 4th August 1909 at Trinity Church and honeymooned in Melbourne.

The couple’s first child, a daughter (Lorna Dean Dawson) was born at Laura in July 1910.

In July 1911, after nearly five years at Laura, Dean took over the practice of Dr Harris at Port Pirie, South Australia.

Dean and Lorna’s second child, a son, Geoffrey Dean Dawson was born in February 1912 at Port Pirie followed two years later in February 1914 by the birth of a daughter, Mary Josephine Dawson (known as Josephine).

Dean was elected to the committee of the new newly formed Port Pirie Golf Club in July 1912 and in April 1913 he was Vice Captain of the Port Pirie Tennis Club. In August 1914 Dean was appointed medical officer (Hon Captain) in the AAMC Reserve for the Port Pirie training Area and for the 61st Infantry.

World War I

Dean enlisted in the AIF on 15th July 1915 for one years’ service. He was described as 5ft 9ins tall, weighing 11st 6lbs, and was able to ride.

He was initially posted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2 AGH) in Egypt and was taken on strength on the 9th September 1915.

He then proceeded to 1 AGH at the Heliopolis Red Cross Hospital in Cairo on 30th September 1915. He was posted for duty to 1 Field Ambulance in France on 1st August 1916.

He returned to Australia on the Hospital Ship “Kanowna” from Southampton on 23rd September 1916. His appointment was terminated on 20th November 1916, with the following warning; “This Officer should be informed that the termination of his appointment in AIF does not relieve him from duty when required.”

His appointment in the AAMC Reserve was also terminated.

Dean had some concerns with the return of his personal effects from the AIF and engaged in several letters with the military to recover his belongings. He was issued the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Post War Career and Family Life

Dean went back to Port Pirie for two more years on his return from the war. He moved back to Adelaide with his family in late 1918, and set up a practice at Hyde Park and North Terrace, Adelaide.

Dean and Lorna’s fourth child, a son, Michael Dean Dawson was born at Hyde Park in late March 1920.

In April 1925 Dean and Lorna travelled to England onboard the ‘Mongolia’ and after a few weeks in London they were motoring in Scotland in late July. They returned to Australia by the ‘Narkunda’ which left England on the 23rd October 1925.

In addition to their home at Hyde Park, by 1927, the couple had purchased a house (sometimes referred to as a cottage) at Mt Lofty where the family often stayed in the summer. The house at Mt Lofty was also used by visiting family and as a short term rental for other holiday makers.

Dean continued his sporting activities, in December 1927 he competed in a tennis tournament at the Kensington Gardens Tennis Club and he played golf competing in the ‘Father and Son’ competition at Kooyonga (with Geoffrey in 1929 and with Michael in 1935). Dean’s name also appeared regularly in the annual Doctor’s Golf Tournament, winning the handicap competition in June 1930 and in the former AIF members Golf Days.

In June 1935, Dean became the Vice-President of the newly formed Rotary Club at Unley.

Unfortunately Dean became ill and he and Lorna moved to their home at Mt Lofty. He was in hospital, but was said to be making good progress in October 1938, when his son, Geoffrey, was returning to Australia.

Death

After a year’s illness, Dean died on 18th March 1939 aged 58 years, survived by his wife Lorna and their four children. He was buried at Mitcham Cemetery. At the time, his son, Michael, was playing cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club and the team wore black arm bands as a mark of respect on the Saturday after Dean’s death.

When the scoreboard at Adelaide University Oval was refurbished many years later it was named the Dean Dawson Memorial Scorers' Box in honour of the first Intervarsity Football captain. The Scorers’ Box was opened in October 1958 by Mrs Dawson, the widow of Dean Dawson, in October.

Family Legacy

Lorna Muriel Dawson (née Deeley)

Dean’s widow (Lorna) moved from Mt Lofty and was resident at Wellington Square, North Adelaide in 1942. She passed away on the 9th December 1971, aged 87.

Lorna Dean Dawson (later Walsh)

Dean and Lorna’s eldest child, Miss Lorna Dawson was a keen amateur actress who then began acting professionally, moving to Melbourne then Sydney and finally to London to further her career.

In January 1936 Lorna became engaged to John Anthony Walsh, a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy and the son of Mrs and the late Mr Richard Walsh of Toowoomba, Queensland. At the time the engagement was announced, John was with the HMAS Sydney. He returned to Australia with the HMAS Sydney, via Adelaide, in August 1936 having spent three years stationed with the British Fleet in the Mediterranean. Lorna returned from London in January 1937 and in May 1937 she married Lieutenant-Commander John Anthony Walsh at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Dean having the honour of giving away the bride. Lorna and John Walsh had a son Nicholas John Dean Walsh. Lorna passed away in 1962 in Victoria.

Geoffrey Dean Dawson

Both Dean’s sons attended St Peter’s College, Adelaide.

In June 1937, eldest son, Geoffrey Dean Dawson, was awarded a Bachelor of Engineering and Diploma of Applied Science from the University of Adelaide. He then travelled to the UK to further his career, working with Vickers Limited at Weybridge on the technical staff for the construction of aeroplanes.

Geoffrey joined the RAAF during WWII. In January 1941 he was a Squadron-Leader and married Miss Suzanne Riddiford, the elder daughter of Mrs G Riddiford of Grange Road, Toorak, Melbourne. Geoffrey and Suzanne had a son, Jonathan, born in late November 1941 and daughters, Belinda and Sarah. After WWII, Geoffrey and his family were living in Melbourne. Geoffrey passed away on the 8th January 2003 and is buried at Cheltenham New Cemetery, Victoria.
Mary Josephine Dawson (later Cowan)

On the 18th July 1942, Josephine married Lieutenant Ronald William Trafford Cowan of the AIF in a simple ceremony in Adelaide. In 1946 the Cowan’s moved to Melbourne when Ronald was appointed warden of Trinity College, Melbourne University.

The couple had two sons and two daughters. Both sons enrolled at Trinity and both daughters at Janet Clarke Hall, University of Melbourne. At the time of Josephine’s death on 30 June 2007 her son Mr Bill Cowan was Board Chairman of Trinity College.

"The College records with regret the death on 30 June of Mrs Mary Josephine Cowan, widow of the third Warden of the College, Ronald W T Cowan, and mother of the current Board Chairman, Mr Bill Cowan". The Trinity College eNewsletter of July 2007 described Josephine as “a gracious lady”.

Michael Dean Dawson

In December 1937, second son, Michael Dean Dawson, was playing cricket for St Peter’s and was described as ‘a young batsman of class ... (who) hits the ball with plenty of power’. Later in December that year Michael travelled with his mother (Lorna) to the South Island of New Zealand before he returned to Sydney and Lorna travelled on the England to visit Geoffrey. Lorna returned to Australia in late May 1938.

Michael studied medicine at the University of Adelaide graduating MB BS in 1942. He played cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club.

On the 7th May 1943 he was appointed Surgeon Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. He served on the Torrens, Australia and the Cerberus. He was mentioned in dispatches for service in HMAS Australia at Leyte Gulf in October 1944. His appointment was terminated in September 1946.

Michael married Miss Mary Helen Wishart, of Toorak, Victoria at St John’s Church, Toorak in September 1950. The couple was to take up residence at Strathalbyn, South Australia. They had at least two children a daughter born in October 1951 and a son born in November 1952.

Michael passed away on the 1st April 1988 and his last abode was at Stirling, South Australia.

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.