Virtual
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Published Biography – Australian Dictionary of Biography - Reginald John Rudall
by Jenny Tilby Stock

Additional Biography

As the biography (see document) gives many details of Geoffrey’s life and work, the profile below will mainly add details of Geoffrey’s early University life both at Adelaide and Oxford plus relevant family information, newspaper articles and photographs which help tell his story.

Early Life

Reginald John Rudall was born on 27th of September 1885 at Gawler, South Australia. Know as RJ or Reg, he was the eldest child of lawyer and Member of Parliament, Samuel Bruce Rudall and Margaret Rudall (née McNeil). His grandfather John Rudall had been the first town clerk of Gawler, and the first solicitor to practise there.

Schooling

Reg attended Miss Burton's Private School in Gawler from 1895 to 1896, Queen's School in North Adelaide from 1897 to 1899, and the Collegiate School of St Peter from 1900 to 1902. He played football, cricket and tennis, and captained the Gawler Hockey Team.

Adelaide University

Reg read law at the University of Adelaide from 1903 and graduated LL.B. in 1906 where he won a Stow prize.

University Sport

Football

Reg played football for the Adelaide University football club in the Adelaide and Suburban Association in 1906 and 1907 (the first two years of the Club’s formal existence). He represented Adelaide University at the I906 Intervarsity competition in 1906 and in 1907 he was the teams reserve and manager. He also represented the Adelaide and Suburban Association in a match against Broken Hill in June 1907.

Lacrosse
While no evidence has been located that Reg played lacrosse for Adelaide University, he was the team’s manager for the 1907 Intervarsity competition in Melbourne in 1907.

Athletics
Reg competed in the Mile Race at the Amateur Association Athletics meeting in September 1906.

Pre-War Career

Reg practised law with his father at Rudall & Rudall and in the firm G. & J. Downer. On 20th of April 1907, he was admitted to the South Australian Bar. In February 1908 Reg was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and many more details regarding his early life, interests and sporting achievements are included in the newspaper report (see document).

Oxford University

Reg was farewelled by the people of Gawler in July 1908 and he sailed for London on the R.M.S. ‘China’ on the 9th of July 1908.

His letters home to his parents and were regularly published in the Gawler newspaper, the Bunyip and give details of his journeys and life in his own words. Links to the letters are listed (see document).

The letters describe his stopover in Colombo (Sri Lanka), a week in London, The Oxford Club (debating Society), The Coxwainlers Fours at Oxford and a cycling tour in the holidays in 1909 where he rode (and sometimes took the train) from Oxford to Chipping Norton, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Birmingham, Nantwich, Garstang, Kendal, Carlisle, Dumfries, Darmellington, Ayr, Crianlarich, Connet Ferry, Ballachmulish (Loch Leven Hotel), Fort Augustus, Dingwall, Daviot, Pitlochry, Callander, Trossachs, Stirling, Edingurgh, Jedburgh, Durham, Ripon, Grantham, Melton Mowbray, Leicester, Rugby, and back to Oxford.

Further letters describe his cycling tour of the Isle of Wight and the New Forrest (1909), a trip to Norway (1910), the South of England (1910) and a cycling tour of Ireland (1911). In December 1910 news arrived in Australia that Reg had been elected president of the Colonial Club and in July 1911 Reg was awarded a Bachelorship of Literature at Oxford (Christ Church College).

The article (see document) describes one of the days Reg spent in Edinburgh in 1909.

Back in Australia

Reg returned to Australia in November 1911 and was given a welcome by the people of Gawler. He recommenced practicing law with his father’s firm at Gawler. In January 1914 he married Miss Kathleen C. Sutherland.

World War I

The 11th of August 1915 Reg enlisted. He had served three years in the King’s Colonials while at Oxford and had been a member of the Gawler Rifle Club for 5 years. Reg was almost 30 years of age, 6 foot tall, weighing 164 lbs, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He commenced as a private and attended both NCO and Officers School. He received his commission on the 16th of December 1915.

Reg embarked from Adelaide on the HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916 and was taken on strength as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 50th Battalion on 9th December 1916. He proceeded overseas to France on 7th of December 1916.
On the 1st of January 1917, he was detached for duty with the 13th Infantry Brigade Headquarters. He was promoted to Lieutenant of the 19th of February 1917. On 3rd of September 1918, Reg was sent to England on leave and was then posted to the Education Service. On the 21st of December 1918, he was posted to the Repatriation and Demobilisation Department. He was promoted to Captain on the 3rd of January 1919. On the 25th Mach 1919 he rejoined the Education Service.

Reg returned to Australia onboard the RMS Kaisar-I-Hind arriving on the 14th of June 1919 and his appointment was terminated on the 29th of July 1919 due to “cessation of hostilities”.

Post-WWI

After the War he returned to the Gawler law practice and involved himself in the local community and in particular the Returned Sailors and Soldiers' Returned Services League where for many years served as their legal advisor. In 1933 he was elected the Liberal and Country League's member for the Barossa in the House of Assembly. In 1938 Rudall won the seat of Angas. When Tom Playford became premier in November 1938 Rudall was immediately elevated to the cabinet where he took on many roles.

World War II

World War II was a tragic time for the Rudall family. Their two boys Jake and Peter had grown into fine young men. They had attended St Peter’s College, and both played tennis and golf. The family frequently enjoyed holidays at Port Vincent, where they sailed a dinghy. In August 1939 Peter and Jake were playing golf at Gawler when Peter scored a hole-in-one.

Jake became engaged to Miss Suzanne Dean, the daughter of Mr and Mrs E.L. Dean of Kalangadoo, in March 1941. He (SN SX10394) was a Lieutenant in the 2nd/10th Infantry Battalion. He served in Syria where he gained his commission. Sadly, he was killed in action, in Papua, on the 28th of December 1942, aged 22 years.

Peter (S11189, PA2017) was a law student at Adelaide University when he enlisted in July 1940 as an Ordinary Seaman. He was killed in Action (Sinking of HMAS Sydney), Indian Ocean, 20 November 1941, aged 19 years.

Death

Reg died of hypertensive ventricular failure on New Year's Day 1955 in Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide (aged 69); he was accorded a state funeral and was buried in the A.I.F. cemetery, West Terrace. He was survived by his wife.

Kathleen Clara Rudall passed away on the 13th of August 1958 aged 72 and is buried at Centennial Park, Adelaide.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.