Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Dudley Bruce (Bruce) Ross was born at North Adelaide, SA on the 21st of May 1892, the son of William Alexander Ross and Annie Isabella O’Halloran (the daughter of T. S. J. O’Halloran, S.M.).

Bruce’s father was a manager of the Bank of Australasia at Mount Barker, SA, then at Silverton (near Broken Hill), NSW. He left the bank and with his wife undertook a tour of Europe then took up residence at North Adelaide.

In about April 1894, Bruce’s father, William, travelled to Western Australia and bought some town allotments in the new gold mining town of Cue, WA (620 km north of Perth), where he intended to settle. In October, he was unwell and travelled from Cue to Albany, WA, with the intention of sailing to Adelaide, but tragically passed away on the 28th of October 1894 when Bruce was just 2 years of age.

Schooling

Bruce attended Queen’s School, North Adelaide and is pictured below at the school in approximately 1902.

Bruce then attended St Peter’s College from 1906 to 1910. He passed his Junior Examinations in 1906 and won the Form VIB prize for Latin Set II in 1908 and the Form VI, Smith history prize in 1909.

Bruce played cricket for St Peter’s College in the 1910/11 season and he was also in the Cadets for two years.

Adelaide University

Bruce commenced studying law at Adelaide University in 1911. He attended the University Ball in 1912. In November 1914, Bruce graduated LLB and was recommended for the Stow Prize with Donald Kerr and Arnold Moulden.

University Sport

Cricket
Bruce played cricket in the Adelaide and Suburban Association, B Grade in the 1911/12 and 1912/13 seasons. He also played some matches for Adelaide University in the SACA B Grade in the 1912/13 season and then played the full season for University B Grade in the 1913/14.

Pre-War Career

Bruce was an articled law clerk and was living at Childers Street, North Adelaide, when he applied for admission to the Bar. He was admitted to the Bar in December 1914 and was described as a Stow prizeman and a descendant from an old South Australian family. He worked as a solicitor in the office of his uncle, Mr. T.S. O’Halloran (the son of T. S. J. O’Halloran, S.M.).

World War I

Bruce enlisted on the 16th of February 1916 (SN 30001) and his mother Annie was listed as his next-of-kin. He was 23 years and eight months old, 6’ tall, 166 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Bruce had been a member of the Rifle Depot Club for a year when he joined up. He enlisted as a private and was trained as a Gunner and appointed in that role to the 120 Howitzer Battery on the 31st of August 1916.

Bruce embarked onboard the HMAT A60 Aeneas from Melbourne on the 2nd of October 1916 and disembarked at Plymouth, England on the 19th of November 1916. He proceeded overseas to France on the 8th of January 1917 per the HMT S.S. Princess Henrietta with the 7th British Anti-Aircraft Division. On the 11th of March 1917, he was taken on the strength of the 13/7th Artillery Brigade.

Bruce was in hospital, sick with influenza, from the 27th of April to the 9th of May 1917 and then re-joined his Unit. He was sick again on the 17th of August 1917 and sent back to England per the HMT Princess Elizabeth and admitted to the Grayling War Hospital, Chichester with ICT (inflammation of the connective tissue).

On the 1st of January 1918, Bruce was taken on the strength of the No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott (near Salisbury, England) until 26 April 1918 when he joined the 113 Howitzer Battery. On the 25th of May 1918, Bruce proceeded to France via Southampton.

After the cessation of hostilities, Bruce was granted leave with pay and subs for ‘non military employment’ from 22nd of April to 22nd July 1919. During his leave, he attended the Council of Legal Education in London. On the 25th of July 1919, Bruce was appointed a temporary Sergeant on the Ship’s Staff for the return journey to Australia onboard the HMAT A61 Kanowna, which arrived in Australia on the 20th of October 1919. He undertook the role of ship’s librarian. Bruce was discharged on the 4th of December 1919.

Bruce wrote several diaries of his war experiences which is now held at the Australia War Memorial (https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/3DRL/6617).

Career and Family Life

After the war Bruce returned to work as a barrister and solicitor at the office of his uncle T.S. O’Halloran and in 1921 Bruce became the junior partner in T.S. O’Halloran & Ross.

On the 21st of July 1920, Bruce (aged 28) married Margaret Eleanor Waterhouse (aged 29), the daughter of Mr Herbert Whitney Waterhouse of North Adelaide, at the Methodist Church, Pirie Street, Adelaide.

The couple’s first two children, Elizabeth Ross (born 12th of May 1921) and William Alexander Ross (born 3rd of December 1923) were born at home at Briar Ave, Medindie. They had two further daughters, Susan Mary Ross (born 1927) and Noel (born 25th of December 1930).

For a past-time, Bruce had taken to golf and he regularly played in the Old Collegiate Golf competitions for St Peter’s College against Prince Alfred College and in the AIF golf days. In the 1930’s the Ross family were living in North Adelaide and in 1934, they purchased Wurinya, in Salisbury Terrace, Collinswood.

From the 1st of February 1934, the partnership of T.S. O’Halloran & Ross was dissolved by mutual consent and Bruce formed a partnership with Messrs. Ian Buttrose and S.H. Lewis, under the firm name of Thomson, Buttrose, Ross & Lewis, at Norwich Union Building, 47 Waymouth Street, Adelaide.

Bruce’s mother, Annie Isabella Ross, passed away in February 1937, she had been resident at 177 Childers Street North Adelaide.

World War II

During WWII Bruce was appointed to the committee to draft a scheme for the assessment of war-time compensation to civilians injured because of aircraft bombardment or any other form of enemy attack.

In November 1941, Bruce was appointed a Captain in the Australian Army Legal Department, Southern Command, 4th Military District.

Bruce was on the committee of the Walkerville House of Mercy, a Church of England retreat for women and in April 1943, he was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Adelaide by the Bishop of Adelaide (Right Rev. B.P. Robin).

Bruce and Margaret’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was studying physiotherapy at Adelaide University and completed her course in 1942. During the 1940/41 holidays, she went cherry picking with many other young female university students. Elizabeth served during WWII (SN SFX28784). She enlisted at in 1942 at the 101 Australian General Hospital, South Australia and her father was listed as her next-of-kin. In December 1942, she was home on leave from the Northern Territory and was also on leave in May 1945. She spent 14 months at Katherine in the NT with the 101 AGH, then later served at Rabaul and Jacquinot Bay (both in New Guinea).

Lt. Elizabeth Ross, AAMC, arrive in Brisbane from Morotai in early December 1945. Morotia is a small island in the Netherlands East Indies, now described as part of the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands, one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. In Brisbane, she was awaiting a flight to Adelaide to spend 24 days leave with her parents, before leaving with the Australian Army Medical Corps (130 Australian General Hospital) during the occupation of Japan.

Post WWII

Shortly after the end of WWI, Bruce was appointed a King’s Counsel.

Bruce was a member of the council of the Law Society from 1936 to 1952 and he was president from 1947-49. In addition to golf, Bruce was now playing bowls and he represented St Peter’s College at Old Scholars bowls in 1947. He was also on the committee of the St Peter’s Old Collegians' Association and was later its President. His daughter, Elizabeth was back from Japan by January 1947, as she and her sister Susan attended the South Australia v England cricket match at Adelaide Oval with their father that month.

Bruce and Margaret’s son, William Alexander Ross, followed he father into the law. He graduated from Adelaide University LLB, in 1947. He applied for admission to the bar in April 1947. Susan Mary Ross also studied Physiotherapy and gained her Associate Diploma from Adelaide University in December 1947.

Bruce was President of the Church of England Boys’ Home, Walkerville and in May 1948, he was appointed a member of the statutory committee of the Law Society of South Australia.

Tragically for the Ross family, Margaret Eleanor Ross passed away at a private hospital on the 20th of November 1948; she was buried at the North Road Cemetery.

Bruce’s daughter, Elizabeth, left for England in August 1949, she was away travelling and working for over 18 months.

In January 1951, Bruce was appointed by the SA Trotting League as a member of the Independent Trotting Appeal Board.

Bruce’s youngest daughter, Noel, became engaged to David Lindsay Hayman, the son of Mrs. S.L. Hayman, of North Adelaide and the late Mr. Hayman, formerly of Bendigo, Victoria on Christmas Eve 1951. Her sister, Susan, left for England in early 1951.

In November 1952, Bruce was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court.

1953 was a big year for the Ross family as all four of the Ross children married. Youngest daughter, Noel married David Hayman on the 16th of May at St Andrew’s Church, Walkerville. Susan Mary Ross married Mr Patrick Arthur Lloyd in Madras, India on the 19th of September. She had announced her engagement in England in June. Her husband was the son of Mrs. W.E. Gibson of Surrey, England and the director of a firm in Madras. Susan travelled to Australia in October 1953 to be at Elizabeth’s wedding.

Elizabeth married Bruce Kirk on the 14th of November 1953 at St Andrew’s Church, Walkerville. Finally, in December, William Alexander Ross married Margaret Rose MacFarlane, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. MacFarlane at St Peter’s College Chapel. By November 1954, Bruce had three grandchildren, all born within three months of each other.

In March 1954, Bruce was present at St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide when the Queen attended a service. As Chancellor of the Diocese of Adelaide he was introduced to the Queen.

Bruce was a Judge of the South Australian Supreme Court from the 20th of November 1952 until his retirement on the 21st of May 1962 (or 1963 from some sources, however 1962 is more likely as that is the date when Bruce turned 70 years of age). He was the Chief Justice from the late 1950’s according to some sources, however others name Sir Thomas John Mellis Napier KCMG as Chief Justice for the entire period from the 25th of February 1942 until the 28th of February 1967. It is possible that Bruce was the acting Chief Justice during various periods. Bruce was created a Knight in the Order of the Bath in the New Years Honours list of 1962.

Death

Dudley Bruce Ross passed away on the 19th of November 1984, aged 92 years; he had been living at Medindie Gardens and was buried at Enfield Memorial Park, Adelaide, SA.

Legacy

Following the family tradition, Bruce’s granddaughter, Margaret Eleanor Ross, the daughter of William Alexander Ross, graduated with a Bachelor of Law in 1979. ‘Margaret is a barrister and mediator in Australia, where she has been a legal practitioner for 30 years and a mediator for 25 years. She has mediated in excess of 1,000 disputes since 1990. She specialises in Family Law, Mediation and Dispute Management in a wide area of disputes.’

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.