WATERHOUSE, Walter Lawry
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia, 31 August 1887 |
| Home Town: | Chatswood, Willoughby, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Chatswood Public School, Sydney High School, Hawhesbury Agricultural College and University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | University Demonstrator - later Emeritus Professor |
| Died: | Natural causes, Concord, New South Wales, Australia, 9 December 1969, aged 82 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked 2nd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 22 Sep 1916: | Honoured Military Cross, Battle for Pozières , For conspicuous gallantry on morning of 23 July 1916 at Pozieres when he was sent out in charge of a party to examine an enemy strong post, which he took, capturing several of the enemy. Later during a heavy bombardment he moved along the line setting a fine example to his company. | |
| 12 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17, GSW left shoulder | |
| 17 Jan 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HT Kanowna, Southampton for invaliding to Australia - disembarking Sydney 11 March 1917 | |
| 12 Sep 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion |
Non Warlike Service
| 1 Jan 1955: | Honoured Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, For services to the Wheat Industry in Australia. |
|---|
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
Emeritus Professor Walter Lawry Waterhouse CMG MC was an Australian scientist, fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Clarke medallist.
He was born at West Maitland, New South Wales in 1887, being the third of six children of school teacher, John Waterhouse and his New Zealand born wife, Hephzibah Lawry. His father, at the time of his birth, was the inaugural Headmaster of the newly established Maitland High School.
In 1894 his mother and and youngest sister tragically drowned in the SS Wairarapa disaster at Great Barrier Island, Auckland when travelling back to New Zealand to visit her family.
The family moved to Sydney in 1896 when John Waterhouse was appointed Headmaster of the Sydney High School, a position he was to hold for the next nineteen years until his retirement.
Walter Waterhouse attended Chatswood Public School and then the Sydney High School. Leaving school he worked in the commercial sector before enrolling at Hawkesbury Agricultural College to pusue his interests in agriculture and horticulture. A strong Methodist he took up a missionary role as a teacher in 1908 in Fiji for three years.
At age 24 he enroll in the new Agricultural Science course at the University of Sydney in 1911. He excelled at university, obtaining his degree with first class honours and the University Medal in 1914.
Although awarded a three-year research scholarship in the United Kingdom by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, he instead enlisted for overseas service with the first A.I.F, in June 1915. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December 1915, he embarked for overseas in the following January. Second Lieutenant Waterhouse joined up with the 2nd Battalion in France at Sally-sur-la-Lys, south-west of Armentieres on 25 May 1916.
On 20 July 1916, the 2nd Battalion moved into the front line at Pozieres and on the 23rd initiated an assault on the enemy trenches. It was as part of this assault that Waterhouse lead a party on the left flank of the Battalion's position, taking a strong point and capturing several of the enemy. Over the next two days, the 2nd Battalion remained in the trenches and were subjected to extremely heavy shelling. During this time Second Lieutenant Waterhouse exhibited a cool demenour, moving amongnst his company to maintain the moral and spirit of the men. The battalion was relieved at 2300 hours on 25 July 1916 with over 500 casualties. For his gallantry, Waterhouse was awarded the Military Cross. He was promoted to Lieutenant in August 1916
After service in the Ypres sector in September/October 1916, Waterhouse moved back to the Somme with the 2nd Battalion. In November 1916 during the battalion's withdrawal from action at Delville Wood, Lieutenant Waterhouse was wounded by shell fire, fracturing his left shoulder. The wound resulted in his repatriation to Australia in January 1917 and his discharge later that year.
After undertaking further study in London in 1918, Waterhouse returned to Australia taking up lecturing positions in the agricultural sciences at the University of Sydney. In 1924 Waterhouse married Dorothy Blair Hazlewood - they were to have three daughters.
From 1921 he played a leading role in Australia in the research and development of wheat varieties that where resistant to rust. Gabo, is the variety that is remembered best and which evolved from Waterhouse's early studies - it was registered in 1945.
During a distinguished academic and research career Dr Waterhouse was awarded the Farrer Memorial Medal (1938 and again 1949), the Clarke Memorial Medal (1943), the Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales (1948), the Medal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (1949), and the James Cook Medal (1952). He was the first recipient of the Elvin Charles Stakman Award in 1956. For his contributions to agricultural science he was made a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in 1955, and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1954 and of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science in 1960.
Walter Lawry Waterhouse CMG MC died at Concord in January 1970.
Reference: https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs/walter-lawry-waterhouse-1887-1969
https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1009388/bundled/RCDIG1009388.pdf
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