Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Oswald Leopold (also known as Os) Ziegler was born on the 21st of November 1899 at Prahran, Victoria, the son of Otto Ziegler and Elizabeth Gertrude Conrad.

His father, Otto, had been born on the 1st of April 1871 and baptised at St Paul’s, Adelaide, on the 18th of June 1871. He married Elizabeth Gertrude Conrad (born 1871, SA). Otto was a well known advertising contractor in Adelaide and was later described as a publisher and journalist. Otto’s father, Oskar, was a leader in the German community and an early Adelaide identity in the performing arts.

Oswald’s siblings were Alan Andre (born 21st of February 1903, at Beckenham Lodge, Gilles Street, Adelaide), Norman Eustace (born 25th of July 1904, at Beckenham Lodge), Valda (born 1906, SA) and Geoffrey (born 1910, Woollahra, New South Wales).

Schooling

It is unclear where Oswald commenced his schooling; however by 1914 he was attending St Peter’s College, Adelaide. He was awarded the “Ra form” prize for French in December 1914 and the “Va Form” prize for French in December 1915. Oswald passed his Junior Examinations in December 1915.

Oswald played Intercollegiate Football for St Peter’s against Prince Alfred College in July 1916.

In December 1916, Oswald won the Form VI Modern prize for Bookkeeping. The Ziegler family holidayed at Victor Harbor in January 1917.

Oswald competed in the St Peter’s Sports in April 1917, coming third in ‘Putting the Weight’. Later in April 1917, he represented St Peter’s College at Intercollegiate football against PAC. In November 1917, Oswald played cricket for St Peters in the Adelaide Students Association competition. He passed his Senior Examinations in December 1917 and Special Senior Examinations in March 1918 (coached privately by G.G. Newman).

World War I

Oswald enlisted for WWI while still a student, aged 18 years. His WWI record hadnot been digitised (at the time the document was written), but it is likely that Oswald was still in camp at the cessation of hostilities on the 11th of November 1919. He did not see service overseas.

WWI Record now at:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=60248711

University

Oswald appears to have studied Dental Surgery at Adelaide University from 1920-1922. He completed first year Dentistry by gaining a pass in Inorganic Chemistry and Physics in the Supplementary Examinations in March 1922. Oswald did not complete his Dental Surgery degree.

University Sport

Football
Oswald commenced playing football for Adelaide University in the B Grade in 1920 and was a member of the premiership winning team that year in the Adelaide Students’ Association. In 1921 he was promoted to the A Grade. In 1922, Oswald played in the A Grade and was a member of the 1922 Intervarsity football team.
While at University he also competed in Old Collegiate football matches in 1920, 1921 and 1922.

Cricket
Oswald played cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club in the 1921/22 season. He played a few games in both the A Grade and B grade teams. For the A Grade he played only one match and scored 15 runs and had bowling figures of 0 for 21.

Although he was named in the AUCC B Grade team for the first game in the 1922/23 season, it appears he did not play. It was then reported that from late 1922 that he was playing for the "Federals" a Commonwealth Public Service team.

Athletics
Oswald competed in the 1922 South Australian Amateur Athletics Association championships. He was an entrant in the 880 yards flat and came third in the 120 yards hurdles.

Performing Arts
While at University, Oswald was a member of the Entertainers’ Costume Comedy Company and he was stage manager for their concert at Queen’s Hall in July 1921. He was also on the organising committee of the annual Varsity concert (1920-22) and was co producer of the event in 1922 with Mr Rob Fox.

Oswald was the grandson of the early South Australian colonist Oskar Ziegler, who was heavily involved in theatre in the early days of Adelaide so in all probability had influenced young Oswald's interest in that area.

Career and Family Life

Oswald became engaged to Annie Doreen (Doreen) Skinner, the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs T. Skinner of Kadina in January 1923. The couple may have met through Oswald’s theatrical interests as Doreen was a well known singer and performer in Adelaide.

In January 1923, Oswald preformed at a concert at The Cheer Up Hut for the visiting French sailors from the ‘Victor Hugo’.

Oswald and Doreen married at St John’s Church, Adelaide on Friday 15th August 1924 and a reception followed at the Piccadilly Cafe.

In August 1925, Oswald’s brother Norman passed away as a result of a motor cycle accident, aged 21 years. Norman was riding on the motor cycle with Frank Hume when they collided with the rear of a motor lorry on the Main North Road at Salisbury. Frank Hume died at the scene of the accident and Norman was taken to the Adelaide Hospital with injuries to the head and ribs. Norman passed away less than 48 hours after the accident ‘robbing the community of another promising young man’. The Norman Ziegler Prize at St Peter’s College was named in his memory.

Oswald was the producer for the Tubercular Soldiers’ Aid Society Costume Concert Party at the Semaphore Town Hall in September 1926.
Oswald and Doreen’s first child, a son, Norman Lawrence Ziegler, was born on the 28th of October 1926.

In 1927, both Oswald and Doreen were members of Mirthmakers Limited, a company which gave concerts and musical comedies and performed radio plays on 5DN.

Tragedy again struck the Ziegler family in August 1928 when Oswald’s brother, Alan Andre Ziegler, had a motor car accident. Alan was driving the motor car and struck the wall of a quarry located between Sedan and Angaston. He was found unconscious and bleeding by another motorist and conveyed to the Angaston Hospital. He had suffered injuries to his skull, nose, jaw and arm. The accident occurred on Friday 10th of August 1928 and Alan passed away as a result of his injuries on the 15th of August 1928, aged 25 years.

It is unclear how Oswald earned his living from 1923 through to 1928, however a clue was that he played cricket for a Commonwealth Public Service side. This team of cricketers visited Kangaroo Island at Easter in 1922 for matches against Kingscote and Wissanger. They also played a match against cricketers from Ambleside (Hahndorf) in December the same year. He also was a member of the same team that visited KI in 1923 and 1924 for matches against Penneshaw and Kingscote.

By February 1929, he was working as the publicity representative for the Mail Newspaper Ltd, Adelaide printers. The Mail Newspaper Ltd was producing a series of publications on the primary industries of South Australia and Oswald was involved in obtaining information for the publications.

In addition to his employment, Oswald was the organiser of Glenelg’s Monster Charity Carnival, held on the 11th to the 13th of January 1930. He was also on the organising committee of the Glenelg Optimist Society picnic for school children held in March 1930.

Oswald and Doreen were living at Moseley Street Glenelg in 1930. On the 26th of July 1930, their second son, Alan Douglas Ziegler was born at the Glenelg Private Hospital.

Oswald, Doreen and their sons, then moved to Victoria where Oswald became a director of the new company, Commercial Publications Pty. Ltd. According to the Electoral Rolls, Oswald and Doreen were living at 5 Glyndon Ave, Brighton in 1931 and Oswald’s occupation was a journalist. On the 7th of November 1931, a photograph taken by Oswald was published in The Argus, depicting Flemington Racecourse. The picture was taken on Cup Day with a circuit camera which exposes a roll of film 41 inches long, on which is recorded the complete scene on the Flemington racecourse just as the horses in the Melbourne Cup were approaching the winning post.

In February 1932, Oswald organised the “Foundling Hospital Appeal”.

In November 1933, he was a subscriber to the new company, Alliance Investments Trust Ltd., and in December 1933, he was a signatory to the articles of Centenary Films Ltd.

In March 1934, Doreen visited South Australia to help her parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Sadly, in July 1935, Doreen’s father, Tom, passed away aged 74.

In 1937, Oswald and Doreen moved to New South Wales. According to the 1937 Electoral Rolls, they lived at 8 Boyle Street, Cremorne and Oswald’s occupation was publisher. He was working on an elaborate historical review, to be published in 1938, as the official commemorative volume of Australia’s 150th Anniversary celebrations.

World War II

Oswald enlisted for WWII at Paddington, NSW on the 2nd July 1940. His Service Number was NX52336. He left Sydney onthe 2nd of February 1941 and disembarked at Singapore on the 18th of February 1941. He was promoted to Corporal on the 29th of March 1941.

An article written by Oswald was published in the Singapore “The Sunday Times” and and he later edited a batallion magazine “Men may Smoke”.

Due to ill health, Oswald returned from Malaya via Singapore in August 1941. He was then in hospital and on leave and was transferred to the 4th Military District (SA and Broken Hill). In October 1941, Oswald accompanied the Deputy Director of Recruiting of AIF and others on a recruiting tour in the South East of South Australia. He was called up for full time duty in December 1941 and promoted to Staff Sergeant on the 26th of December 1941.

Oswald wrote a number of articles about his experiences in Malaya for the South Australian newspapers, including:
• "New Type Of War Training In Malayan Jungle" The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) 19 September 1941: 8. Web. 19 Apr 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44957837
• "Jungle Men Of Malaya: Primitive" The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) 27 September 1941: 11. Web. 19 Apr 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44959120
• "THE LEAKAGE" The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) 18 October 1941: 4. Web. 19 Apr 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54891704
• "Now In the Hands of the Enemy" The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) 17 January 1942: 11. Web. 19 Apr 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45747832

Oswald was appointed a Lieutenant on probation on 16th of February 1942 at the Head Quarters of the 4th Military District. Oswald’s service as an officer is recorded under the Service numbers S40250 and then SX2248.

Oswald volunteered to return to active service with the AIF, but this was refused. On the 22nd July 1942 he was appointed as a temporary Captain and he became Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Army Education for the SA Line of Communications area. The Army Education authorities’ aim was to make the leisure time of troops productive and they organised film and music programs, discussion and hobby groups, lecture classes and talks. The objectives were later states as ‘a morale builder, the making of more efficient troops, and preparation for post-war employment and the service was expanded to widows of men who have fallen in battle.

The Electoral Rolls show that in 1943, Oswald’s address was 29 Watson Ave, Rose Park, SA.

In July 1943, the Army Education group preformed a burlesque ballet, “This is Austerity”. The ballet had been written by Oswald when he was in Malaya and was originally performed for the Governor of Negri Sembilan, Malaya.

In June 1943 Oswald was confirmed in his appointment as a Captain and in July 1943, he was transferred from the role as DAD Education SA to be DAD Education. In October 1943, he was in Queensland and he was later transferred to the Australian Army Education Service. In February 1944, Oswald travelled from Townsville to Pt Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Service in the tropics appears to have caused Oswald to become ill, with possible allergic dermatitis.

Oswald was discharged on the 9th of July 1944 and on the 24th of August 1944, he was placed on the Retired List.

Oswald and Doreen’s elder son, Norman Lawrence Ziegler, served in WWII with the Royal Australian Navy.

Post WWII

After WWII, Oswald and his family returned to Sydney and Oswald recommenced his activities as a publisher. Oswald’s publication business was called Oswald Ziegler Publications and later Oswald Ziegler Enterprises Pty Ltd. Oswald Ziegler Enterprises continued to publish until at least 1973.

In about October 1946, Oswald and Doreen had a third son, Richard Anthony Ziegler.

Oswald produced and edited the book “This is Australia” in conjunction with the Department of Information. Two special copies of the book were presented to the Duke of Gloucester; one copy was for the Duke to present to the King.

In 1947, Oswald was involved in the publishing of the first ‘Australian Photographic Annual” and was handling the official publications for the Newcastle 150th Anniversary celebrations. Oswald lent prints from the Australian Photographing Annual for the photographic exhibition which was part of Newcastle’s 150th celebrations. Oswald also produced an illustrated brochure for the Brisbane City Council in 1947/48.

Tragically for Oswald and Doreen, their youngest son, Richard Anthony, passed away on the 17th of April 1949, aged just 2 years and 7 months.

In 1949, the Ziegler’s were living at 171 Seaford Crescent, Seaford, NSW and their eldest son, Norman, aged 23, was described as a cinematographer.

Oswald’s mother Elizabeth Gertrude Ziegler (aka Gertrude Elizabeth Conrad) passed away at her residence at 21 Victoria Ave, Rose Park, SA on the 28th of September 1951 aged 80 years. She was buried at the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.

On the 14th of July 1951, Oswald and Doreen’s eldest son, Norman Lawrence Ziegler married Greta Mildred Hobbs, in Sydney NSW.

Oswald’s father, Otto, passed away in April 1953, aged 82. He was also interred at the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.

In 1954, Oswald, Doreen and their second son, Alan Douglas Ziegler (aged 24) were still living at 171 Seaford Cres, Seaford, NSW. Alan was employed in the broadcasting industry.

Shortly after the Royal Tour in 1954, Oswald produced the volume “Royal Tour of New South Wales” under the authority and with the co-operation of the State Government.

In 1956, Oswald produced the book “The Australian Merino” for the NSW Sheepbreeders’ Association.

In 1958, Oswald and Doreen lived at both, 94 Woodland Street, Balgowlah, NSW and 140 Condamine Street, Balgowlah and by 1963 they were living at Clanwilliam Street, Blackheath and Oswald was described as a company director.

In 1968 the couple were living at 2/1A Lower Superba Parade, Mosman and Oswald was described as a publisher.

Oswald was created a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to publishing in the New Years Day honours list in 1971.

The 1972 and 1977, Electoral Rolls indicates that the couple had moved to 6/17 Claude Ave, Cremorne.

The 1980 Electoral Rolls gives Oswald’s address is 14/236 Blaxland Rd, Ryde.

Doreen passed away on the 23rd of October 1981 and she was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, North Ryde, Sydney.

Death

Oswald passed away on the 16th of February 1984, aged 84. His funeral service was conducted at the East Chapel of the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney.

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.