Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Leslie Frank Burgess was born on the 19th March 1888 at Unley, Adelaide, SA, the son of Martin Burgess and Elizabeth Stacey Burgess (nee Brown). Leslie’s father, Martin, was a produce dealer and wood and coal merchant. Martin sadly died in December 1900 at his home at Cross Road, Malvern, when Leslie was 12 years old.

Leslie’s eight elder siblings were Elizabeth (b 1969), Thomas Martin (b 1870), Jane Edith (b 1871), Ellen Amy (b 1873), Millicent Brown (b 1875 – d 1875), May (b 1877), John Howard (b 1883) and Annie Frances (b 1884).

Schooling

Leslie passed his Preliminary Examinations in October 1899. He passed four subjects in the Junior Examinations at Malvern Grammar School in December 1900 and in December 1901 he won a Public Exhibition to attend Prince Alfred College.

Leslie commenced at PAC in 1902 and won the second prize in Fifth Form in December 1902. He sat the Junior Examinations in 1902 and passed seven subjects, 5 with credits and was third in the General Honours List. He was awarded the Elder scholarship at PAC for boys under 16. In December 1903 Leslie passed his Senior Examinations coming equal second in the General Honours List. In his final year at PAC, Leslie passed his Higher Examinations coming sixth on the Genaral Honours List.

While at PAC Leslie played cricket and he represented PAC at the Inter-collegiate cricket match in December 1904.

University

Leslie commenced studying science at Adelaide University in 1905. He also studied Intermediate Measured Freehand at the School of Design and Fitting and Turning at the School of Mines in 1905. In 1906 he passed Second Grade Plane Geometry at the School of Design and the examination in iron, steel and alloys at the School of Mines. Leslie passed Building and Construction at the School of Mines in 1906. In March 1907 Leslie passed a supplementary examination in German. In 1907 Leslie passed Applied Mathematics at Adelaide University and Electrical Assaying at the School of Mines.

Leslie’s Bachelor of Science was conferred in December 1908 and he completed all the examinations necessary for the fellowship in Applied Science from the School of Mines, Department of Electrical Engineering (and diploma of Applied Science from Melbourne University) subject to completion of practical work. The diploma was awarded in April 1909).

While at University, Leslie played in an Old Collegiate Cricket match in December 1905. He played cricket for Stow Ramblers in the 1907/08 and 1908/09 seasons, scoring 117 retired in one match in the latter season.

He was elected President of the Adelaide University Christian Union in 1907 and treasurer of the Adelaide University Scientific Society in 1908.

Adelaide University Sport

Cricket

It was in the 1908/09 season that Adelaide University was first admitted to the South Australian Cricket Association's A Grade District Cricket Competition. The first team was largely made up of former St Peter's and Prince Alfred College players many of whom were already established players with other clubs. Leslie's schoolmate, Charlie Dolling who had already played for South Australia was the Blacks first captain. The Club did not have a B grade side in the first season so players who were not in the A's had to play for other clubs. An upper order batsman, after Leslie had made a century for Stow Ramblers in December 1908 in the first game of January 1909, he was selected to play his first A Grade game for Adelaide University replacing Dolling who was picked for the SA team playing NSW in Sydney. He played only played three games after debuting in Round 6 against North Adelaide at the "Neutral Ground" next to Adelaide Oval. University Oval was not ready for play in the first season, so all games were played away. These matches were his only A Grade games for the Club. Having graduated in 1908, he was no longer eligible to play in the following season under SACA rules.

Early Career

In April 1909 Leslie competed in a University (old PAC scholars) versus PAC Lawn Tennis competition.

After graduation, Leslie commenced working for the Municipal Tramways Trust in South Australia. He applied for the Angas Engineering Scholarship with a thesis on the electrification of the Glenelg Railway line and won the 1910 scholarship (£200 a year for two years).

In August 1910, Leslie left for the United Kingdom onboard the Oranto. Travelling on the same steamer were Harry Thomson, LLB, the Rhodes Scholar and Mr Gordon Robertson, BA, who was to study at Mansfield College, Oxford. Leslie planed to engage in practical work in electrical engineering while in the UK.

According to his later WWI service record, Leslie was with The British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co Ltd, Manchester, UK for two years.

In May 1911 the University of Adelaide received an invitation from “Galileo Ferraris” to send a representative to an international meeting of engineering students in Turin, Italy. The University Council resolved to invite Mr LF Burgess, BSc, Angas Scholar, now in London, to attend the congress.

Leslie returned to Australia in 1913 and commenced working for British Westinghouse in Adelaide. In March 1914 he competed in the Lawn Tennis Men’s Doubles, Class 2 with his old shipmate Harry Thomson. In April 1914, Leslie left Adelaide to take up employment with British Westinghouse in Melbourne, Victoria.

World War I

In Melbourne, Leslie joined the City of Melbourne Rifle Club and was a platoon commander.

Leslie enlisted in the AIF on 2nd November 1915 as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 9th Field Company Engineers, a unit of the 3rd Division Engineers. He was 27 years old. His trade on enlistment was classified as an Electrical Engineer. Leslie embarked at Sydney for overseas on the 5 July 1916 aboard the HMAT Ajana. He originally reported at Larkhill, England on 3rd September 1916 before proceeding overseas to France to join his unit on 28 November 1916.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on 6th January 1917. He was wounded in action on 15th October 1917 but remained on duty.

Leslie was ‘Mentioned in Dispatched on 7th November 1917 and then again on 7 April 1918. He was recommended for a Military Cross with it being bestowed on 18 April 1918 and gazetted on 24 October 1918.

Military Cross Citation – “This officer has at all times under the most difficult circumstances, proved himself to be of resource, courage and energy. At Ypres from 1st to 24th October 1917, during the offensive of last year, he organised working parties to carry out the consolidation of captured ground, and it was due to his coolness under heavy enemy shell fire that the work was completed in such a successful manner.”

After the armistice, Leslie stayed in England for a period of further training at the British Westinghouse Electric Company.

He returned to Australia aboard the Sonoma, via America, disembarking in Sydney on 9 October 1919. His appointment in the AIF was terminated on 24 November 1919.

Post War Career and Family Life

After returning to civilian life, He married Kathleen Miriam Taylor, the daughter of William Henry Taylor at Stow Memorial Church, Adelaide on the 15th December 1920.

Kathleen had been a nursing sister during WWI.

Leslie was living at 189 Hotham Street, East Melbourne in early 1921, per the Electoral Rolls. Before December 1921, Leslie and Kathleen had moved to Sydney. Their first child, a son, William Frank Burgess was born on the 31st December 1921 at the Glengarry private hospital. Leslie was working for Metropolitan Vickers Electric Company Ltd before March 1924 when the company was involved in a review of civic contracts. Leslie and Kathleen’s second son, John Martin Burgess was born at Ryrie Street, Mosman on the 3rd June 1924.

In 1926, Metropolitan Vickers was involved in supplying electrical gear for the electrification of the Illawarra train service in Sydney. Leslie was a member of the NSW Committee of the Australian Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association.

By September 1926 both Leslie and Kathleen were playing golf at the Mosman Golf Club and in December 1928 Leslie competed in the AIF Golf Cup, the annual Diggers’ Golf competition.

When the Electrical Engineers branch of the Institution of Engineers was launched in Sydney in April 1927, Leslie was a member of the branch committee.

When the firms Australian General Electric Co Ltd, Ferguson Pailin Ltd and Metropolitan Vickers Australia Pty Ltd merged to form Australian Electrical Manufacturing Co Limited in September 1930, Leslie was a member of the new company’s board of directors.

In July 1931, Leslie was back in Adelaide and he attended the St Peter’s College and Prince Alfred College Old Collegiate annual dinner.

Leslie became a director of Associated General Electric Apparatus Co Ltd in October 1931. In April 1932, Leslie became Chairman of the Sydney Division of The Institution of Engineers and he was re-elected to that role in 1933. In a newspaper article on Sydney’s traffic problems, published in September 1932, Leslie was described as the managing director of Associated General Electric Apparatus Co.

Leslie was a delegate to a science conference held in Sydney in August 1932 and an engineering conference held in Brisbane in September 1933. In November 1933, Leslie made a submission to the Tariff Board regarding the selling price of British motors in Australia.

In May 1934, Leslie presided at the annual reunion of the 9th Field Company of Engineers at Miss Bishop’s Tea Rooms, Sydney.

By July 1935, Leslie was a member of the Electricity Advisory Committee (to the NSW government) and chairman of the newly formed safety sub-committee and in June 1938 he was re-appointed to the committee for three years. Leslie attended a conference of engineers in Adelaide in February 1937.

World War II

Leslie enlisted in the Australian Military Forces (AMF) at Paddington, NSW on the 19th March 1942 with Service Number N390845. He was a Major in the Divisional Engineers Headquarters. He was discharged on the 13th September 1945. Leslie does not appear to have served overseas in WWII.

Leslie and Kathleen’s elder son William enlisted (SN NX84534) at Paddington, NSW and their younger son enlisted (SN NX161828) at Puckapunyal, Vic. None of these records have been digitised.

Kathleen was involved in the South Australian Women's Association in Sydney and president of Travellers Aid Society (1940-1949).

Post WWII

In August 1945 Leslie was appointed to the Electric motor advisory panel for the Commonwealth Government. The panel was to advise on the re-establishment of the electric motor industry on a peacetime basis and on the disposal of surplus second-hand motors. In January 1946 he became a member of the electrical authority under the Electricity Development Act which replaced the former electrical advisory committee for NSW.

In July 1946, Leslie and Kathleen’s younger son, John, became engaged to Patricia Braddon, the only daughter of Mrs G Distin Morgan, Brisbane and the late HR Braddon, Sydney.

In January 1947, Leslie was appointed General Manager of Australian General Electric Pty Ltd on the retirement of Mr FB Clapp. Leslie and Kathleen were guests of honour at a cocktail party given by the Tasmanian branch of A.G.E. Co when they visited in March 1950.

Death

Leslie Frank Burgess died at his home at 18 Ryrie St, Mosman on the 25th June 1950, aged 62 after a short illness. His funeral was conducted at St Clements’s Church, Mosman and at the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW.

In about 1954 Kathleen moved to Cremorne Road, Cremorne, Sydney. Kathleen passed away on the 9th November 1965 aged, 75.

William Frank Burgess became an engineer. He passed away on the 15th June 2006 and is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, North Ryde, Ryde City, New South Wales.

John Martin Burgess became an accountant.

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.