Rupert James Hamer KCMG AC ED (1916 - 2004)

Born 29 Jul 1916 in Kew, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of April Felicity MacKintosh — married 1944 in Victoria, Australia

Died 24 Mar 2004 at age 87 in Kew, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Melanie Paul [send private message]

Biography

Rupert Hamer KCMG AC ED is Notable.

Rupert James 'Dick' Hamer KCMG AC ED was born on 29th July 1916 in Kew, Victoria, Australia. He was the eldest child of Elizabeth McLuckie and Hubert Hamer, a solicitor. ^[1]

Dick was educated at Geelong Grammar School and graduated in law from the University of Melbourne, where he was resident at Trinity College from 1936. He was a member, with his brother Alan, of the College First XVIII Australian Rules football team, and was Secretary of the Student Club.

Rupert Hamer KCMG AC ED is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1935-1955
Australian Military Force; Second AIF; 2/43rd Infantry Battalion

On 5th August 1936 he was commissioned in the Australian Military Force (Militia). With the outbreak of the Second World War, he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force, Australia's overseas expeditionary force. He served with the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, 9th Division, seeing action in the defence of Tobruk (the famous Rats of Tobruk) and El Alamein, Libya, and at Papua, New Guinea (then two separate Australian territories) and Borneo. ^[2] He reverted to the Citizens Military Force (the new name for the Militia) following war's end, being awarded the Efficiency Decoration (ED) in 1955 for twenty years service as a Militia officer.

In 1944 in Victoria Dick married April Mackintosh, ^[3] with whom he had five children.

After the war he became a partner in his family's law firm and was active in the Liberal Party.

He was Premier of Victoria from 1972-1977, succeeding long-term incumbent, Sir Henry Bolte. ^[4]

For 'public & political services in Victoria' Dick was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the New Year's Honours 1982. ^[5] In 1992 he was appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). ^[6] He was awarded the Centenary Medal in January 2001. ^[7]

He passed away, aged 87 years, on 24th March 2004 in Kew. ^[8]

His three siblings also each achieved success in their respective fields:

• brother, Alan (1917-2012), was a Rhodes Scholar, chemist and Managing Director of ICI Australia
• sister, Alison Patrick (1921-2009), was an internationally known historian of the French Revolution
• brother, David Hamer (1923-2002), was a federal Liberal politician

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #22077/1916
2. ↑ VX13528 (213040) Major Rupert James Hamer; accessed 30 Jul 2021
3. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #3091/1944
4. ↑ Wikipedia
5. ↑ Honours: KCMG; accessed 30 Jul 2021
6. ↑ Australian Honours: AC; accessed 30 Jul 2021
7. ↑ Australian Honours: Centenary Medal; accessed 30 Jul 2021
8. ↑ unsubstantiated family records

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 26 March 2022, memorial page for Sir Rupert James Hamer (29 Jul 1916–23 Mar 2004), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #8548641, ; Maintained by Find a Grave Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend. (note no gravestone photograph as yet)

See also :

• Wikipedia : Rupert Hamer
• Wikidata: Item Q3453276, en:Wikipedia