Alf Garland
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Alfred Barrett "Alf" Garland AM (19 March 19329 March 2002) was an Australian military serviceman, and the Returned and Services League of Australia
(RSL) National President from 1988-1993.
Garland had a distinguished military career, and attracted media attention by being outspoken on many controversial social issues, often antagonising the Keating
government at the time.
Brigadier Garland's army career spanned 35 years. In 1965, he commanded the 1st Special Air Service
squadron against Indonesia
n forces in Borneo
. During the Vietnam War
, he was second-in-command of the RAR
, and was appointed Australia's chief liaison officer to US forces
.
He was President of the ACT
branch of the RSL
, before becoming the RSL National President in 1988.
Garland was elected as the Australian Monarchist League delegate from NSW at the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention
. He joined Bruce Ruxton
in campaigning against the notion of Australia
becoming a republic
. The two sat next to each other, angering republican delegates by opposing them on almost every point. In one attempt to filibuster
debate, Garland recounted his family's loyalty to the Crown
beginning in medieval times.
He was Chairman of both the Australian Monarchist League
NSW and ACT branches.
Garland also opposed the construction of the Japanese funded technology city known as the Multifunction Polis
(MFP).
He died at age 69, after a long battle with motor neurone disease
.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Alfred Barrett "Alf" Garland AM (19 March 19329 March 2002) was an Australian military serviceman, and the Returned and Services League of Australia
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
(RSL) National President from 1988-1993.
Garland had a distinguished military career, and attracted media attention by being outspoken on many controversial social issues, often antagonising the Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
government at the time.
Brigadier Garland's army career spanned 35 years. In 1965, he commanded the 1st Special Air Service
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
squadron against Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n forces in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, he was second-in-command of the RAR
7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1965 as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War and it eventually served two tours in Vietnam in 1967 and 1971...
, and was appointed Australia's chief liaison officer to US forces
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
.
He was President of the ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
branch of the RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
, before becoming the RSL National President in 1988.
Garland was elected as the Australian Monarchist League delegate from NSW at the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention
Australian Constitutional Convention 1998
The Australian Constitutional Convention 1998 was a Constitutional Convention which gathered at Old Parliament House, Canberra from 2–13 February 1998. It was called by the Howard Government to discuss whether Australia should become a republic...
. He joined Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Caryle Ruxton AM, OBE is an Australian ex-serviceman and former President of the Victorian Returned and Services League.-Early life:Ruxton grew up in Kew, Victoria...
in campaigning against the notion of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
becoming a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. The two sat next to each other, angering republican delegates by opposing them on almost every point. In one attempt to filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
debate, Garland recounted his family's loyalty to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
beginning in medieval times.
He was Chairman of both the Australian Monarchist League
Australian Monarchist League
The Australian Monarchist League is a non-profit organisation, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, promoting the monarchy of Australia, and providing information to members of the public about Australian history and the Australian Constitution...
NSW and ACT branches.
Garland also opposed the construction of the Japanese funded technology city known as the Multifunction Polis
Multifunction Polis
The Multifunction Polis was a controversial proposal for a planned community in Australia first proposed in 1987 which was abandoned in 1998....
(MFP).
He died at age 69, after a long battle with motor neurone disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
.