George Rankin
Encyclopedia
Major General
George James Rankin DSO & Bar
(1 May 1887 – 28 December 1957) was an Australia
n soldier and politician. He served in both the House of Representatives
and the Senate
, representing the Country Party of Australia.
in 1909. He married Annie Isabella Oliver at Rochester, Victoria
on 7 July 1912. In 1914, he was appointed a lieutenant of the Australian Imperial Force
and posted to the 4th Light Horse Regiment.
in May 1915, was wounded in July, became a captain in December, and a major in March 1916. He also served in the Sinai, and was second in command of his unit from August 1917. Rankin was present at the famous charge at Beersheba
on 31 October, and in 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for his gallantry. His leadership subsequently earned him a bar to his D.S.O.
After the conclusion of the war, Rankin was sent to Egypt
to suppress a rebellion, after which he returned to Australia
. He returned to the Militia, becoming a brigadier in 1936 and a major general in 1937. During this time, he developed an interest in politics, in particular the Country Party.
in the Australian House of Representatives
. He was elected, and became part of the faction of the Country Party that advocated coalition with the United Australia Party
. However, he was forced to back down on this by the State council of the V.U.C.P.
Rankin became well-known as an advocate of returned servicemen and wheat-farmers. He was a voracious critic of the Labor
governments of John Curtin
and Ben Chifley
. When in 1949, an electoral redistribution substantially changed Rankin's seat, he contested the Senate
instead and won. He was returned in 1951, but his parliamentary activity steadily decreased. He remained an active and vigorous anti-communist until his retirement, due to ill health, in 1955.
Rankin died of cerebrovascular disease
on 28 December 1957 at Rochester, where he was buried, and was survived by his wife.
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
George James Rankin DSO & Bar
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1 May 1887 – 28 December 1957) was an 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...
n soldier and politician. He served in both the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
and the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, representing the Country Party of Australia.
Early life
Rankin was born at Bamawm, Victoria, the tenth child of Irish farmer James Rankin and Sarah, née Gallagher. He attended the local state school and became a farmer. In 1907, he joined the Militia, and was commissioned in the 9th Light Horse RegimentLight Horse Regiment
The Light Horse Regiment , formerly the Imperial Light Horse , is a reserve unit of the South African Army. The regiment is an armoured car reconnaissance unit...
in 1909. He married Annie Isabella Oliver at Rochester, Victoria
Rochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
on 7 July 1912. In 1914, he was appointed a lieutenant of the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
and posted to the 4th Light Horse Regiment.
Military service
Rankin reached GallipoliGallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
in May 1915, was wounded in July, became a captain in December, and a major in March 1916. He also served in the Sinai, and was second in command of his unit from August 1917. Rankin was present at the famous charge at Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
on 31 October, and in 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for his gallantry. His leadership subsequently earned him a bar to his D.S.O.
After the conclusion of the war, Rankin was sent to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to suppress a rebellion, after which he returned to 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...
. He returned to the Militia, becoming a brigadier in 1936 and a major general in 1937. During this time, he developed an interest in politics, in particular the Country Party.
Federal politics
Rankin was elected chief president of the Victorian United Country Party in 1937, but resigned later that year in order to contest the seat of BendigoDivision of Bendigo
The Division of Bendigo is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the city of Bendigo...
in the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. He was elected, and became part of the faction of the Country Party that advocated coalition with the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
. However, he was forced to back down on this by the State council of the V.U.C.P.
Rankin became well-known as an advocate of returned servicemen and wheat-farmers. He was a voracious critic of the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
governments of John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
and Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
. When in 1949, an electoral redistribution substantially changed Rankin's seat, he contested the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
instead and won. He was returned in 1951, but his parliamentary activity steadily decreased. He remained an active and vigorous anti-communist until his retirement, due to ill health, in 1955.
Rankin died of cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease is a group of brain dysfunctions related to disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain. Hypertension is the most important cause; it damages the blood vessel lining, endothelium, exposing the underlying collagen where platelets aggregate to initiate a repairing process...
on 28 December 1957 at Rochester, where he was buried, and was survived by his wife.