Robert Risson
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir Robert Joseph Henry Risson CB
, CBE
, DSO
, ED
(20 April 1901–19 July 1992) was a soldier
and public administrator. He was chairman of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
from 1949 to 1970.
Sir Robert was born in 1901 at Ma Ma Creek near Grantham in South East Queensland
. Educated at nearby Gatton High School and subsequently at the University of Queensland
, he graduated in Civil Engineering before joining the newly formed Brisbane Tramways Trust in 1923.
He joined the Australian Army Engineers (Militia) as a Lieutenant in May 1933 and married Gwendolyn Spurgin in Brisbane
in May 1934. He enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
(AIF) in October 1939 and saw active service with the Seventh and Ninth Divisions in the Middle East including Tobruk
and El Alamein
, and with the 1st Australian Corps in New Guinea. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier
in March 1943.
As chairman of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, it was his vision and perseverance that caused Melbourne to retain and expand its electric tramways in spite of public opinion, the car-lobby and the political wishes of his masters in an era when most other cities were destroying tram networks in favour of buses and cars. Melbourne now has the largest tram network in the English speaking world and fifth largest in the world, and a tram (D1
.3501) was named in his honour upon its entry to service in 2002.
It is not well known that Risson served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria (Masonic Lodge) between 1974-1976. It was a Masonic practice that Lodge membership or rank was not listed in Who's Who and similar publications. Risson never publicised his Masonic memberhip. Other offices held by Risson were chief commissioner of the Boy Scouts Association from 1958-1963 and president of the Good Neighbour Council from 1963-1968.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir Robert Joseph Henry Risson CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
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...
, ED
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
(20 April 1901–19 July 1992) was a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and public administrator. He was chairman of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board or MMTB was an authority that was responsible for the tram network in Melbourne, Australia between 1919 and 1983...
from 1949 to 1970.
Sir Robert was born in 1901 at Ma Ma Creek near Grantham in South East Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Educated at nearby Gatton High School and subsequently at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, he graduated in Civil Engineering before joining the newly formed Brisbane Tramways Trust in 1923.
He joined the Australian Army Engineers (Militia) as a Lieutenant in May 1933 and married Gwendolyn Spurgin in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in May 1934. He enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
(AIF) in October 1939 and saw active service with the Seventh and Ninth Divisions in the Middle East including Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
and El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
, and with the 1st Australian Corps in New Guinea. He 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...
and the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier
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....
in March 1943.
As chairman of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, it was his vision and perseverance that caused Melbourne to retain and expand its electric tramways in spite of public opinion, the car-lobby and the political wishes of his masters in an era when most other cities were destroying tram networks in favour of buses and cars. Melbourne now has the largest tram network in the English speaking world and fifth largest in the world, and a tram (D1
D1 class Melbourne tram
The D class, or Combino is a type of electric tram operating in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was built by Siemens in Düsseldorf, Germany, and the first unit was delivered to the city in 2002...
.3501) was named in his honour upon its entry to service in 2002.
It is not well known that Risson served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria (Masonic Lodge) between 1974-1976. It was a Masonic practice that Lodge membership or rank was not listed in Who's Who and similar publications. Risson never publicised his Masonic memberhip. Other offices held by Risson were chief commissioner of the Boy Scouts Association from 1958-1963 and president of the Good Neighbour Council from 1963-1968.
Further reading
- Henderson, Kent (1988), The Masonic Grand Masters of Australia, Ian Drakeford Publishing, Bayswater, Victoria, pages 216-217
External links
- http://www.tmsv.org.au/papers/risson.htm
- Speeches