Alexander John Robertson (4 January 1887 – 6 August 1915), a geologist and mining engineer, was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played for the

University Football Club Melbourne University Football Club, often known simply as University, is an Australian rules football club based at the University of Melbourne. The club fields two teams, known as the "Blacks" and "Blues", who both compete in the Victorian Amat ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL) in 1910. He served in the First AIF, and was killed in action at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

Ottoman Turkey The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

Family

The son of James Lang Robertson (1858-1929), M.A., and Annie Robertson (1859-1944), née McArthur, Alexander John Robertson was born at Bundalaguah, near Sale, in Gippsland, Victoria, on 4 January 1887, where his father was the headmaster of the local State School. He married Violet Ann "Dear Wah" Chapman (1885-1917) in 1911. Violet, who had left for England not long after Robertson's death, and who had served for almost two years with the

Voluntary Aid Detachment The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units we ...

at Coulter Hospital, in London, and had just qualified to serve in France as an ambulance driver, was killed in a riding accident, in London's Hyde Park, on 30 November 1917. Photographs and Lives of the Fallen: Lieutenant Alex J. Robertson, ''The Varsity Engineer: War memorial Number 1914-1919'', Committee of the Melbourne University Engineering Society, (Melbourne), c.1919, pp.88-89.
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Education

He was educated at St. Andrew's College, Bendigo, where he was dux of the school, and at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

. He was a resident of Ormond College. While at the university, in addition to his courses in Science and Mining Engineering, he rowed, played cricket, played football, and competed in the long jump for Ormond College; and, as well, represented the university at both rowing, and at football.

Awards

* 1908:

Full blue A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. They are now awarded at a number of other ...

for football. Photographs and Lives of the Fallen: Lieutenant Alex J. Robertson, ''The Varsity Engineer: War memorial Number 1914-1919'', Committee of the Melbourne University Engineering Society, (Melbourne), c.1919, pp.88-89.
/ref> * 1909: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.). * 1909: Final Honor Scholarship in Geology, Palæontology, and Mineralogy. * 1909: Professor Kernot Research Scholarship in Geology. * 1912: Master of Science (M.Sc.).

Football

He was part of the Melbourne University team that played in the annual match against Adelaide University on 19 August 1908. Playing for the University in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA), he made his debut for the University's VFL team, playing on the half-back flank, against Richmond on 8 May 1909. He played 10 senior matches, and was one of the best University players in his last match, the season's final round, in the draw against Fitzroy, that was played in a quagmire at the Brunswick Street Oval on 4 September 1909. His studies at university and his employment in Queensland prevented him from playing for the University's VFL team in 1910.

Western Australia

Having spent twelve months as a lecturer in science and mining at the Brisbane Technical College, he moved to

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

to work as an assistant mineralogist and surveyor with the Geological Survey of West Australia in 1911 — and, later, still with the Geological Survey of West Australia, he also assumed the duties of a chemist and analyst. He was admitted as an inaugural member of the Convocation of the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

in 1913.

Military

He enlisted in the First AIF on 10 May 1915, and served overseas in Egypt and at Gallipoli.

Death

He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915. ::Lieutenant Alexander John Robertson … had joined the 11th Battalion only two days before his death, and was engaged in holding a trench which had been captured from the Turks.
The latter made a counter attack in force, and Lieutenant Robertson, to inspire confidence in the men under his command, sprang into a recess, and raising his head and shoulders above the parapet, fired his revolver into the foremost of the enemy, and continued to do so until he was shot.
His commanding officer says, "He died a gallant Australian soldier."Belford, W.C., "The Story of the Eleventh Battalion: Chapter IX: The Trenches at Anzac", ''The Western Mail'', (Thursday, 24 February 1938), p.9.
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Footnotes

References

"Good Luck, Boys!" (The Officers), ''The (Perth) Daily News'', (Thursday, 15 June 19150, p.7.

Australian Casualties: 98th List Issued: Killed in Action: Western Australia, ''The Argus'', (Tuesday, 26 October 1915), p.5.

The Late Lieutenant A. J. Robertson, ''The West Australian'', (Saturday, 30 October 1915), p.7.

World War One Service Record: Second Lieutenant Alexander John Robertson, ''National Archives of Australia''.

Roll of Honour: Second Lieutenant Alexander John Robertson, ''Australian War Memorial''.

* [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142983266 Australian Soldiers who have Fallen at the Dardanelles (No.25. Lieut. A.J. Robertson, W.A.), ''The Australasian'', (Saturday, 27 November 1915), p.26.] * Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed.'', Melbourne: Bas Publishing.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Alex 1887 births 1915 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) University Football Club players Australian military personnel killed in World War I People from Sale, Victoria University of Melbourne alumni sportspeople