Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Arthur Edmund Colvin

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

MC (24 April 1884 – 20 August 1966) was a member of

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

and a soldier, surgeon, and physician.

Early life

Colvin was born in

Jamberoo, New South Wales Jamberoo is a village on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. It is approximately 11.3 km inland from Kiama. At the , Jamberoo had a population of 1,667. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal w ...

and was the son of the Rev. Edmund Alexander Colvin and Gertrude Elizabeth Reynolds née Huntley. He was educated at Auburn public school,

Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...

(1897–1898), The King's School (1898–1902)The Kings School, Parramatta, Register 1831–1981 (Syd, 1982) pp75 and the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

. He graduated as a Bachelor of Medicine and Chirurgery in 1908.

Medical career

Following graduation, Colvin was appointed as a resident medical officer at

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first rece ...

and as a

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causal, causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when us ...

in the following year. He then went into general practice in

Orange, New South Wales Orange is a city in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney on a great circle at an altitude of . Orange had an estimated urban population of 40,493 Estimated resident population, 3 ...

later specialising in

ophthalmic surgery Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, by an ophthalmologist or sometimes, an optometrist. Eye surgery is synonymous with ophthalmology. The eye is a very fragile organ, and requ ...

. Colvin was honorary surgeon to HRH Prince Albert, Duke of York, during his in 1927 Australian tour and to HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, on his 1934 tour. He was secretary of NSW Western Division of

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

. From 1929 he was a member of the NSW Hospital Commission and served as its vice chairman in 1934. In 1937 he was appointed to the Medical Board of New South Wales and from 1944 until 1966 he served on the board of Sydney Hospital.

Military service

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Colvin served with the field ambulance unit and on administrative staff of the

Australian Army Medical Corps The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 through the amalgamation of medical units of the various Australian coloni ...

of the Australian Imperial Force in Egypt, the United Kingdom, and France. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

and

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he was assistant director general of Army Medical Services and an adviser on medical and hospital matters to the director general of Manpower and was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Local Government service

Colvin served as an alderman on Orange City Council from 1921 until 1941 and was mayor from 1923 until 1930 and again in 1935.

Parliamentary service

As a member of the

, Colvin served from 1932 until 1934 as a life appointment under the Constitution Act and the writ of summons of 7 September 1932. He became an indirectly elected member of the Council in April 1934 and served for 21 years. On retirement he was granted the retention of the title of

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

for life.

Community involvement

Colvin served on the boards of the Far West Children's Health Scheme,

Legacy Australia Legacy is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1923 by ex-servicemen. Legacy provides support to the families of Australian Defence Force men and women who have lost their life or health in conflicts such as World War I, World ...

and

The Spastic Centre Cerebral Palsy Alliance (formerly The Spastic Centre) is an Australian nonprofit organisation helping babies, children, teenagers and adults living with cerebral palsy and other neurological and physical disabilities. Its therapy teams work w ...

. He was a member of the Orange Agricultural and Pastoral Society and a councillor of

Fairbridge Farm Fairbridge, Western Australia is a former farm school near Pinjarra in Southwest Western Australia. It is now used predominantly for education, school and community camps and tourism purposes. History On 15 April 1912, Kingsley Fairbridge ...

Schools.

Honours

* Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

– 1935, for service as chairman of the Hospital Commission of NSW.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colvin, Arthur 1884 births 1966 deaths Australian military doctors Australian recipients of the Military Cross Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council People educated at Newington College University of Sydney alumni 20th-century Australian politicians Australian colonels Military personnel from New South Wales Royal Australian Army Medical Corps officers Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Army personnel of World War II