Halse Rogers Arnott (1879May, 1961) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

medical practitioner A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, company director and chairman of Arnott's.

Family and early life

Arnott was born in

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area, w ...

, the youngest son of William Arnott (1827–1901) who was the founder of Arnott's Biscuits and his second wife, Margaret McLean Fleming (1865–1902). His full siblings were: William Arnott; Janet Dunman Arnott; Colonel John McLean Arnott, CMG; Colonel Arthur Smith Arnott; Margaret Fleming Arnott; Robert Fleming Arnott; George Marshall Arnott; Florence Joanna Arnott; and Victoria M Arnott. He was educated at

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 ...

from 1893. Arnott served with General Sir Redvers Buller's Scouts in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

Marriage and family

Arnott married Alice Johns in 1903 in

Canterbury, New South Wales Canterbury is a suburb extending across south-western Sydney and the Inner West, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Canterbury is located south-west of the Sydney central business district in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown. The fo ...

and they had five children: Campbell William Rogers Arnott (1905–1987); Phyllis Rogers Arnott (1907–2002); Malcolm Rogers Arnott (1911–1976); Keith MacKenzie Rogers Arnott (1912–1998); Dorothy Rogers Arnott (1915–1992). In 1904 Arnott incorporated a 1877 stone house in North Parade in

Hunters Hill Hunters Hill is a suburb of the lower north shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area ...

in a new mansion and named it ''Blairgowrie''. The property was later known as ''Bulwarra'' and owned by

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

and

Andrew Upton Andrew Upton (born 1 February 1966) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter and director. He has adapted the works of Gorky, Chekhov, Ibsen and others for London's Royal National Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company. He wrote the original p ...

. In 1941 the Sydney based architect William Ronald Richardson built the Arnott family a

Georgian-style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Geor ...

home in Burns Road

Wahroonga Wahroonga is a suburb in the North Shore (Sydney)#Upper North Shore, Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia ...

. In 2022 the house, tennis court and swimming pool, set on a 5400 square metre block, sold for eleven million Australian dollars. Throughout their married life the Arnotts maintained weekenders in Springwood, in the Blue Mountains, including ''Homedale''.

Medical and business career

Arnott matriculated at 35 and studied arts at 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 ...

before graduating as a Bachelor of Medicine and Chemistry in 1925. He later studied for College membership in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. Arnott was involved in the management of Arnott's from the time of his father's death in 1901 and served as Chairman from 1947 until 1961.State Library of NSW - Group portrait of the board of William Arnott Limited, 1904
Retrieved 31 July 2012 On his death he was succeeded as Chairman by Geoffrey H. Arnott.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnott, Halse Rogers 1879 births 1961 deaths People educated at Newington College Australian businesspeople Medical doctors from Sydney Businesspeople from Sydney