Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

James William Macarthur-Onslow, (7 November 1867 – 17 November 1946) was a soldier, grazier and politician. The son of a prominent

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

family, he was commissioned in the

New South Wales Mounted Rifles The New South Wales Mounted Rifles was a mounted infantry regiment of the Colony of New South Wales. History The regiment was formed at the Victoria Barracks, Sydney on 17 September 1888, as the New South Wales Mounted Infantry. The regiment ...

in 1892 and served in the

Chitral Expedition The Chitral Expedition (Urdu:چترال فوجی مہم) was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral, which was under siege after a local coup following the death of the old ruler. An interv ...

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 ...

and the

First World War 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 ...

. Afterwards, he served in the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

and

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 ...

Early life

James William Macarthur-Onslow was born on 7 November 1867 at

Camden Park Estate The Camden Park Estate incorporating the Belgenny Farm is a heritage-listed large working historical farm located at Elizabeth Macarthur Avenue, in the south-western Sydney suburb of Camden South in the Camden Council local government area of ...

, near

Menangle, New South Wales Menangle is a village in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia. Location Menangle is part of the Wollondilly Shire. At the , Menangle had a population of 875 people. At the , Menangle's population had risen to 1,150. History The t ...

, the son of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow (2 August 1833 – 30 January 1882) was born at Trichinopoly in India to surveyor Arthur Pooley Onslow and Rosa Roberta Macleay. In 1838 was sent to New South Wales, where he lived with his grandfather Alexander ...

and his wife Elizabeth née Macarthur, the granddaughter of wool pioneer

John Macarthur John MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to: *J. Roderick MacArthur (1920–1984), American businessman *John MacArthur (American pastor) (born 1939), American evangelical minister, televangelist, and author * John Macarthur (priest), 20th-century pro ...

. He was educated at

Sydney Grammar School (Praise be to God) , established = , type = Independent, day school , gender = Boys , religious_affiliation = None , slogan = , headmaster = R. B. Malpass , founder = Laurence Hynes Halloran , chairman = ...

. After his father died in 1882 and his mother Elizabeth changed her name to Macarthur-Onslow and in 1887 she took her children to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

to complete their education while she studied

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or ...

. Macarthur-Onslow read law at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

, receiving

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

(BA) and

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

(LLB) degrees in 1890. He returned to Australia in 1891. He married Enid Emma Macarthur, the granddaughter of

Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur (16 January 1788 – 21 October 1861) was an Australian colonist, politician, businessman and wool pioneer. The nephew of John Macarthur and son-in-law of former New South Wales governor, Philip Gidley King, he was w ...

in 1897. – James' great-grandfather and Enid's great-grandfather were brothers.

Military career

Macarthur-Onslow was commissioned captain of the Camden Squadron of the

in 1892. In 1894 he was selected by commandant of the military forces in New South Wales,

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 ...

Edward Hutton, for training in India with the

11th Hussars The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 10th Royal Hussars (Pri ...

, the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, and the 1st Battalion,

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. He served in India from 1894 to 1895, seeing active service in the

. In 1900 Macarthur-Onslow made his own way to South Africa in 1900 to participate in the

, where he served as aide-de-camp to Hutton, who was now a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. He participated in operations in the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

from February to May 1900, including the actions at Vet River and Zand River, and operations in the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

from May to November 1900. For this service, he was

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 ...

by Field Marshal Lord Roberts. He returned to Australia in March 1901, but was later appointed to command the 5th Battalion,

Australian Commonwealth Horse The Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Common ...

. Macarthur-Onslow served as aide-de-camp to the

Governor-General of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Earl of Hopetoun in 1902. He commanded the 2nd Light Horse Regiment from July 1903 until December 1907 when he 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 ...

on assuming command of the 1st Light Horse Brigade. He was on the unattached list in January 1910. Although too old for active service during the

, Macarthur-Onslow held the rank of colonel with the Sea Transport Service of the Australian Imperial Force, commanding troop ships travelling between Australia, the Middle East and Britain between 1915 and 1917. He was aide-de-camp to the Governor-General a second time from 1917 to 1920. He retired with the rank of

in 1925.

Political career

Macarthur-Onslow served the people of New South Wales as a member of the

, representing the seats of

Waverley Waverley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott ** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel * Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...

from 1907 to 1913, Bondi from 1913 to 1920, and

Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...

from 1920 to 1922. He was nominated to the

in 1922, then a lifetime appointment, and served there until 1933, but was largely inactive.

Later life

Macarthur-Onslow served as a director of the

Commercial Banking Company of Sydney The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, also known as the CBC, or CBC Bank, was a bank based in Sydney, Australia. It was established in 1834, and in 1982 merged with the National Bank of Australasia to form National Australia Bank. Hi ...

Limited and The Colonial Sugar Refining Company Limited. His other appointments included president of the

Australian Club The Australian Club is a private club founded in 1838 and located in Sydney at 165 Macquarie Street. Its membership is men-only and it is the oldest gentlemen's club in the southern hemisphere. "The Club provides excellent dining facilities, ...

and director of the

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School ...

1909 until 1929. Macarthur-Onslow died at Camden Park and was survived by his wife, his son and his two daughters. His papers are in the Mitchell Library,

State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establish ...

Family tree

* Arthur Pooley Onslow m. Rosa Roberta, ''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Macleay (m. 1832) **

(1833–1882) m. Elizabeth, ''née'' Macarthur (1840–1911); changed her name to Macarthur-Onslow in 1892 *** James William Macarthur-Onslow (1867–1946) m. Enid Emma, ''née'' Macarthur *** James Arthur Macarthur-Onslow (1898–1959) m. Constance, ''née'' Herbert; disinherited and bankrupted by his father *** Helen Maud Macarthur-Onslow (1899–1968) m. Major General Sir Reginald Stanham; inherited Camden Park Estate **** Brigadier Richard Quentin Macarthur-Stanham; inherited Camden Park Estate *** Elizabeth Enid Macarthur-Onslow (1903–1990) m. Frederick Rothe *** William Macarthur-Onslow; died in WWI *** Emily Susan Macarthur-Onslow (1869–1876) *** Rosa Sibella Macarthur-Onslow (1871–1943) ***

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

George Macleay Macarthur-Onslow (1875–1931) m. Violet Marguerite, ''née'' Gordon (m. 16 October 1909 at Manar, near Braidwood) *** (Francis)

Arthur Macarthur-Onslow Francis Arthur Macarthur-Onslow (7 June 1879 – 3 March 1938) was an Australian grazier and real estate investor. After service in the South African War, he raised sheep, was a director of the Camden Park Estate and its associated dairy farm, and ...

(1879–1938) m. Sylvia Seton Raymond, née Chisholm (m. 16 May 1903 at Goulburn) **** Major General Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow (1904–1984) m. Elinor Margaret, ''née'' Caldwell (m. 1927; div. ) ***** Ion Macarthur—Onslow ***** Neil Macarthur—Onslow ***** Diana Macarthur—Onslow ***** Ewan Macarthur—Onslow **** ''Major General Sir Denzil Macarthur—Onslow (1904–1984)'' m. Dorothy Wolseley Conagher, ''née'' Scott (–2013); (m. 1950 in Petersham) ***** Katrina Macarthur—Onslow m. Sir Charles Hobhouse ***** Lee Macarthur—Onslow (1952–2021) ** Sir Alexander Campbell Onslow (1842–1908)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macarthur-Onslow, James William Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Australian generals British military personnel of the Chitral Expedition Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council People educated at Sydney Grammar School Military personnel from New South Wales Australian military personnel of World War I 1867 births 1946 deaths Onslow family Macarthur family (Australia)