Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Ewan Murray Robson (7 March 1906 – 26 August 1974) was an Australian lawyer, soldier and a member of the New South Wales Parliament for over twenty years. Known for most of his life as Murray Robson, he was born in Sydney and 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 ...

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 ...

, where he gained degrees in arts and law. After working several years as a

solicitor A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and ...

, Robson stood for, and was elected to, parliament on 29 August 1936 at a by-election for the seat of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Second World War 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 ...

and served with distinction during the war, gaining promotion to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

and receiving the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

for his service. Returning to politics, he had missed the foundation of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

in 1945. When long-time Leader

Vernon Treatt Sir Vernon Haddon Treatt (15 May 1897 – 20 September 1984) was an Australian lawyer, soldier, Rhodes Scholar and politician. Born in Singleton, New South Wales and educated at Shore School, Treatt interrupted his studies at the University o ...

resigned the leadership in 1954 and contests between Deputy Leader

Robert Askin Sir Robert William Askin, GCMG (4 April 1907 – 9 September 1981), was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but ...

and

Pat Morton Philip Henry (Pat) Morton (28 October 191018 January 1999) was an Australian businessman and politician. Born in Lismore in Northern New South Wales to a prominent political family and educated at Lismore High School, Morton left school at f ...

became deadlocked he was asked to stand and was consequently elected as party leader and

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

. He served little more than a year before he was deposed by

. In 1957 he retired from politics and returned to his legal career before retiring. He died of a heart attack in August 1974.

Early life

Murray Robson was born in

Ashfield, New South Wales Ashfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 8 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Ashfield's population is highly multicultural. Its urban density is ...

on 7 March 1906, the second son of long-serving NSW politician William Elliott Veitch Robson and Mabel Jackson Wise. His grandfather, William Robson, was also a Member of the NSW Legislative Council from 1900 to 1920. Being 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 1918 to 1923, Robson graduated with a

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 ...

(1927) and a

Bachelor of Law 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 ...

(1930) at the

while a resident of St. Paul's College. Robson was admitted as a

on 4 June 1930 and practised with his father at Robson & Cowlishaw. He married Lesley Alison Martin in 1931 at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Sydney and had two sons. When sitting

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two prim ...

(UAP) MP William Foster died in office, Robson stood as an Independent UAP candidate at the resulting by-election in Foster's vacated Legislative Assembly seat of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Bertram Stevens government's economic management and the party's control over preselection, becoming prominent in the struggle that led to the resignation of the Premier Stevens and his replacement by

Alexander Mair Alexander Mair (25 August 18893 August 1969) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 5 August 1939 to 16 May 1941. Born in Melbourne, Mair worked in various businesses there before moving to Albury, New Sout ...

in August 1939. At the 4 March 1938 election, Robson retained his seat uncontested.

Military career

When the

Second World War 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 ...

broke out, Robson initially enlisted as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

from 29 September 1939. On 25 December, Robson was granted a leave of absence from the NSW Parliament, with his father dealing with his affairs, and enlisted in the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...

on 29 December. Embarking for Scotland with the 2nd/5th Field Regiment,

Royal Australian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's first ...

, in May 1940, he disembarked at

Gourock Gourock ( ; gd, Guireag ) is a town in the Inverclyde council area and formerly a burgh of the County of Renfrew in the west of Scotland. It was a seaside resort on the East shore of the upper Firth of Clyde. Its main function today is as a r ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

on 18 June 1940. Transferring to the 2/31st Battalion in the 7th Division, and was trained in the AIF School. On 3 March 1941, he left Britain, arriving in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

on 9 March. On 9 May 1941, he was appointed to

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 ...

. In June 1941 Captain Robson received a shrapnel wound to the foot while fighting in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. Attached to the Middle East Tactical School, he rejoined his unit in February 1942 and served with distinction in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, being promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 8 October 1942. On 3 December 1942, Robson departed North Africa with his unit, disembarking at

Brisbane, Queensland Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, on 8 January 1943. On 11 June 1943, he was promoted to

and given command of the 2/31st Battalion. Bandjermasin surrender1945

In August 1943 Robson sailed with his unit to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

where he suffered bouts of malaria. 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 ...

three times. On 6 March 1945 he was awarded the

, on a recommendation by his Commanding officer, Major General

George Alan Vasey Major General George Alan Vasey, (29 March 1895 – 5 March 1945) was an Australian Army officer. He rose to the rank of major general during the Second World War, before being killed in a plane crash near Cairns in 1945. A professional soldie ...

DSO citation

In July 1945 he led his unit in the invasion of

Balikpapan Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

, and in September accepted the surrender of Japanese forces under Major General Michio Uno at

Bandjermasin ) , translit_lang1 = Other , translit_lang1_type1 = Jawi , translit_lang1_info1 = بنجر ماسين , settlement_type = City , motto = ''Kayuh Baimbai'' ( Banjare ...

in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

. Relinquishing command, he returned to Sydney and was placed on the Reserve of Officers in November before being discharged on 21 November 1945.World War II Nominal Roll:
Robson, Ewan Murray – Army Service

Post-war career

Upon demobilisation, Robson returned to his political career. His long absence during his war service had put pressure on his marriage and ended when his wife divorced him in 1947. He remarried soon after to Naomi Priscilla Gee at St Peter's Anglican Church,

Watsons Bay Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. ...

on 9 December 1950. During his military service he had missed the political upheavals of the collapse of the UAP and the foundation of the

in 1945. He retained his seat at the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

on 3 May 1947, assisted by a young

, a former Sergeant in his battalion. Robson retained his seat again with 67.39%. He later supported Askin in his bid to enter the Parliament in 1950. Robson was re-elected with 68.37%. He was returned again at the 14 February 1953 election unopposed. In August 1954, after the long-serving leader,

, announced his intention to resign, and now-Deputy-Leader Askin and

had tied in a vote to succeed him, Robson was persuaded by Askin to accept the Leadership of the Liberal Party as a compromise candidate. Like other senior members of the party, after having no conservative government since Alexander Mair in 1941, Robson had no experience in government, he had little interest in policy except for Cold War anti-communism, ignored majority views of his party and fellow parliamentary colleagues and further alienated party members by trying to forge a closer alliance with

Michael Bruxner Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner (25 March 1882 – 28 March 1970) was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as leader of the Country Party (and its predecessors) in New South Wales. Born in the north o ...

's Country Party. Over a year after he assumed the leadership, at a party meeting on 20 September 1955, senior party member

Ken McCaw Sir Kenneth Malcolm McCaw QC (8 October 1907 – 13 September 1989), an Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Lane Cove for the Liberal Party from 1947 until his retirement from political o ...

moved that the leadership be declared vacant, citing that Robson's leadership lacked the qualities necessary for winning the next election. The motion was carried 15 votes to 5. Robson then moved a motion to prevent Pat Morton, who was the only person nominated for leader, from taking the leadership. This was defeated 16 votes to 6 and Morton was elected unopposed as leader, with Robert Askin remaining as Deputy Leader. Robson retorted that there had been a "continuous intrigue" against his leadership. He was returned for the last time at the 3 March 1956 election with 71.41%. Robson, however, did not stay long afterward; on 26 July 1957, he resigned his seat, and returned to his legal practice until he retired.

Later life

At the resulting

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

on 24 August 1957, Vaucluse was held by the Liberals candidate, Geoffrey Cox, despite a significant reduction in the Liberal margin. In retirement he belonged to the

Royal Sydney Golf Club Royal Sydney Golf Club is golf club in Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. Founded in 1893, Royal Sydney is one of Australia's premier sporting and social clubs. It features an 18-hole Championship Course, a 9-hole Centen ...

, the Rose Bay Bowling Club and The University Club. He was appointed a

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 o ...

in the 1966

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

, On 26 August 1974, Robson died of a heart attack at his Rose Bay home, survived by his second wife and both his sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson, Ewan Murray 1906 births 1974 deaths Politicians from Sydney People educated at Newington College University of Sydney alumni Australian solicitors Australian Army officers Australian military personnel of World War II Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly United Australia Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Leaders of the Opposition in New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians