Steven Ainsworth Lonergan (29 March 1899 – June 1969) was an Australian public servant, who spent most of his career in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. He served in the Legislative Council from 1952 to 1959.

Biography

Lonergan was born in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in March 1899, and was educated at State High School in Launceston.''Who's who in Australia, Volume 14'', p434 He joined the Australian armed forces 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 ...

and saw action the Battle of Gallipoli aged only 16 and later in France, where he was badly injured. He then served in the Australian army headquarters in London. After the war he studied at the Repatriation Trades School in Launceston from 1920 to 1922, before joining the civil service in the

Territory of New Guinea The Territory of New Guinea was an Australian-administered United Nations trust territory on the island of New Guinea from 1914 until 1975. In 1949, the Territory and the Territory of Papua were established in an administrative union by the nam ...

in 1923. He married

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

er Irene Mitchell in February 1929. In 1940 he was appointed Assistant Government Secretary in 1940. 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 part of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit, achieving the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was

mentioned in dispatches 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 ...

. He became Acting Government Secretary in 1949, and in 1951 took on the role permanently. As a result, he was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1952.P-NG Legislative Council
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1952, p56 The Secretary Department was scrapped in 1955 and Lonergan became Director of Civil Affairs. He was also Acting Assistant Administrator for five months in 1956–57.Dr. J.T. Gunther
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1957, p21 He retired in 1959 and returned to Australia. He died in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1969, survived by his wife.Mr. S.A. Lonergan
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', July 1969, p125

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonergan, Steven 1899 births People from Hobart Australian military personnel of World War I Australian public servants Territory of New Guinea people Territory of Papua and New Guinea people Papua New Guinean civil servants Australian Army personnel of World War II Members of the Legislative Council of Papua and New Guinea 1969 deaths Australian colonels