Victor Marra Newland, (18 August 1876 – 12 January 1953) was an Australian army officer and politician. He served in 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 ...

and with the

King's African Rifles The King's African Rifles (KAR) was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions withi ...

in 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 ...

, was decorated for his service in each, and retired with the rank of major. He was formerly a member of the Legislative Council of

British East Africa East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Britai ...

, and in 1933 became the representative for

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. History Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...

in the

South Australian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide. Overview The House of Assembly was creat ...

Early life and career

Newland was born at Marra station, near

Wilcannia, New South Wales Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. Located on the Darling River, the town was the third largest inland port in the country during the river boat era of the mid-19th ...

, the third son of

Simpson Newland Simpson Newland CMG (2 November 1835 – 27 June 1925), pastoralist, author and politician, was a pioneer in Australia who made significant contributions to development around the Murray River. He was also an author of practical works and novel ...

(1835–1925) and his wife Jane Isabella Newland, née Layton (c. 1850 – 11 January 1939). He was educated at

Queen's School, North Adelaide Queen's College was a privately owned and run school for boys on Barton Terrace, North Adelaide. It ran continuously from 1891 to 1949, an Australian record for a proprietary boys' school. History In 1885 Thomas Field (Anglican priest, born 1829), ...

, and St. Peter's College, and was a member of the

Modern Pickwick Club The Modern Pickwick Club was a young men's literary and social club founded in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1890s. History The club was formed in 1891 as a social club restricted, by invitation, to 30 members, all unmarried men. It was a cond ...

. He joined the

South Australian Mounted Rifles The South Australian Mounted Rifles (SAMR) was a mounted infantry unit of the Colony of South Australia that served in the Second Boer War. The first contingent of South Australian Mounted Rifles was raised in 1899, followed by a second contingent ...

and sailed to South Africa with the second contingent of the Light Horse and served in the Boer War. 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 ...

, and awarded the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...

and the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

with five clasps. After the war he remained in Africa. He acted as manager for a land and stock agency in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, British East Africa (now

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

) in 1903, then two years later with fellow South Australian Leslie Jefferis Tarlton (1877–c. 1950) he formed Newland, Tarlton & Co. Ltd., organizing big-game safaris for wealthy patrons, including

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in 1909–1910. Newland was a president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, a member of the Kenya's Legislative Council, and chairman of the Nairobi Town Council.

First World War and politics

He was holidaying in Australia at the outbreak of the First World War, and returned to Kenya. He joined the King's African Rifles and fought in the

German East Africa German East Africa (GEA; german: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Mozam ...

campaign, attaining the rank of major and winning 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 ...

. He was also appointed an

Officer 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 ...

and mentioned in despatches twice. Newland returned to Adelaide where in 1923 he was made a member of the Stock Exchange, and three years later became a partner in the firm of Newland and Hunter. Almost up to the time of his death, his interests and his influence remained widespread. Their home for many years was at 34 Molesworth Street, North Adelaide. In

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

he was elected to the

as the

Liberal and Country League Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and ...

(LCL) member for

, serving until 1938. He was buried at Victor Harbour.

Other interests

*Newland was famous as a

big game hunter Big-game hunting is the hunting of large game animals for meat, commercially valuable by-products (such as horns/antlers, furs, tusks, bones, body fat/oil, or special organs and contents), trophy/taxidermy, or simply just for recreation ("spo ...

*He was a member of the Council of the Zoological Society for more than 20 years. *He was president of the Royal Society of St. George. *He was closely associated with the British Imperial Servicemen's sub-branch of the RSL.

Family

Rev. Ridgway William Newland (c. 1788 – 8 March 1864) was married to Martha Newland, née Keeling (c. 1797 – 13 April 1870), arrived in South Australia with six children aboard ''Sir Charles Forbes'' in June 1839. *

(2 November 1835 – 27 June 1925) married Jane Isabella Layton (c. 1850 – 11 January 1939) on 12 September 1872. Had issue: :*Col. Henry Simpson Newland CBE, DSO (1873–1969) :* Philip Mesmer "Phil" Newland (2 February 1875 – 11 August 1916), noted cricketer :*Victor Marra Newland OBE MC DCM (1876 – 12 January 1953) married Elsie Margaret Porter (1879 – 11 February 1950) on 20 April 1909. Their family included: ::*Margaret Elizabeth Jean Newland (10 January 1910 – 1988) married Richard Hampden Dutton (6 August 1909 – 13 December 1940), son of

Henry Hampden Dutton Henry Hampden Dutton (13 February 1879 – 15 June 1932), often referred to as Harry Dutton, was a South Australian pastoralist, remembered for in 1908 making the first automobile journey from Adelaide to Port Darwin. He was born in North Adelai ...

on 25 February 1933. They divorced in July 1940. She married again, to Sidney Downer (September 1909 – September 1969) on 8 September 1948. They separated around 1960.Alick Downer ''The Downers of South Australia'' Wakefield Press 2012 ::*Elaine Newland ( –1995) married Robert Henry Wreford (1909–1990) on 8 July 1936. He was managing director, G. & R. Wills from 1961; lived in North Adelaide. :*Dr. Clive Newland (1878 – 25 January 1919) killed when he rode his motorcycle into a railway train. :*Ralph Dimmock Newland (1880 – 20 September 1933) married Hazel Thornton Creswell (c. 1887 – 4 November 1915) on 7 June 1909. He married Mildred Faith Dinning in 1930.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Newland, Victor 1876 births 1953 deaths Australian Army soldiers Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Australian people of English descent Australian recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal Australian recipients of the Military Cross British Army personnel of World War I King's African Rifles officers Liberal and Country League politicians Members of the Legislative Council of Kenya Members of the South Australian House of Assembly People from South Australia Burials in South Australia Military personnel from New South Wales