The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Term 3 2019
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Volume 94 | Term 3, 2019 The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Sir JJ Talbot Hobbs Lieutenant General Sir John Joseph Talbot Hobbs was Western Australia’s most distinguished World War One soldier as well as one of the state’s most renowned architects. His battle tactics, alongside those of Sir Field Battery in 1903. By 1906, Hobbs Pozieres was captured in September 1916. John Monash, at Villers Bretonneux and was a Lieutenant Colonel commanding a In December of that same year, Hobbs in breaching the Hindenburg Line were Western Australian mixed brigade and in assumed command of the 5th Australian significant in hastening the end of the First 1913 became a Colonel commanding the Division, being promoted to Major General World War. In similar vein, his architectural 22nd Infantry Brigade. On four occasions, in January. His Division distinguished influence in Western Australia can still prior to the outbreak of hostilities in World itself at Polygon Wood in 1917 and it was be seen in Fremantle, Perth’s western War One, Hobbs went to England, largely Hobbs’ tactics that saw the retaking of suburbs, the City of Perth itself and in at his own expense, to undertake training Villers-Bretonneux from 24 to 27 April country towns as widespread as Walkaway with the British Army. He was, therefore, by 1918, a victory which most probably in the mid-west. 1914 when war commenced, thoroughly contributed to the abandonment of the equipped to serve his King and country German operations towards Amiens. His Hobbs was born in 1864 in Clerkenwell, and on 8 August that year was selected by distinguished services were recognised, Middlesex in the UK. He arrived in Perth Major General William Bridges to command in that same year, when he was created a in 1887 with the Hurst family, having the 1st Australian Divisional Artillery. Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath undertaken some architectural training, and Knight Commander of the Order of St most likely in Sussex. It was also in this Talbot Hobbs was at the Gallipoli landing Michael and St George. area of the UK that Hobbs was involved and was in command of the artillery there in some soldiering with volunteer military until November 1915 when he was struck Towards the end of May 1918, Lieutenant units. down by dysentery and invalided to Cairo, General Sir John Monash was placed in despite his protests. Subsequently, he was command of the Australian Corps and In terms of his military career, Hobbs, promoted to Brigadier General and made Hobbs became the Senior Divisional on arrival in Perth in 1887 joined the a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Commander. Hobbs 5th Division was Volunteer Artillery in Perth as a gunner, was In March 1916 Hobbs went with the 1st involved in the capture of Mont St Quentin, commissioned in 1889 and rose to the Australian Division to France and was in crossing the Somme in the face of command of the First Western Australian command of the Australian Artillery when strong opposition, in what British General This newsletter is produced by the Centre for Ethics at Christ Church Grammar School. It is a quarterly publication informing the community of forthcoming speakers and events. The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Rawlinson described as: “the greatest Fremantle (1896), the Windsor Hotel in It could be argued that Sir JJ Talbot Hobbs military achievement of the war.” He then South Perth (1898), Manners Hill Park was the most influential architect in made careful plans for the attack on the Pavillion in Peppermint Grove (1903), the Western Australia’s history. To this, of Hindenburg Line, which was successfully Holy Trinity Church in Walkaway (1903) and course, must be added the fact that he breached by the 3rd and 5th Divisions on Turton in North Fremantle (1904). was and remains the most successful 30 September and 1 October 1918. At soldier in the history of this state. In terms war’s end Monash was put in charge of These buildings were substantially added of the achievements of this prominent the repatriation and demobilisation of the to by the many projects completed by but oft forgotten Western Australian, Australian troops and Hobbs succeeded Hobbs architectural partnerships, Hobbs, the words of Lieutenant General Sir him in command of the Australian Corps Smith and Forbes and Hobbs, Forbes Brudenall White, as part of his eulogy at through to May 1919. and Partners, in the period from July Hobbs national funeral in May 1938, are 1904, and with a significant pause for especially apt: “he was not only a soldier, The two leading figures in the Australian wartime activity, to 1931 when he began he was a great citizen and a great Christian Army Corps, Sir Talbot Hobbs and Sir John to relinquish further responsibilities. gentleman who knew none other than the Monash, were civilian soldiers and it is Prominent buildings still standing from straight path.” interesting to speculate whether it may this period include but are not limited have been their professions – the former to: the WA Trustees Building (1925) and Simon Hunn an architect, the latter an engineer – that Newspaper House (1932) both in St Director of the Centre for Ethics drove their success in what was the first George’s Terrace, St George’s College and grand scale industrial war. It was their eye Chapel (1930), the student residential for detail, their ability to plan meticulously building across the Highway from UWA, Afterword to move vast numbers of men, artillery, and the State War Memorial (1929) in The Centre for Ethics is pleased to tanks and planes in a manner strategically Kings Park. announce, in a joint venture with St designed to overcome the German forces George’s College, that Talbot Hobbs who opposed them, that must have given It is probably well to add to this that architectural biographer John Taylor will them a significant advantage over their many of Perth’s well known and beautiful be delivering a talk on Sir JJ Talbot Hobbs career soldier counterparts. buildings, in St George’s Terrace in at St George’s College, Mounts Bay Road, particular, were designed by Hobbs and Crawley (across from UWA) on the evening On returning to Perth in 1919, Hobbs was these were destroyed in the orgies of of 12 September 2019, commencing at to continue serving his country in a military development of the 60s and 70s when 7.30 pm. John will be talking, specifically, capacity, until his resignation from the the majority of Perth’s late 19th and early on Hobbs 100 years ago, with added army in August of 1927. His remaining army 20th century buildings were demolished. focus on buildings such as St George’s career saw him, in this capacity and among Hobbs’ architectural biographer John College, Christ Church in Claremont and other things, responsible for the design Taylor (Between Duty and Design: the Havelock House on the grounds of Christ and erection of various war memorials on Architect Soldier Sir J. J. Talbot Hobbs, Church Grammar School. The talk will be, the battle fields and in Western Australia UWA Publishing, 2014) commented on approximately, 40 minutes duration with and it was in this period he was petitioned this in salutary fashion: “the reasons were the chance to ask questions afterwards. to run, albeit unsuccessfully, for State manifest but include Western Australian This event is free but John Taylor’s Parliament. He also resumed his post-war society’s apathy towards it inheritance, architectural history of Hobbs, Between career as an architect of some renown. ignorance of the cultural value of the Duty and Design, will be available for places, a lack of well-considered and purchase at half price on the evening. Hobbs’s architectural career, which had informed city planning regulations, the begun soon after his arrival in Perth from deficiency of cultural heritage legislation If you are interested in attending this talk England in 1887, began to flourish in to preserve the buildings, the lack on Sir Talbot Hobbs, please register here. what was still the pre-federation period. of understanding of sustainability in During the period 1887 to 1904 as a sole resource use for construction, and the architectural practitioner, Hobbs produced hungry greed of developers often acting References around 550 combined works. These for multinational banks and insurance Coombes, David, The Lionheart: included, and I am only naming well known companies.” To this, perhaps, could be A Life of Lieutenant General Sir Talbot buildings still standing: Scot’s Church added the shameful circumstances when Hobbs (Australian Military Publications, Fremantle (1890), The Cliffe in Peppermint in August 1990 Hobbs grand residence, NSW, 2007). Grove in the same year, The Weld Club The Bungalow, an architectural exemplar (1891), Christ Church in Claremont (1893), of its time and a lynchpin of Peppermint Taylor, John, Between Duty and Design: The Knutsford House built for Alfred Sandover Grove’s social history for some 90 years, Architect Soldier Sir JJ Talbot Hobbs in 1895, which still stands as part of was torn down. This was done, to quote (UWA Publishing, Crawley, 2014). the boarding precinct at Christ Church Taylor again: “on the pathetic premise that Grammar School, Victoria Hall in it was ‘unsound” (Taylor, p.223). The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Richard Ian Charlesworth AO Richard ‘Ric’ Charlesworth – a Christ Church Grammar School old boy - is an Australian sports consultant, former hockey player and arguably one of Australia’s finest coaches. He is a tactical genius in football which Professor Luc Delriviere is apparent through his mentoring Professor Luc Delriviere has explored roles in Australian Football League the Narrow Plateaux of the Antarctic circles.