Reflections on the Society's history on the occasion of its 50th anniversary

The following are preliminary remarks by the Society's Patron Major-General the Honourable Justice Paul Brereton AM RFD on the occasion of his address to the Society's Annual General Meeting on 3 February 2018, commmemorating the Society's 50th anniversary.

SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF THE MILITARY HISTORY SOCIETY OF NSW

Introduction

Then under the name the New South Wales Military Historical Society, this Society held its inaugural meeting on 20^th September 1968, with the object of encouraging the compilation and presentation of the Military History of New South Wales and Australia. This, its fiftieth anniversary, provides an opportunity to remember our antecedents, before I turn to my main topic of General Legge. 

Origins in the Military Historical Society of Australia

The society had its origins as a branch of the Military Historical Society of Australia, which was formed in the mid-Sixties with branches in South Australia, Queensland, Melbourne, Geelong, Canberra and Sydney. Its membership were mainly collectors of militaria, and they published a quarterly journal called Sabretache. 

The first meeting of the Sydney Branch was held in Lane Cove on 16 July 1965. There were perhaps a dozen or so members, who continued to meet on a monthly basis at various Sydney locations including private homes, member’s offices and the Railways Institute in Devonshire Street. Dr John Haken of the University of NSW provided his office on occasions. A foundation member, he remains a member today. Revered by older members with long memories, he still contributes frequently to the Society’s publications

The Sydney members decided to produce a newsletter, named Despatch, and to invite selected professional historians to address their meetings.

1968: a new society

As a result of differences between the Melbourne and Sydney branches concerning areas of study and emphasis of interests, the Sydney members decided to break away from the MHSA. The associated acrimony endured in some respects until as late as 2007, although there have been concurrent members of both societies. 

The final general meeting of the NSW Branch (MSHA) was held on 26 July 1968, and by 9 August that year the Committee had wound up its affairs and begun to establish a new Society, to be named The New South Wales Military Historical Society, under the inaugural presidency of Mr Leonard L. Barton, SM (USA).

Early issues for new Society included establishing  a constitution and rules, finding premises to house papers, books and items of equipment, and not least a venue for lectures. Committee Meetings were often held in private homes, and lectures at free venues such as the Railways Institute or school halls.

In 1971, Brigadier E. J. H (John) Howard CBE, Chief of Staff at HQ Eastern Command and subsequently Commander of the Second Military District, become the Society’s first Patron. He was no mean historian and had presented a number of lectures himself. In 1973, he arranged for the Society to be granted free use of rooms for meetings, lectures and storage at Victoria Barracks ─ a situation which obtained until 2015 when heightened security requirements caused the Army to restrict access to the Barracks.

An energetic committee, renamed the Council after the 1969 AGM, with the support of several members began to establish the Society’s reputation. Despatch ─ which had begun life as a simple newsletter ─ became a proper professional journal. Under a competent professional editor, it began to attract articles from members and professionals of considerable scholarship. By 1980, Despatch was established as a highly reputable professional journal, nationally and internationally. 

An early major project was the publication, in 1974, of For Queen and Empire – A Boer War Chronicle, to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the dispatch of troops from Australia to the war in South Africa.

Institutional interest in the Society grew and the Australian War Memorial and several RSL sub-branches became Corporate Members. For its

part, the Society became a member of the Royal Australian Historical Society, and of the History Council of NSW, which sponsors History Week; the Society held a History Week lecture at History House, Sydney on the first Thursday of September each year, usually on a topic associated with the History Council’s theme.   

In 1985, the Society jointly with the Royal New South Wales Regiment published Soldiers of the Queen, to mark the centenary of the dispatch of the New South Wales contingent to the war in the Soudan, authored by Colonel Ralph Sutton, a fellow of the Society and editor of Despatch, with forewords by the then patron Brigadier Howard, and by Major General Gordon Maitland, the Regimental Colonel of the Royal New South Wales Regiment, who would become the second patron.

There was always an annual commemorative lecture, to recognise some signal event in Australia’s military history. After Brigadier Howard’s death in 1991, the commemorative lecture was named the Brigadier E. J. H. (John) Howard Commemorative Lecture, to commemorate his remarkable service to the Society. Since then it has become the most prestigious event in the Society’s calendar, with a reputation which soon spread throughout the Commonwealth and the history community generally. Often held in the theatre at Randwick Barracks, and more recently in the Mitchell Theatre at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts, it filled the theatres to capacity on Saturday afternoons. Refreshments were frequently provided afterwards, usually under the guidance of Mrs Dorothy Maitland, the wife of General Maitland; sadly, she died only a few months ago. General Maitland, himself a distinguished historian, and a major benefactor of the Society, though more or less homebound, continues to research and write.

In 1991, the Society was incorporated under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act.

Membership numbers had grown steadily, and by the mid 90s were around 150. But by the turn of the century time had begun to take its toll. Wastage became a concern and the Council frequently discussed the looming problem of declining membership and with it revenue, and the increasing cost of publishing Despatch.  

The Crisis of 2007

The implications of issues alarmed some councillors, and in the summer of 2007, under the watchful eye of the third patron Brigadier Phil Carey, a Special General Meeting was convened, which was held on 12 July 2008, and resulted in the replacement of a number of councillors. The publication of Despatch was suspended for the foreseeable future, to be replaced at least for the time being by a newsletter, Reconnaissance. Ms Vashti Farrer became President.

The new Council resumed the program of events.  It was decided to reconsider the resumption of Despatch regularly, with the knowledge that cost of publication had to kept as low as possible, and to seek to increase membership from the then 77 to at least 100.

At the Annual General Meeting in February 2008, a change of name, to The Military History Society of New South Wales, was approved. Dr John Twyford was elected as President, with Ms Farrer as Secretary. The continued suspension of publication of Despatch was approved.   

The Council decided to create a new website on the basis of a suggested design by the treasurer, Mr Paul Waterhouse, under whose guidance the finances were gradually restored. The website was developed in the expert hands of Mr Benjamin Howell, who would later become President. Meanwhile under Dr Twyford’s guidance, the scope of the Society’s interests was expanded to include military history on a worldwide basis, from ancient times to the present. The wisdom of this in appealing to a wider audience was soon appreciated, and the membership, scholarship and interests of the Society were substantially enhanced.

Meanwhile, the Society attracted vice-regal patronage in the person of my predecessor, Professor Dame Marie Bashir. 

Accounts of history should cease a respectable distance before the present, and there ─ about a decade ago ─ shall mine cease, save to record that Dr Twyford, another conspicuous figure in the Society’s history, also sadly passed away late last year. 

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