Sir Walter McNicoll who has been Administrator of the New Guinea Mandated Territory since 1934, was born on May 27, 1887 in South Melbourne. He was educated at the Training College, Melbourne, and is a B.A. of Melbourne University. From 1905 until 1911 he was senior master of Melbourne High School, and headmaster of Geelong School from 1911 until 1914.
During the Great War he served witü the Australian Imperial Forces from 1914 until 1919. He was Commanding Officer of the 6th Battalion at Gallipoli—including the landing—and received the D.S.O. in 1915. In 1915 he was G.O.C. of the 10th Infantry Brigade in France, and it is interesting to note that Mr. V. G. Bowden, whose guest Sir Walter was yesterday, served in the same Brigade. He was mentioned in despatches in 1917 and was honoured with the C.M.G. the same year. He was made a C.B. in 1917 and received the Belgian Croix de Guerre on the following year.
From 1921 until 1931 he was Principal President of the Ladies' College, Melbourne, and in 1927 he was appointed A.D.C. to the Governor-General.
He received the Volunteer Officers Decoration in 1927 and was a Member of the House of Representatives for Werriwa from 1931 until 1934. From 1922-32 he was Hon.
Conductor Goulburn Liedertafel, and in 1937-was made a K.B.E. for organizing relief work in connection with the volcanic eruption at Rabaul in May of that year.
In 1905 Sir Walter married Miss Hilda Marschalck Wedd-Jarlsberg. and he has four sons. His official residence is at Government House, Rabaul.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.