IN AUSTRALIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 1, 2 January 1934, Page 3

IN AUSTRALIA.

Five Knighthoods Appear in List. WOMEN IN MINOR AWARDS. SYDNEY, January 1. The New Year honours list includes the following Australians: —• KNIGHTHOODS. G.C.M.G. John Michael Higgins, formerly chairman of Bawra. K.C.M.G. Vice-Admiral George Francis Hyde, first naval member of the Navy Board. K.B. Gilbert J. C. Dyett, president of the Returned Soldiers' League. Frederick D. McMaster, pastoralist and studmaster, of Dalkeith, New South Wales. Langer Owen, ex-Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. C.M.G. Harry P. Brown, Director-General of the Post Office. ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. C.B.E. Group-Captain William H. Anderson, member of the Commonwealth Air Board. Five women are included in the minor awards, of whom one is Mrs. Daisy Bates, noted for her work among the aborigines in Central Australia. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. Sir John Higgins, who was born at Castlemaine, Victoria, in 1802, arranged the seheme for the purchase of Australian wool by the Imperial Government. He also did outstanding work as the Australian chairman of the BritishAustralian Wool Realisation Association, known as Bawra.

Vice-Admiral Sir George Francis Hyde is the first naval member of the Naval Board, Royal Australian Navy, and is at present en route to Singapore to attend, on behalf of Australia, the naval conference opening there on January 19. Born at Southsea in 1877, he saw service in the war, and was in the Admiralty from 192G to 1929. He then served in Australia as commodore commanding the Royal Australian Navy in 1930-31. He became a member of the Naval Board in 1932.

Sir Gilbert Dyett lias been president of the Returned Soldiers' League for 14 years. He was appointed in 15)19, after lie liad served as secretary for recruiting in Victoria, on his recovery from a severe wound suffered on Gallipoli. He was mainly instrumental in persuading the Hughes Government to grant the gratuity to the soldiers.

Sir Langer Owen, who was born at Sydney in 18C2, was called to the Bar in England in 1888 and in New South Wales in 1889, practising mainly in equity and bankruptcy. He was appointed Iv.C. in 1905, and Judge in Divorce in 1922. His second wife was a daughter of Sir Frederick Chapman, of Wellington, New Zealand.

Sir Frederick MeMastcr is a prominent pastoralist and studmaster. His station is at Dalkeith, New South Wales.