Eric Campbell (political activist)

Eric Campbell, DSO, VD (11 April 1893 – 2 September 1970) was an Australian army officer and solicitor who was the leader of the right-wing radical organisation, the New Guard.[1]

Eric Campbell DSO VD
A photograph of Campbell in 1932
Leader of the Centre Party
In office 4 December 1933 – 11 May 1935
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Chief Commander of the New Guard
In office 18 February 1931 – 11 May 1935
Deputy	Sir George Hodges Knox W. R. Cox
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1893-04-11)11 April 1893 Young, New South Wales, Australia
Died	2 September 1970(1970-09-02) (aged 77) Canberra, ACT, Australia
Cause of death	Cancer
Political party	Centre Party
Other political affiliations	New Guard
Spouse(s)	Nancy Emma Browne ( m. 1924⁠–⁠1970)
Occupation	Army Officer Solicitor Politician
Awards	Distinguished Service Order Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Australian Army
Years of service	1914–1932
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	First Australian Imperial Force
Battles/wars	World War I  • Battle of the Somme

Early life

Campbell was born in Young, New South Wales, to Allan Campbell, a solicitor, and his wife Florence Mary Russell. After a private education and a period as article clerk at his father's firm, he joined the Australian Imperial Force as a lieutenant in April 1916. He served in France and on the Somme and was gassed in November 1917.[2]

He returned from World War I on board the SS Anchises in April 1919.[3]

Major Campbell was admitted as a solicitor to practise in NSW in 1919.[4] He married Nancy Browne, of one of the state's most notable grazing families,[5] on 22 October 1924 at Memagong Station, Young.[6] After only a few years' legal practice, he had amassed a fortune of £30,000 and built an impressive circle of influential friends.[5]^:140

Electoral politics

Campbell established the Centre Party in December 1933, in the name of the New Guard, and unsuccessfully contested Lane Cove at the 1935 New South Wales state election, polling 16.7 percent of the vote.[7]

Bibliography

• The New Road (1934)
• The Rallying Point: My Story of the New Guard (1965)

References

1. Amos, Keith (1979). "Campbell, Eric (1893-1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
2. "Personal". The Leader. Orange, NSW: National Library of Australia. 29 May 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
3. "RETURNED SOLDIERS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 19 April 1919. p. 12. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
4. "PERSONAL, Vice Regal". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 August 1919. p. 18. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
5. Moore, Andrew (1989). The Secret Army and the Premier. Kensington, NSW, Australia: New South Wales University Press. p. 140. ISBN 0868402834.
6. "WEDDINGS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 12 November 1924. p. 8. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
7. [Green, Antony. "Lane Cove – 1935 (Roll: 19,409)". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 June 2020.

Further reading

• Campbell, Eric (1965). The Rallying Point: My Story of the New Guard. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
• Darlington, Robert (1983). Eric Campbell & the New Guard. Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press.
• Moore, Andrew (1989). The Secret Army and the Premier. Kensington, NSW, Australia: New South Wales University Press. pp. 137–163. ISBN 0868402834.