Sir John Northcott

Sir John Northcott, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., C.B., was Governor of New South Wales from 1946 to 1957, the first Australian-born person to hold the office. Born at Creswick, Victoria, on 24 March 1890, he had a distinguished military career. He served at Gallipoli and was later Chief of the General Staff during the World War II.

Although his vice-regal term ended in 1957, Sir John visited the Walgett district in 1962 to mark the switching-on of electricity to the Lightning Ridge township, at the Memorial Hall. Schoolchildren came by bus to greet him at the aerodrome, and a celebration followed. During the same tour he opened the Harry Hall building in Walgett.

Northcott was widely regarded for his support of youth, community organisations and charitable institutions.

Sir John Northcott died at Wahroonga, Sydney, on 4 August 1966. He was accorded a state funeral with military honours. He was cremated and is memorialised in the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens, North Ryde.

• Sir John Northcott @ Find a Grave.

• Sir John Northcott @ Wikipedia.

• Sir John Northcott @ Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Article: Research by Russell Gawthorpe and Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 15, 2000; Lightning Ridge Historical Society photographs and oral history.