Charles Herbert Locke
Encyclopedia
Charles Herbert Locke OBE
(21 September 1910 - 15 May 1977) was an Australian company director, who served as chairman of Tooheys
and Lend Lease Corporation
, and a charity fundraiser.
, the fifth of seven children, and was educated at Newington College
(1920-1925) and at Wrekin College
in Shropshire
, England
. He worked in insurance before a brief stint as a jackaroo
and then with Prudential Assurance
where he rose to be Sydney
managing agent with power of attorney for the British Equitable Assurance.
. He was transferred to the Australian Imperial Force
in 1940. He was promoted to captain
and served with the 9th Division in the Middle East
. He was mentioned in dispatches after service in Tobruk
and Libya
. In 1945 he took command of Z Special Unit
and became a lieutenant colonel
.
, Locke again worked in the insurance business and was involved in several Australian companies. He served as chairman of Toohey's Ltd, Lend Lease Corporation Ltd, International Computers (Australia) Pty Ltd and Anthony Squires Pty Ltd. He was a board member of the Australia Hotel Co. Ltd, Peko-Wallsend Ltd, Commercial & General Acceptance Ltd, Australian Equity Corporation Ltd, Permanent Trustee Co of New South Wales Ltd and the local board of Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd.
in 1977, victim of myocardial infarction
.
in 1968 in recognition of his services to Cranbrook School
, Frensham
, the National Heart Foundation, the Children's Medical Research Foundation and the Australian Outward Bound
Memorial Foundation.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(21 September 1910 - 15 May 1977) was an Australian company director, who served as chairman of Tooheys
Tooheys
Tooheys is a brewery in the suburb of Lidcombe, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It produces beers under the Tooheys and Hahn trademarks, and is part of the New Zealand Lion Nathan beverages group.-History:...
and Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Group is a global property and infrastructure company headquartered in Sydney, Australia...
, and a charity fundraiser.
Early life
Locke was born at Turramurra, New South WalesTurramurra, New South Wales
Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Turramurra is located north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
, the fifth of seven children, and was educated at Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1920-1925) and at Wrekin College
Wrekin College
Wrekin College is a co-educational independent school located in Wellington, Shropshire, England. It was founded by Sir John Bayley in 1880 and was known as ‘The School in the Garden’ owing to its extensive gardens and playing fields...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He worked in insurance before a brief stint as a jackaroo
Jackaroo (trainee)
A Jackaroo is a young man working on a sheep or cattle station, to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the Nineteenth Century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the twenty-first...
and then with Prudential Assurance
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
where he rose to be Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
managing agent with power of attorney for the British Equitable Assurance.
Army service
In 1938 Locke was commissioned in the MilitiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. He was transferred to the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
in 1940. He was promoted to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
and served with the 9th Division in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. He was mentioned in dispatches after service in Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. In 1945 he took command of Z Special Unit
Z Special Unit
Z Special Unit was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia...
and became a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Business career
Returning from the warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Locke again worked in the insurance business and was involved in several Australian companies. He served as chairman of Toohey's Ltd, Lend Lease Corporation Ltd, International Computers (Australia) Pty Ltd and Anthony Squires Pty Ltd. He was a board member of the Australia Hotel Co. Ltd, Peko-Wallsend Ltd, Commercial & General Acceptance Ltd, Australian Equity Corporation Ltd, Permanent Trustee Co of New South Wales Ltd and the local board of Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd.
Personal
In 1936 Locke married Lesley Alison Vine, with whom he had three children (3 sons and 1 daughter). Lesley died in 1972. Locke married Mark Clare Luya Gregory in 1973. He died in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1977, victim of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Honours
Locke was made an Officer of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1968 in recognition of his services to Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School Sydney
Cranbrook School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay, both eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Frensham
Frensham
Frensham is a village in Surrey, England, beside the A287, south west of Guildford. Neighbouring villages include Millbridge, Shortfield Common, Dockenfield, Spreakley, Batt's Corner and Rushmoor. Frensham lies on the River Wey. Farnham is the nearest main town and it is to the north. The...
, the National Heart Foundation, the Children's Medical Research Foundation and the Australian Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
Memorial Foundation.