Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4994    Session 18 (2.30pm Friday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $20,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $21,000

GROUP OF NINE: Knight Commander of the Royal Victoria Order (KCVO) breast star; also KCVO neck badge; Distinguished Service Order (GVR); Military Cross (GRI); British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 (entitled to two MID emblems, missing); Jubilee Medal 1935; Coronation Medal 1937; Colonial Auxiliary Force Officer's Decoration (GRI). 561 on back of first medal, K561 on back of second medal, third medal unnamed, Major C.W.C.Marr 1st Wireless Sqdn. A.I.F. on back of fourth medal, Major C.W.C.Marr. A.I.F. on fifth and sixth medals, seventh and eighth medals unnamed, Major C.W.C.Marr D.S.O.M.C. Sig.Serv.A.E. on last medal. First, second, fifth and sixth medals impressed, the other named medals engraved. The first two medals loose, the second with damaged neck ribbon, the rest court mounted with original ribbons, very fine - good very fine.

Together with,

1. Matching set of court mounted miniatures, missing MC and with one MID emblem.

2. Timber covered souvenir book marked 'Jerusalem' and titled inside, 'Flowers From The Holy Land, Fleurs De Terre Sainte, Blumen aus dem Heiligen Lande, Atallah Georges Freres, Jerusalem', inside with specimens of various flora.

3. Document appointing Charles William Clanan Marr to be Minister of State of Our Commonwealth of Australia for Home and Territories, signed personally by S.M.Bruce (Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 8th Prime Minister of Australia), dated at Melbourne, 2 April 1927.

4. Blue velvet covered souvenir book of the Opening of Parliament House at Canberra by HRH the Duke of York K.G. 9th May 1927.

5. Document signed by King George V appointing the Honourable Charles William Clanan Marr as Commissioner, Procurator and Plenipotentiary in respect of the Commonwealth of Australia, dated 16 September 1929.

6. Programme for Visit to Australia of His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, 1934, inside with autographs including, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; Derek Schreiber, Chief of Staff to the Duke of Gloucester; and others.

7. Royal Visit 1934 Victorian Railways card no.22, available 'All Royal Tours', issued to Major the Honble C.W.C.Marr, available from 22nd October to 12th November.

8. Various photos including some during the Royal Visit.

9. Silver lined cigarette case with the monogram initials 'CM'.

10. Old Timer penknife in leather holder.

KCVO: LG 2/4/1935, p2230 to Major The Honourable Charles William Clanan Marr, D.S.O., M.C., V.D. (dated 10 December 1934).

DSO: LG 26/8/1918, p9965, posn 1; CAG 4/3/1919, p367, posn 1 - to Maj C.W.C.Marr, 1st ANZ W'less Sig Sqn.

MC: LG 25/8/1917, p8856, posn 1; CAG 7/3/1918, p398, posn 1 - to Capt C.W.C.Marr, 1st ANZ W'less Sig Sqn.

MID: LG 15/8/1917, p8336, posn 3; CAG 24/1/1918, p79, posn 11 - to Capt C.W.E.Marr, Anzac W'less Sqn.

MID: LG 27/8/1918, p9992, posn 3; CAG 12/12/1918, p2349, posn 8 - to Maj C.W.C.Marr, 1st Aust W'less Sig Sqn.

VD: CAG No.47 5/7/1923, p1003.

Charles William Clanan Marr, wireless engineer with Commonwealth Government, age 36, born at Field of Mars (Ryde area), Sydney; qualified with Engineering honours at Sydney Technical College; Enl.01Apr1916 at rank of Captain, previous service School Cadets 7yrs, militia 18yrs, currently CO 18th Sig Trp Aust Engrs; Emb.30May1916 to Colombo and then to Bombay and then Basrah; appt Major and CO 1st Aust & NZ Wireless Sig Sqn 17Sep1916; 14Aug1917 Mention in Despatch of Gen T.S.Maudes; 25Aug1917 awarded Military Cross for distinguished service in the field in Mesopotamia, between Aug 29th 1916 & March 31st 1917; 21Apr1918 leave to Australia on leave; 26Jun1918 awarded DSO for distinguished service with military operations in Mesopotamia 03Jun1918; 15Apr1918 Mention in Despatch by Lt Gen W.R.Marshall for distinguished and gallant service and devotion to duty; RTA and remained in militia commanding the signals of the First Cavalry Division.

After his war service Charles Marr entered politics representing the Nationals, winning the seat of Parkes in December 1919. He was Government Whip (1921-22); Parliamentary Secretary to the Nationalists (1921-25); Honorary Minister in the Bruce-Page government (1925-27); Minister for Home and Territories (1927-28); Honorary Minister from February 1928 until the defeat of government October 1929. At the time of the election he was at the head of the Australian delegation to the League of Nations in Geneva and made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to return for the election campaign, even seeking the assistance of Charles Kingsford Smith to fly back. The sitting member for the seat was appointed to the High Court of Australia, so there was a by-election which Marr won in January 1931. He was Vice-President in 1924-25 and 1929-31 of the National Association of New South Wales and Vice-President of the Australian National Federation in 1928-31.

In the Lyons United Australia Party government, Marr held the portfolios of health, repatriation and territories during the years 1932-34. He served on the committees that organized the visits of the Prince of Wales (1920) and the Duke and Duchess of York (1927), so he was given charge of the Duke of Gloucester's tour in 1934 and in 1935 was appointed K.C.V.O. In the same year he was dropped from the ministry. In 1941-42 he was deputy chairman of the joint committee on broadcasting. He lost his seat in 1943 when a heart ailment restricted his campaigning.

Marr promoted the New Guinea Legislative Council, personally opening it in May 1933. He had substantial land holdings near Madang which were acquired in 1929 by Amalgamated Coffee Plantations (New Guinea) Ltd, a company he founded with (Sir) Walter Carpenter and others. Marr held several company directorships, including Tatua Gold, New Zealand Forest Products Ltd, Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co. Ltd and W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd, and was chairman of Mineral Development Ltd and Gold Development Ltd.

Charles Marr died on 20 October 1960 at Pymble at the age of 80 and was cremated after a state funeral at the Methodist Church, Gordon.

With some research.