# Walter Tunbridge

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{{Short description|Australian military officer (1856–1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Walter Tunbridge
|image= StateLibQld 2 93988 Major Walter Howard Tunbridge, March 1900.jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= Major Walter Howard Tunbridge in March 1900
|nickname= 
|birth_date= {{birth date|1856|11|02|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [Dover](/source/Dover), [Kent](/source/Kent), England
|death_date= {{death date and age|1943|10|11|1856|11|02|df=yes}}
|death_place= [Hawthorn, Victoria](/source/Hawthorn%2C_Victoria), Australia
|burial_place= [Box Hill Cemetery](/source/Box_Hill_Cemetery), Melbourne
|allegiance= Queensland<br/>Australia
|branch= [Queensland Defence Force](/source/Queensland_Defence_Force)<br/>[Citizens Military Force](/source/Citizens_Military_Force)
|service_years= 1889–1920
|rank= [Brigadier General](/source/Brigadier_general_(Australia))
|unit= 
|commands= I Anzac Corps Ammunition Park<br/>1st Australian Division Ammunition Park (Mechanical Transport)<br/>3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry
|battles= [Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War)<br/>[First World War](/source/First_World_War)
|awards= [Companion of the Order of the Bath](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath)<br/>[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George)<br/>[Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire)<br/>[Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration](/source/Colonial_Auxiliary_Forces_Officers'_Decoration)<br/>[Mentioned in Despatches](/source/Mentioned_in_Despatches) (6)
|relations= 
|other_work= Architect
}}
[Brigadier General](/source/Brigadier_general_(Australia)) '''Walter Howard Tunbridge''', {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|CB|CMG|CBE|VD}} (2 November 1856 – 11 October 1943) was an Australian soldier and architect.

==Biography==
Tunbridge was born in [Dover](/source/Dover), [Kent](/source/Kent), to bricklayer John Nicholas Tunbridge and Anne, ''née'' Denne. Educated at [Eythorne](/source/Eythorne), he emigrated to Australia in 1884 and established himself as an architect in [Townsville](/source/Townsville%2C_Queensland), where he would eventually establish the civil engineering, architecture and surveying firm Tunbridge & Tunbridge. In February 1889 he was commissioned in the Mounted Infantry of the Queensland Land Forces, and in December was promoted [lieutenant](/source/lieutenant). He and his unit were sent to keep order at the [1891 shearers' strike](/source/1891_Australian_shearers'_strike), and in June 1892 Tunbridge was promoted [captain](/source/Captain_(land)). In November 1898 he was promoted [major](/source/major_(rank)) and transferred to the Queensland Artillery Garrison Battery, serving in [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) from 1900 and commanding the [3rd Mounted Infantry Contingent](/source/Queensland_Citizen_Bushmen). He saw action at [Elands River](/source/Battle_of_Elands_River_(1900)) and [Rhenoster Kop](/source/Rhenoster_Kop). He served with distinction and was [mentioned in despatches](/source/mentioned_in_despatches), appointed [Companion of the Order of the Bath](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath), awarded the [Queen's South Africa Medal](/source/Queen's_South_Africa_Medal) with five clasps and promoted [brevet](/source/brevet_(military)) [lieutenant-colonel](/source/lieutenant-colonel). He returned to Australia in 1902 and served as [aide-de-camp](/source/aide-de-camp) to the [Governor-General](/source/Governor-General_of_Australia).<ref name=adb>{{Cite web|last = Glyn-Daniel| first = Charles| title = Tunbridge, Walter Howard (1856–1943)| work = [Australian Dictionary of Biography](/source/Australian_Dictionary_of_Biography)| publisher = [Australian National University](/source/Australian_National_University)| year = 1990| url = https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tunbridge-walter-howard-8876| access-date = 8 November 2011}}</ref>

On 7 April 1904 Tunbridge married Leila Emily Brown in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), and later extended his firm to include a [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne) branch, where he based himself until 1914. Appointed censor for the 3rd Military District in August 1914, he was swiftly promoted to deputy chief censor and before the month was out returned to the military as a lieutenant-colonel in the [Australian Imperial Force](/source/First_Australian_Imperial_Force). Given command of the 1st Australian Division Ammunition Park (Mechanical Transport), Tunbridge and his units arrived in England in February 1915, where they were incorporated into the British Army as the 300th and 301st Mechanical Transport Companies and sent to France in July. Influential in various reorganisations of the mechanical transport units, Tunbridge was appointed to command the 1 Anzac Corps Ammunition Park on 25 April 1916 and following a reorganisation in January 1917 became senior mechanical operator of the 1 Anzac Corps. During the [Third Battle of Ypres](/source/Third_Battle_of_Ypres) his responsibilities covered the entire AIF contingent in France.<ref name=adb/>

Tunbridge was promoted [colonel](/source/colonel) in June 1918. He had been mentioned in despatches five times during the war, was appointed [Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George) in 1917, a [Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1919 and made brevet colonel of the [Australian Military Forces](/source/Australian_Military_Forces). He was placed on the Retired List with the honorary rank of [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general_(Australia)) on 1 January 1920,<ref>{{cite news|title=Australian Military Forces|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232515937/25020251|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=5 February 1920|access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref> and returned to architecture until his retirement in the 1930s. Tunbridge died in [Hawthorn, Victoria](/source/Hawthorn%2C_Victoria), on 11 October 1943 and was survived by his wife and three children.<ref name=adb/>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunbridge, Walter}}
Category:1856 births
Category:1943 deaths
Category:19th-century Australian architects
Category:20th-century Australian architects
Category:Australian generals
Category:Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War
Category:Australian military personnel of World War I
Category:Burials at Box Hill Cemetery
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:Colony of Queensland people
Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia
Category:Military personnel from Dover, Kent

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walter Tunbridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tunbridge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tunbridge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.