Dallas Brooks

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General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks KCB KCMG KCVO KStJ DSO was the 19th Governor of Victoria. He was educated in England at Dover College from 1911 to 1914 and he took part in the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918 for which he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order. He was appointed by Premier Thomas Hollway and served between 1949 and 1963. Prior to becoming Governor he was a General in the Australian Defence Force.

From time to time during his term as Governor of Victoria he acted as Administrator of the Commonwealth. He served in this capacity for almost seven months after the Governor-General Viscount Dunrossil suddenly died in office in 1961 after serving only one year. Sir Dallas was in effect Acting Governor-General until the appointment of the Viscount De L'Isle.

In 1969 the Grand United Lodge of Freemasons built a concert hall in East Melbourne and named it the Dallas Brooks Hall, a fine example of the stripped classical style but slated to be demolished.

The Melbourne suburb of Dallas was named after Sir Dallas, as well as Dallas Brooks Drive in Kings Domain. The official residence of the Governor of Victoria, Government House, is located on the corner of Birdwood Avenue and Dallas Brooks Drive.

He was the grandfather of Jennifer Byrne, fomer journalist at The Age, a former reporter on 60 Minutes and now the presenter of the First Tuesday Book Club on ABC TV in Australia.