Fourth Generation  

37. Marjorie Edith BETHEL [33199] (Walter Edmond BETHEL¹⁴, Christina Straith MATHESON³, Thomas¹) was born on 30 Aug 1894 in Parramatta Colony of New South Wales and died on 9 Feb 1981 in Rosemont Hospital Manly Sydney NSW Australia at age 86.

Marjorie married Frank William ALDER [33200] [MRIN: 12277], son of Robert ALDER [33201] and Emily BAKER [33202], on 17 Mar 1913 in St.Barnabas Church Sydney NSW Australia. Frank was born on 13 Feb 1892 in West Norwood Kent England and died on 7 Oct 1965 in Manly Sydney NSW Australia at age 73.

The child from this marriage was:

   49 M    i. Robert James ALDER [33203] was born on 12 Jan 1932 in Sydney NSW Australia and died on 27 Apr 1996 in Manly Sydney NSW Australia at age 64.

Robert married Barbara Gabrial LONGFORD [33204] [MRIN: 12279] on 25 Sep 1954 in Manly Sydney NSW Australia. Barbara was born on 24 Mar 1935 in Fairlight Sydney NSW Australia and died in Jul 2002 in Manly Sydney NSW Australia at age 67.

42. Brig. Hon. Thomas Alfred John Creer PLAYFAIR, DSO, OBE, MLC [18486] (Edmund John Bailey PLAYFAIR¹⁹, Ellen MATHESON⁵, Thomas¹) was born on 13 Oct 1890 in Miller's Point Sydney Colony of New South Wales and died on 9 Aug 1966 in Darlinghurst NSW Australia at age 75.

General Notes: PLAYFAIR, THOMAS ALFRED (CREER) JOHN (1890-1966), meat exporter, soldier and politician, was born on 13 October 1890 at Millers Point, Sydney, eldest son of Edmund John Bailey Playfair (1863-1926), shipping providore, and his South Australian wife Edith Miriam, née Creer.

Thomas, who shed the Creer in his name in favour of John and was always known as Jack, was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore), where he excelled at Rugby and cricket. At 16 he went to the Smithfield Meat Market in London for a year to learn the trade and on his return entered his father's business at Millers Point. In 1910 he enlisted as a gunner in the Australian Field Artillery (New South Wales); he was commissioned in November and in August 1913 promoted lieutenant. In 1912 he competed in jumping events at the International Horse Show at Olympia, London.

In August 1914 Playfair joined the Australian Imperial Force and embarked for Egypt in October. On 25 April 1915 he landed at Gallipoli as right-flank gunnery observing officer for H.M.S. Bacchante and on 30 May at Bolton's Ridge, where he was observing the Turkish battery on Anderson's Knoll, he was seriously wounded by shrapnel and evacuated to hospital. Wounded again in August he returned to Australia and in November was mentioned in dispatches. Promoted captain in April 1916 he was posted to the 26th Battery, Field Artillery Brigade, which left for England next month.

From December he served with his battery in France and Belgium and was twice more mentioned in dispatches. Promoted Major in May 1917, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in June and in March next year was appointed Brigade Major, 4th Divisional Artillery. At St George's, Hanover Square, London, on 29 August 1918 he married Madge Hardy with whom he left for Australia in May 1919; en route he was gazetted O.B.E. After the termination of his A.I.F. appointment, he commanded the 21st Brigade, Australian Field Artillery in 1922-24, transferring to the unattached list (1924) and to the reserve of officers (1929).

After the war Playfair assumed more control of the family business as his father was ailing; he also resumed his interest in politics, having briefly been a member of Waverley Municipal Council in 1914. He became president of the New South Wales Constitutional Association, deputy president and chairman of the National Association of New South Wales (1931-32) and influential with (Sir) Sydney Snow and others in forming the United Australia Party of which he was State president (1932-39). He supported (Sir) Thomas Bavin, condemned disunity in the ranks of 'anti-Socialist forces' and vigorously opposed J. T. Lang. On 8 November 1927 he had been nominated to the Legislative Council, was elected for nine years to the reconstituted council in November 1933 and re-elected in 1942 and 1954 for twelve-year terms.

After 1926 when Playfair ('Mr Jack' to the staff) became Chairman of the Company, the plant was modernized and a smallgoods factory added which enabled the firm during World War II to become one of the largest suppliers of canned sausages and other lines to Australian and American troops. In July 1940 he was appointed to command the 21st Field Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery (militia) and next month was appointed artillery commander of the 2nd Division as temporary colonel. Playfair was the meat exporters' representative for New South Wales on the Australian Meat Board, Chairman of the New South Wales Canning Association and member of the advisory committee to the State's deputy controller of meat; he was seconded from the army in May 1942 with the honorary rank of brigadier to serve on a committee of the Commonwealth Department of Commerce to pack meat for the defence forces.

Playfair remained chairman of Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd until the firm was taken over by the British Tobacco Co. (Australia) Ltd in 1965. He was chairman of the Perpetual Trustee Co., the New South Wales Fresh Food & Ice Co. Ltd, Waters Trading Co. Ltd., and the State advisory board of the National Bank of Australasia, Deputy Chairman of the Australian Gas Light Co. and a director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society (1947-62), Land, Properties and Investments Ltd, and the Wilhelm Wilhelmsen Agency Ltd. While on the board of the A.M.P. Society he was one of the keenest supporters of the Ninety Mile Desert development scheme in South Australia and Victoria.

Quiet, direct, yet humble and approachable, Playfair was an active sportsman. He did much to encourage the establishment of equestrian events in Australia; like his father, uncle Alfred Donald (1871-1943) and brother Edmund Strathmore (1894-1965) he was closely associated with Sydney's Royal Easter Show and like them was a councillor (vice-president 1950) of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales. He was Chairman of Shore School Council in 1945-57. A keen golfer, in 1928 he led the formation of the Elanora Country Club at Narrabeen (president 1928-65) and was a committee-member of the Royal Sydney Golf Club. He was a member of the Australian and Imperial Service clubs.

Playfair died on 9 August 1966 in St Luke's Hospital, Darlinghurst, survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter and was cremated with Anglican rites after a service at the Garrison Church. Probate of his estate was sworn at $77,791.

Thomas married Madge HARDY [18487] [MRIN: 7415] on 28 Aug 1918 in St George's Hanover Square London England.

Children from this marriage were:

   50 M    i. Peter Hardy PLAYFAIR [18488] was born on 3 Apr 1920.

   51 M    ii. Edmund John Hardy PLAYFAIR [18489] was born on 9 Nov 1926.

   52 M    iii. David Hardy PLAYFAIR [18478] was born on 28 May 1928.

David married Morna WHITE [18474] [MRIN: 7411], daughter of Alfred Henry Ebsworth WHITE [18470] and Judy Lorna COOMBE [18472], on 20 Sep 1952 in Belltrees NSW Australia. Morna was born in 1930.

45. Lyon Jack Beresford PLAYFAIR [18495] (Edmund John Bailey PLAYFAIR¹⁹, Ellen MATHESON⁵, Thomas¹) was born in 1904 in Waverley Sydney NSW Australia and died in 1979 at age 75. Another name for Lyon was Lionel Jack Beresford PLAYFAIR.

Lyon married Alice NORTON [18498] [MRIN: 7419] in 1927 in Woollahra Sydney NSW Australia.

Children from this marriage were:

   53 M    i. PLAYFAIR [18499]

   54 M    ii. William Norton PLAYFAIR [18500] .

48. Thomas George PLAYFAIR [18516] (Alfred Donald PLAYFAIR²³, Georgina Hope MATHESON⁸, Thomas¹).

Thomas married Gayna Gwenth Clifton JONES [18518] [MRIN: 7425] in 1938.

The child from this marriage was:

+ 55 M    i. Justin PLAYFAIR [18519] .