Western Herald (Bourke, NSW : 1887 - 1970), Friday 10 October 1958, page 3


C. E. W. BEAN

Charles Bean, who now lives at Lindfield, was born in 1897 at Bathurst, the son of the headmaster of All Saints' Col-lege. He went to England where he entered Brentwood School and Clifton College. He then went to Hertford College at Oxford University, from which he graduated and ob-tained his Bachelor of Civil Law. He also obtained a Doc-torate of Literature from Mel-bourne University.

After Oxford Dr. Bean taught at several schools, among which was Sydney Grammar School. He was call-ed to the Bar in 1903 and ad-mitted in 1904. He was the Sydney Morning Herald's Lon-don correspondent from 1911 to 1912.

His most important position was as the Australian Official War Correspondent for the First World War, and as such he wielded influence in the Australian Army. He was given the rank of Captain, but re-mained a civilian. His job as War Correspondent was fol-lowed by his appointment as the Editor of the Official His-tory of Australia in the War 1914-18. He did not finish this work until 1942. It is interest-ing to note that Bean was present at the Anzac landing at Gallipoli "The Offical Hist-ory of Australia in the War 1914-18" is a vast work con-taining 20 volumes or so.

Dr. Bean has played an im-portant part in many com-mittees since the First World War and has published many books. In the Second World War he was liaison officer be-tween the Chiefs of Staff and the Press. After the war he has been President of the N. S.W. Institute of Journalists and Chairman of the Promo-tion Appeal Board.

Among Bean's best known books disregarding his official war books, are "The Dread-nought of the Darling," "An-

zac to Amiens," and "Here, My Son," a book on the Great Public Schools of New South Wales and Australia. Those of us who have read "The Dread-ought of the Darling" will realise that Charles Bean has not lived in an ivory tower. He knows the outback. He knows the real Australia and as his A.I .F. histories and other books show, he knows the Australian character. In this he gives inspiration to us

all.

His life, which he reveals through his writing, shows that he has caught more than a glimpse of the greatness of Australia and the heritage that most Australians have.