Neville Howse Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse ( 26 October 1863 – 19 September 1930 ) was a British - born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest decoration for gallantry " in the face of the enemy " that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces . He was the first soldier in the Australian services to be awarded the VC . He later served in the Australian Federal Government , and also as Minister of Defence and several other portfolios . Early life . Born in Stogursey , Somerset , England , Howse was educated at Freelands School , Taunton . He then studied medicine at London Hospital , before migrating to New South Wales largely for health reasons , and established his first practice in Newcastle , and then another in Taree . After undertaking postgraduate work in England , Howse returned to Australia in 1899 and settled in Orange . Military service . Howse served in the Second Boer War with the Second Contingent of the New South Wales Army Medical Corps , Australian Forces , arriving at East London , Eastern Cape , in February 1900 as a lieutenant . On 24 July 1900 , during the action at Vredefort , South Africa , Howse saw a trumpeter fall , and went through very heavy cross - fire to rescue the man . His horse was soon shot from under him , but he continued on foot , reached the casualty , dressed his wound , and then carried him to safety . For this action , Howse was awarded the Victoria Cross . The award was gazetted on 4 June 1901 and the original citation reads : Howse was subsequently promoted to captain on 15 October 1900 . He thus became the first recipient of the Victoria Cross serving in the Australian armed forces ; his medal is on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra . The Second Contingent left South Africa via Cape Town on 13 December 1900 on the S . S . " Orient " , however Howse had been invalided to Britain on 28 November 1900 . Howse subsequently returned to Australia at the end of February 1901 . Following the gazetting of his VC , Howse was presented with the medal in a ceremony at Victoria Barracks , Sydney on 4 December 1901 . Also at the ceremony were Captain A . Heathcote and Sergeant J . Paton , prior recipients of the VC for actions during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , who had subsequently migrated to New South Wales . Howse returned to South Africa as a major with the Australian Army Medical Corps ( AAMC ) in command of the Bearer Company , arriving at Durban in Natal on 17 March 1902 . Following service in Natal , Orange River Colony and Western Transvaal ( attached to Colonel A . W . Thornycroft ' s Mounted Infantry Column ) , at the conclusion of the war he became seriously ill . He was again invalided to Britain on 6 July 1902 , with the remainder of the AAMC contingent departing for Australia on 8 July 1902 . Howse eventually returned to Australia in November 1902 . In 1905 Howse married Evelyn Pilcher in Bathurst , and was twice elected to serve as mayor of the City of Orange . When the First World War began , Howse was appointed principal medical officer to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force to German New Guinea , with the rank of lieutenant - colonel . Following his time in New Guinea , he was appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services 1st Australian Division . At the Battle of Gallipoli he took charge of evacuating wounded men from the beach in the campaign ’ s opening days . ( In 1917 at the Dardanelles commission , he described the arrangements for dealing with wounded men at Gallipoli as inadequate to the point of ' criminal negligence ' . ) He was Mentioned in Despatches for his service in this campaign . In September 1915 he was given command of ANZAC medical services and in November became director of the AIF ’ s medical services , with the rank of surgeon - general . When the First Australian Imperial Force moved to France , Howse took up a position in London , overseeing medical services in France , Egypt and Palestine . At the beginning of 1917 he was promoted to major general . Howse was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) in the 1915 King ' s Birthday Honours , was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) on 22 January 1917 , and appointed Knight of Grace of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George ( KCMG ) in 1919 . From 1921 to 1925 he was Director - General of Medical Services . Later life . He resigned from the army and won the federal seat of Calare for the Nationalist Party at the December 1922 election . He held several ministerial portfolios , including Defence , Health , and Home and Territories , but he was defeated at the October 1929 election . In February 1930 , Howse travelled to England for medical treatment for cancer , but died on 19 September 1930 , and is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery , London . His son , John Howse , was member for Calare from 1946 to 1960 . A statue by Peter Dornan depicting Howse ' s act of bravery is on display at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons , Melbourne . A postage stamp commemorating Howse was issued by Australia Post in 2000 . A one dollar coin designed by Wojciech Pietranik commemorating the centenary of Howse ' s feat of arms was issued by the Royal Australian Mint in 2000 .