Charles Rosenthal Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCB , CMG , DSO , VD ( 12 February 1875 – 11 May 1954 ) was an Australian Major General of World War I , and later a politician elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly . Early life . Rosenthal was born in Berrima , New South Wales to a Danish - born school master and Swedish - born mother . He trained as an architect and was elected associate of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in 1895 . He became a draughtsman in the architectural division of the Department of Railways and Public Works in Perth . After becoming bankrupt and ill he returned to the eastern states in 1899 . In 1906 he was made architect for the Anglican Diocese of Grafton and Armidale . He designed St Andrew ' s , Lismore , New South Wales , St Laurence ' s , Barraba , and Holy Trinity , Dulwich Hill , Sydney . Career . Rosenthal joined the Australian Imperial Force in August 1914 and sailed with the first convoy as lieutenant - colonel commanding the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade . In 1892 Rosenthal joined the Geelong Battery of the Victorian Militia Garrison Artillery as a gunner . In 1903 he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Militia Garrison Artillery . He transferred to the Australian Field Artillery in 1908 where he was promoted as major . In 1914 he became commanding officer of the 5th Field Artillery Brigade . Thus before the war he was established as a soldier as well as a professional architect . Rosenthal was at the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 . He was twice wounded at Gallipoli , the second wound causing him to be evacuated to England in August 1915 . He returned to Egypt when the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) was expanding and given command of the artillery of the new 4th Division and was promoted Brigadier General in February 1916 . He was engaged in the heavy fighting on the Somme , at Pozières and Mouquet Farm and at Ypres in Belgium . He was wounded a third time in December 1916 . On 22 May 1918 Rosenthal was appointed to command the 2nd Division and promoted Major General . He took part in the attack at Hamel . He was wounded for a fourth time in 1918 by a sniper when on daylight reconnaissance . He returned to duty in August and was involved in the Battle of Mont St . Quentin . Rosenthal went to England in March 1919 to command all the depots of the A . I . F . during the repatriation of the troops . He returned to Australia in January 1920 . After the war Rosenthal contemplated not returning to the profession of architecture but did so while leading an active public life . From 1921 - 26 and also 1932 - 37 he was commander of the 2nd Division , Australian Military Forces . He served as an alderman of Sydney Municipal Council in 1921 - 24 and was chairman of its works committee . He was also a Nationalist Party of Australia member for Bathurst in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1922 - 25 and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1936 - 37 . He was twice president of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales in 1926 - 30 and was also president of the federal council of the Australian Institutes of Architects in 1925 - 28 . He also served as president of the Australian Museum , Sydney . In 1930 , during the Great Depression in Australia , he was ( again ) declared bankrupt . In 1937 Rosenthal accepted the post of administrator of Norfolk Island which he governed throughout World War II until 1945 . Among other activities he raised a volunteer infantry unit . In popular culture . Rosenthal may have been a part - model for the authoritarian ex - soldiers ' leader Benjamin Cooley in D . H . Lawrence ' s novel , " Kangaroo " ( London , 1923 ) . Rosenthal had been founding secretary in 1921 and later president of The King and Empire Alliance , with which Robert Darroch asserts D . H . Lawrence had been in contact , probably through W . J . R . Scott . It has also been alleged that Rosenthal was involved with the Old Guard , a secret anti - communist militia , set up by the Bruce government .