Granville Ryrie Major General Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG , CB , VD ( 1 July 1865 – 2 October 1937 ) was an Australian soldier and politician who served in the Second Boer War and the First World War . Early life . Ryrie was born in Michelago , New South Wales on 1 July 1865 , into a farming family . His father was Alexander Ryrie , a grazier and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly ( 1880 – 91 ) and of the Legislative Council ( 1892 - 1909 ) , and his mother was Charlotte , née Faunce , both born in New South Wales . Granville was educated at Mittagong and at The King ' s School , Sydney ; he later became a jackaroo , and eventually managed his own property . He was also a good heavyweight boxer . In 1896 he married Mary McFarland , whom Ryrie nicknamed " Mick " . Mary McFarland was the daughter of Sir Alfred McFarland ( 1824 – 1901 ) , a judge in New South Wales . Ryrie volunteered to serve in the Second Boer War , from 1899 to 1902 . He was selected to serve in one of the Bushmen ' s Contingents , groups of light horsemen , because of his skills on horseback and in shooting . During the war he was promoted to the position of honorary Major . Pre - war political career . In April 1906 , Ryrie was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as member for Queanbeyan , where he served until 1910 . He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Australian House of Representatives at the 1910 election , but was elected to the Division of North Sydney at a by - election on 11 March 1911 , following the death of Hon . George Edwards . Military career . At the beginning of the First World War , Ryrie was promoted to Brigadier - General , and was given command of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade , part of the ANZAC Mounted Division . He was in the Suez canal area and then joined the Battle of Gallipoli on 19 May 1915 , where he was wounded twice . He was later moved to Egypt and London for respite , but rejoined the Brigade for the Sinai and Palestine campaign . He was involved in the famous charge of the light horse in the Third Battle of Gaza , in which Australian forces captured the town of Beersheba . In December 1918 he was made commander of the ANZAC Mounted Division , and in April 1919 was put in charge of the Australian Imperial Force . He was promoted Major General in September . Post - war career . After returning to Australia , Ryrie remained the Member for North Sydney . In 1920 , he was made an Assistant Minister for Defence in the ministry of Billy Hughes , assisting Senator George Pearce . At the 1922 election he was elected to the newly created Division of Warringah , where he served until 1927 , when he was appointed the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London . He was also an Australian delegate to the League of Nations . In 1928 and 1929 Ryrie acted as the Australian accredited representative before the League ' s Permanent Mandates Commission for the annual examinations of the Australian administration of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea . Ryrie returned to Australia in 1932 , and died in Sydney on 2 October 1937 , survived by his wife and children . He was buried at Michelago , New South Wales , after a state service at St Andrew ' s Anglican Cathedral . Michelago Station is still in the Ryrie family and is run by David Ryrie , Granville ' s eldest grandson . David and his family still reside in the original homestead . Ryrie Street in North Ryde , Sydney is named in his honour .