Dallas Brooks General Sir Dallas Brooks GCMG , KCB , KCVO , DSO , KStJ ( 22 August 189622 March 1966 ) was a British military commander who went on to become the 19th and longest - serving Governor of Victoria , Australia . Early life . Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks was born on 22 August 1896 at Cambridge , Cambridgeshire , England , United Kingdom , son of Dallas George Brooks and Violet Ruth , née Shepherd . He was an only child . He was educated Dover College and joined the Royal Marines in 1914 . During World War I service he was severely wounded during the Gallipoli landings in 1915 . He took part in the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918 , for which he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order . Cricketing career . Upon returning from war , Brooks made his first - class debut for the Royal Navy against Cambridge University in 1919 as a right - handed batsman who bowled right - arm medium . The same season he made his debut for Hampshire against Surrey in the County Championship . Brooks represented Hampshire eight times in the 1919 , making his maiden first - class century against Gloucestershire with a score of 107 . He represented Hampshire in nine first - class matches between 1919 and 1921 , with his final first - class appearance for the county coming against Middlesex . He scored 244 runs for Hampshire at a batting average of 16 . 26 , with one century and one half century and a high score of 107 . In 1920 Brooks made his second first - class century , this time for the Royal Navy against the Army , which gave him his highest first - class score of 143 . He played as an all - rounder for the Royal Navy , a role he did not fill at Hampshire . In all Brooks represented the Royal Navy in sixteen first - class matches , with his final appearance for them coming against the Royal Air Force in 1929 . In his sixteen matches for the Royal Navy , Brooks scored 690 runs at a batting average of 23 . 00 , with one century and two half centuries and a highest score of 143 . With the ball he took 38 wickets at a bowling average of 27 . 63 , with one five wicket haul which gave him his career best figures of 8 / 90 . Additionally , he represented the Combined Services with four first - class matches . Military career . Brooks graduated from the Royal Navy Staff College in 1934 , and from 1943 served as Director - General ( Military ) of the Political Warfare Executive . In 1946 he was appointed Commandant General Royal Marines in the rank of lieutenant general . He was promoted to general in 1948 , knighted that year , and retired in May 1949 . Governor of Victoria . Brooks was appointed Governor of Victoria by Premier Thomas Hollway and served between 1949 and 1963 . During his term as Governor of Victoria he acted as Administrator of the Commonwealth three times . He served in this capacity for almost seven months after the Governor - General Viscount Dunrossil suddenly died in office in 1961 after serving only one year . Sir Dallas was in effect Acting Governor - General until the appointment of the Viscount De L ' Isle . Brooks served the state for over 13 years , becoming Victoria ' s longest - serving governor . After his term ended in 1963 , he chose to remain in Australia in retirement . He built a house in Frankston and died there three years later . Freemasonry . Dallas Brooks was Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria ( Masonic Lodge or Freemasons ) from 1951 – 1963 . He was Victoria ' s longest serving Masonic Grand Master , and he is the only governor of any Australian state initiated to the craft while serving as governor . Brooks had expressed a desire to become a freemason while in England but he had also stated that he preferred to become initiated in Australia . He met with the Grand Master of Victoria and notified him . He was initiated in the Clarke Lodge No . 98 on 6 February 1950 and was passed and raised within two months . He became Worshipful Master of the Lodge only five months after his initiation and he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Victoria the following year . Legacy . In 1969 the United Grand Lodge of Victoria built a concert hall in East Melbourne . The Hall was renamed in 1993 from the Dallas Brooks Hall to the Dallas Brooks Centre and is still a major events venue in Melbourne . The Melbourne suburb of Dallas was named after Sir Dallas , as well as Dallas Brooks Drive in Kings Domain . The official residence of the Governor of Victoria , Government House , is located on the corner of Birdwood Avenue and Dallas Brooks Drive . He was the grandfather of journalist and television presenter Jennifer Byrne .