Sir John Northcott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 30th Governor of New South Wales | |
| In office 1 August 1946 – 3 July 1957 | |
| Monarchs | George VI (1946–52) Elizabeth II (1952–57) |
| Premier | William McKell (1946–47) James McGirr (1947–52) Joseph Cahill (1952–59) |
| Lieutenant | Sir Frederick Jordan Sir Kenneth Street |
| Preceded by | The Lord Wakehurst |
| Succeeded by | Sir Eric Woodward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 March 1890 Creswick, Victoria |
| Died | 4 August 1966 (aged 76) Wahroonga, New South Wales |
| Resting place | Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse | Winifred Mary |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1908–1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | British Commonwealth Occupation Force (1946) Chief of the General Staff (1940, 1942–45) II Corps (1942) 1st Armoured Division (1941–42) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath Knight of Justice of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem |
Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB, KStJ (24 March 1890 – 4 August 1966) was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during the Second World War, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan. He was the first Australian-born Governor of New South Wales.
Northcott joined the Australian Army as a reservist in 1908, before becoming a regular officer in 1912. On duty in Tasmania when the Great War broke out in 1914, he joined the 12th Infantry Battalion, a unit from that state. He was wounded in the landing at Gallipoli on Anzac Day and invalided to Egypt, the United Kingdom, and ultimately Australia, taking no further part in the fighting. After the war, Northcott served on a series of staff posts. He attended the Staff College, Camberley and Imperial Defence College and also spent time overseas as an exchange officer with the British Army and as a military attaché in the United States and Canada.
During World War II, Northcott was attached to the British 7th Armoured Division in the Middle East to study armoured warfare, returning to Australia in December 1941 to organise the new 1st Armoured Division. In March 1942, he assumed command II Corps. In September 1942, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff. As General Sir Thomas Blamey's principal non-operational subordinate, he was responsible for administering and training the wartime army. After the war, he served as commander of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the post-war Occupation of Japan. He retired from the Army in 1946 to become the Governor of New South Wales.