THE INAUGURAL PRESIDENT

The first president was a well known Hunter citizen, James Montagu Christian Corlette, universally known as “Monty”. The fifth son of an Australian born Oxford-educated Anglican clergyman, Monty Corlette was educated at Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney where he graduated with honours in Civil Engineering. He rowed in the Grammar crew, played Rugby union for school and university and also represented at rifle shooting. Later, while working in Kalgoorlie he captained the Western Australian Rugby Union side against New South Wales.

After lecturing at university and the Kalgoorlie School of Mines in 1908 Monty Corlette joined the engineering staff of the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board. This was to be his civilian career for the remainder of his working life.

However there was much more to Monty Corlette than just being an engineer. As a citizen soldier at university he had been a sergeant major in the Sydney University Scouts (infantry). He was commissioned into the Goldfields Infantry Regiment of West Australia. In 1908, he transferred to the 4th Australian Infantry Regiment (Newcastle, NSW). Later that year he joined the newly formed Australian Intelligence Corps spending much time and effort to map a large area (1942 km²) around Newcastle. Captain Corlette spent 6 months training in India in 1911-1912 attending the coronation Durbar at Delhi. Transferring to the Australian Engineers he was a major before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force as a captain.

Monty Corlette landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was later promoted becoming CO 1st Field Company. Following enteric fever he served in Egypt before joining 2nd Australian Engineers for the first battle of the Somme. After a spell on the staff he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel to become CRE 2nd Australian Division. Mentioned in dispatched five times he was awarded the DSO in 1917, Croix de Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur in 1919 and appointed CMG thereafter.

After the war he was CRE 2nd Division AMF. As a colonel he commanded 1st Infantry Brigade until 1932 when as a brigadier he administered command of the 1st Australian Division AMF. Monty Corlette’s final duty to his country was full time duty as group commander of the Newcastle area of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

Brigadier Corlette retired after 27 years as the President of USC in 1954 after the purchase of the club buildings. He continued to be a regular member at the club right up until his death in 1969.

For club members “Monty” Corlette lives on in Newcastle and the Hunter. Beside his portrait in the club’s committee room the University of Newcastle has a fountain in his honour within the Engineering School. Corlette Street can be found in Newcastle, while the suburb of Corlette in Port Stevens ensures both his name and memory live on.