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Frederick William Annand (1872–1958)

by John Laverty

This article was published:

Frederick Annand, n.d

Frederick Annand, n.d

State Library of Queensland

Frederick William Gadsby Annand (1872-1958), businessman, soldier and town clerk, was born on 7 May 1872 at Toowoomba, Queensland, son of James Annand, rural worker, and his wife Harriet, née Gadsby. Educated at Toowoomba High School he worked for the Australian Mutual Provident Society and on Burenda station in the Warrego District before establishing an agency business at Toowoomba in 1895. With George A. Leichney he founded an accounting firm in 1899. Licensed under the Local Auditors' Board, he became auditor for local authorities in the area.

Annand left the partnership in 1905 to manage the Brisbane Permanent Building and Banking Co. Ltd (now the Bank of Queensland). Despite reconstruction in 1898 the management was still defective. His tough, realistic, but judicious control progressively overcame legacies of depression and drought, restored financial soundness, and led to profitable expansion.

Annand joined the Queensland Defence Force and became a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Queensland Mounted Infantry, in Toowoomba in 1897. After transferring to Brisbane he joined the Royal Australian Engineers, was promoted captain to command the 5th Field Company, then major on 6 February 1911, commanding the 3rd Field Company and later the 23rd Engineers (Signal Company). Annand left Australia as major commanding the 7th Field Company, R.A.E., Australian Imperial Force, during 1915; promoted lieutenant-colonel in March 1916, he organized and commanded the 2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion. He was mentioned in dispatches four times, wounded in November, received the Distinguished Service Order for an action on 29 December and was awarded a Bar for gallantry at Montbrehain on 5 October 1918. After the war he commanded the 15th Battalion in the Citizen Military Force and, after promotion to colonel on 31 March 1926, the 7th Infantry Brigade, Queensland, until 1930; he retired from the army on 19 May 1932.

In 1919 Annand had resumed management of the Brisbane Permanent Building and Banking Co. After two terms as an alderman of the Hamilton Town Council and one as mayor in 1924, he was appointed town clerk of Greater Brisbane next year. When the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board was dissolved amid charges of mismanagement and patronage, Annand supervised its absorption by an already efficient city administration. He was accustomed to command, and frustration led him to resign as town clerk in 1931 when the Moore government established a municipal executive committee. Fortunately he was able to resume his position at the Building and Banking Co., from which he resigned on 26 September 1936 to 'take more active part in public affairs'. He was immediately elected a director of the company and later acquired several other directorates.

Public-spirited and with strong religious convictions, Annand was president of the Young Men's Christian Association in Brisbane, a life member of the United Services Club, president of the Brisbane Rotary Club, and was keen on bowls and yachting. He was deacon of the City Congregational Church and became deputy grand master of the Masonic Lodge. He died on 22 June 1958 at his Ascot home, survived by his wife Helen Alice, née Robinson, whom he had married on 1 June 1898, and by three sons and two daughters. His estate was valued for probate at £23,857. His son Douglas Shenton (1903-1976) became a distinguished artist.

Annand's brother James Douglas (1875-1952), born at Toowoomba on 21 January 1875, had interests in various Toowoomba retail houses, a grazing property and a real-estate partnership. While in the retail trade he became president of the Toowoomba Traders' Association. He entered the city council in 1921 and served as mayor in 1924-30, 1933-49 and 1952. In 1925-47 he was chairman of the Local Authorities Association of Queensland. He represented Toowoomba in the Legislative Assembly in 1929-32 and East Toowoomba in 1934-35. He died on 7 August 1952 in Brisbane, survived by his wife Isabella Julia, née Walker, whom he had married on 17 March 1904, and by one son and two daughters.

Select Bibliography

  • Queensland and Queenslanders (Brisb, 1936)
  • G. Greenwood and J. Laverty, Brisbane 1859-1959 (Brisb, 1959)
  • R. S. Marriott (ed), 100 Years of Progress (Toowoomba, 1960)
  • Brisbane Courier, 20 May 1925, 23, 26 June 1958
  • History, compiled from bank records (Bank of Queensland, Brisbane)
  • City Council minutes, 1925, 1928, 1931-32 (Town Hall, Brisbane).

Citation details

John Laverty, 'Annand, Frederick William (1872–1958)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/annand-frederick-william-5035/text8385, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 29 March 2024.

This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, (Melbourne University Press), 1979

View the front pages for Volume 7

© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024

Frederick Annand, n.d

Frederick Annand, n.d

State Library of Queensland

Life Summary [details]

Birth

7 May, 1872
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Death

22 June, 1958 (aged 86)
Ascot, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Religious Influence

Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.

Occupation