The history of the Northern Territory comes to life in the new biography of a ‘truly great Territorian’ Colonel Lionel Rose AM, OBE.

Colonel Lionel Rose: Chief Veterinary Officer of the Northern Territory 1946-1958 is the work of author Patricia Lonsdale.

“Trish has worked for more than 30 years on this book and she has produced a substantial and enduring contribution to the history of the Northern Territory, of Australia’s cattle industry and of veterinary science in the outback,” publisher and Director of Central Queensland University Press, Professor David Myers said.

Colonel Lionel Rose served in two world wars in Europe, Palestine, PNG and Borneo and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with MBE, but he achieved even greater things as the chief veterinary surgeon of the Northern Territory from 1946 – 1958.

Colonel Rose pioneered the live cattle trade from the NT to Asia in the late 1950s. He launched his attack on Bovine Pleuropneumonia in the late 1940s. In January 1952 the Minister for Territories Paul Hasluck went on a tour with Rose of the cattle stations within 300 miles of Alice Springs; it was organised by Colonel Rose. The two men camped out on their own. There were no attendants. From this meeting Rose gradually developed the National Pleuro Eradication Committee (1959-1963) and official eradication was announced in 1973.

Rose pioneered the establishment of a proper research institute near Alice Springs with programs ranging from water analysis to tick-dip analysis to experiments with lucerne growing. He built up the staff of his branch from four people in 1946 to 65 in 1958. He authored over 70 scientific papers and 68 substantial press articles and drew up five new ordinances for the livestock industry. Rose chose enthusiastic, hard-working young men for his stock inspectors and educated them in practical vet science. They often graduated to become cattle station managers.

From 1947 to 1954 Colonel Rose was the most senior public servant in Alice Springs, occupied the Residency and had to entertain VIPs such as Sir Anthony Eden, Sidney and Cynthia Nolan and Lord Bertrand Russell. Rose didn’t like some of the bigwigs. He could never resist playing practical jokes on friends, family and guests, beginning with his early days in Cootamundra when he rode a camel into the annual ball.

The Administrator of the Northern Territory, the Honourable Ted Egan AO, will launch this new CQU Press title on February 24 in Government House, Darwin. Cattlemen are also gathering for a celebration and commemoration of Colonel Lionel Rose in Alice Springs.

The book is available through the CQU Press’ website www.outbackbooks.com for $33.95.