Page 2464 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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Sir John was the son of the suburb’s namesake, Edward Crace, who had extensive landholdings in the region from the 1870s. Edward Crace’s journey to Australia in 1869 from the United Kingdom was particularly eventful, as the ship he was travelling on, the Duncan Dunbar, was shipwrecked off the coast of Brazil in 1865. After finally arriving in Australia, he spent time in Sydney and Toowoomba before visiting England.
After once again travelling to Australia, he acquired properties in our region, including Ginninderra, Gungahlin and Charnwood. Edward Crace was a very successful businessman and active in the community, including as president of the Ginninderra Cricket Club. He was to tragically drown in Ginninderra Creek in 1892 when his son, John Crace, was just five years old.
In October 1899, Edward’s widow, Mrs Kate Crace, held a ball and supper at the old Ginninderra store to mark the departure of a very young John Crace to the United Kingdom where he would continue his studies. Prior to this, he had studied at the King’s school in Parramatta. In England, he joined the Royal Navy, training on the HMS Britannia. During World War I, he served as a torpedo officer on HMAS Australia and in other roles. Between the wars, he held a number of positions, including as captain of HMS Valhalla and director of the tactical division at the Admiralty. In 1939, he was promoted to rear admiral and appointed commander of the Australian squadron.
Crace became commander of the allied naval squadron, Anzac Force, early in 1942 and, a few months later, played a significant role at the Battle of the Coral Sea. The squadron under his command was charged with stopping Japanese troopships travelling towards Port Moresby. Despite coming under heavy attack, they were successful. The events of those days in May would play a very important role in the course of World War II. Later in 1942, he was promoted to vice admiral and retired a few years later. In 1947 he was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Sir John died in the United Kingdom in 1968. Over 300 people were at the unveiling of the memorial, including many members of the extended Crace family. Amongst the attendees was the son of Sir John, Christopher Crace, and his son who travelled from the United Kingdom to attend the memorial’s dedication.
Christopher Crace spoke of his father and the honour it was to have his contribution remembered in the memorial. Like the memorial itself, the ceremony was graceful and did justice to the legacy of Sir John. Vice Admiral Peter Jones DSC AM RAN presided over the ceremony, which was made possible through the generosity of CIC Australia. I would like to extend my thanks and congratulations to the Chief Executive of CIC Australia, Col Alexander, for making the memorial a reality. I would also like to commend Gordon Johnson and Derek Holyoake for championing the need for a memorial.
We should not forget our heritage. Our region has a proud history of pioneers who have made tremendous sacrifices for the betterment of our community. Whether it be
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