John Overall

Sir John Wallace Overall, (15 July 1913 – 2 September 2001) was an Australian Second World War veteran and architect. As inaugural Commissioner of the National Capital Development Commission from 1957 to 1972, he made a significant contribution to the development of Canberra. Early life Overall was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 15 July 1913. He had humble beginnings and grew up with his sisters in a Masonic home in Sydney. Second World War Overall served as an officer in the Second Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War, where he was awarded the Military Cross for "great courage, devotion and initiative" in 1941 for his service during the early Western Desert campaign in North Africa. Overall was awarded a Bar to the decoration for his "outstanding leadership and disregard for danger" on 1 September 1942 during the First Battle of El Alamein. After serving with the 9th Divisional Engineers, in September 1943 he took over command of Australia's first parachute infantry battalion, the 1st Parachute Battalion, and was in command of that unit when they deployed to Singapore at the end of the war. Architectural career When he returned to Australia following the war, Overall worked as an architect and in 1952 was made the Chief Government Architect in the Commonwealth Department of Works. In 1957 he was appointed Commissioner of the newly established National Capital Development Commission (NCDC). In this role Overall made a significant contribution to the development of Canberra up until 1972 and in this regard is known as the "father of Canberra" for implementing Walter Burley Griffin's vision for the city as the founding Commissioner of the NCDC, a position he held for 25 years. Overall was also an advisor to various State Governments and fought vigorously for the protection of the Rocks area in Sydney which was marked for redevelopment.