John Hoad

Major General Sir John Charles Hoad (25 January 1856 – 6 October 1911) was an Australian military leader, best known as the Australian Army's second Chief of the General Staff.

Family John Hoad's parents were George Hoad, born in Winchelsea, Sussex, and Catherine Kearney, born County Tipperary. They married in March 1851 at Goulburn, New South Wales. They had four sons and one daughter.

Hoad was a talented athlete, excellent horseman, Australian rules footballer and cricketer. He married Sarah Denniston Sennetts, (née Brown), in Wangaratta on 22 December 1881. They had a daughter, who died as a child, and two sons. The younger son, Oswald Vick Hoad (30 July 1888 – 12 September 1963), enlisted in the Victorian militia in 1907 and transferred to permanent military forces in 1910; as Major Hoad served as Base Commandant in South Australia, retired from the Australian Army in 1946. Along with other Western military attachés, Hoad had two complementary missions: to assist the Japanese, and; to observe the Japanese forces in the field during the Russo-Japanese War. For this service, he received the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, which represents the third highest of eight classes associated with this award. His participation in the war was also recognised with a presentation of the Japanese War Medal.

Upon returning to Australia in January 1905, Hoad was appointed to the newly formed Military Board with the title of Deputy Adjutant General. In September 1906 he was promoted to brigadier general, and again promoted to major general in January 1907. At this time he was serving the Military Board as Inspector General. In 1908 Hoad again visited London, this time to discuss plans for the establishment of an Imperial General Staff at the War Office. He also participated in the British Army's autumn manoeuvres.

Hoad's recommendations about the Imperial General Staff were accepted, and on 1 July 1909, then Secretary for Defence, Sir George Pearce, appointed him as Chief of the General Staff. He met Lord Kitchener in Darwin on 21 December 1909 to discuss Australia's land defences, and joined him for a two-month-long tour of inspection of the whole country. By 1911 he had begun planning for the introduction of Australian universal military training, but with failing health, took sick leave on 1 June 1911.

Hoad was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) upon the occasion of the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911. Sir John died of a heart disorder in Melbourne on 6 October 1911.