Background
Douglas was born on July 30, 1908, at Grahams town, South Africa and brought to Rhodesia by his parents a few months later.
Douglas was born on July 30, 1908, at Grahams town, South Africa and brought to Rhodesia by his parents a few months later.
Educated at Plumtree School where he acquired the nickname “Boss”. One of the masters paid his final year’s school fees because the family farm was heavily mortgaged after his father died in 1924.
Straight from school to the farm, he worked all the hours of daylight on the land for years to make the basis of his fortune, in 20 years he built up his farm from 2,000 to 33,000 acres with almost 60 head of cattle. He pioneered a balanced pattern of tobacco, maize, and beef production which came to characterise large-scale farming in Rhodesia. Lilfordia Farm, 14 miles from Salisbury, employs 600 Africans.
He turned in earnest to politics in 1962 when Rhodesia, which he regards as “the jewel of Africa”, seemed to be slipping out of white control under the “soft policies” of Sir Edgar Whitehead’s premiership. Ian Smith sought his help to launch the Rhodesian Front as a right-wing party to keep Rhodesia in “civilised hands”. His money and influence played a great part in the Rhodesian Front election victory which made Winston Field Prime Minister on December 17, 1962.
Recalling his early struggles Lilford said: “It took time, hard work and lots of money before we got the Rhodesian Front. They used to look at us as if we came out of bad cheese. The called us everything—cowboys, Nazis, the lot.” Just over a year later Lilford thought Field was becoming “too weak”. He helped to organise the right-wing revolt which brought lan Smith to power as Prime Minister on April 13, 1964. His backing for UDI was crucial as was his opposition to the British proposals for an independence settlement first at the talks aboard HMS Tiger in December 1966 and aboard HMS Fearless in October 1968.
Although a man who shuns political limelight, Lilford has the reputation of a kingmaker because of the immense influence he wields in the background. A typical self-made man who worked for everything he has earned, he is unapologetically a white supremacist with the family motto “Preserve what you have.” An awesome, austere figure, Lilford is not an easy man to cross, despite his gentle manners.
