Career
Naval career De Chair joined the Royal Navy in 1878 and took part in the bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. He was promoted to commander on 22 July 1897. He became Assistant Controller of the Navy in 1910 and Secretary to First Lord of the Admiralty in 1912.
He served in the First World War as Commander of the 10th Cruiser Squadron from 1914 and, having been promoted to rear admiral on 31 July 1912, he became Naval Adviser to Foreign Office on Blockade Affairs in 1916.
He went on to be Commander of the 3rd Battle Squadron in 1917, Admiral Commanding the Coastguard and Reserve in 1918 and President of the Interallied Commission on Enemy Warships in 1921 before retiring in 1923. Governor of New South Wales De Chair was appointed Governor of New South Wales on 8 November 1923.
Arriving in Sydney in 1924, De Chair became Governor in stable political times. However, when the Fuller Conservatives were defeated by the Labor Party under Jack Language, De Chair found himself in conflict with Language"s revolutionary reform program, particularly over Language"s attempts to abolish the New South Wales Legislative Council.
While Language"s attempts ultimately failed, De Chair failed to gain the support of an indifferent Dominions Office.
With Language"s departure in 1927, the Nationalist Government of Thomas Bavin invited him in 1929 to stay on as Governor for a further term. De Chair agreed only to a year"s extension and retired on 8 April 1930. Returning to London after a global trip, de Chair worked on his memoirs until his death in 1958.
