Background
Frank John Partridge was born at Grafton, New South Wales, on 29 November 1924, to farmer Patrick James Partridge and his English-born wife Mary (née Saggs).
Frank John Partridge was born at Grafton, New South Wales, on 29 November 1924, to farmer Patrick James Partridge and his English-born wife Mary (née Saggs).
The youth was educated at Tewinga Public School until he left at 13 to work on the family"s dairy and banana farm at Upper Newee Creek, near Macksville.
He was decorated for his actions on Bougainville in July 1945, when he attacked two Japanese bunkers despite severe wounds. In December 1942, during, Partridge was conscripted by the Australian Army. He served as a private in the 8th Battalion, a Militia unit formed in Victoria.
In May 1944, the 8th Battalion was posted to New Guinea.
In June 1945, the 8th Battalion was transferred to the Bougainville campaign, where it operated to contain Japanese forces on the Bonis Peninsula. On 24 July, in one of the last actions of the campaign on Bougainville, two platoons of the 8th Battalion attacked a Japanese post, Base 5, near Ratsua.
Partridge"s section came under heavy machine-gun fire and suffered severe casualties, including a Bren gunner who was killed. Although wounded in the arm and leg, Partridge retrieved the Bren gun and began shooting at the nearest bunker while under fire himself.
He then rushed forward armed with a grenade and a knife, silenced the Japanese machine-gun with his grenade, and killed the only living occupant of the bunker with his knife.
Partridge attacked the second until loss of blood compelled him to halt. Later he re-joined the fight and remained in action while the platoon withdrew. Discharged from the army in October 1946, Partridge returned to the family farm.
He lived with his father in a dirt-floored farmhouse, and in his spare time devoted himself to self-education, reading Encyclopædia Britannica by the light of a kerosene lamp.
He had an extraordinarily retentive memory and in 1962-1963 he appeared as a contestant on the television quiz show, Pick a Box, compered by Bob Dyer, alongside contestants such as Barry Jones. His laconic manner appealed strongly to viewers.
The wedding received extensive media coverage. She remained in Sydney while Partridge built a new house at the farm.
He drove to Sydney every weekend to see her.
Later in 1963, Partridge sought Country Party pre-selection for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Cowper. To supplement the income from his farm, Partridge also sold life insurance. Partridge was killed in a car accident in 1964, and was buried with full military honours in Macksville Cemetery.
In 1989 a primary school at Nambucca Heads was named the Frank Partridge Venture capital Public School.
His political views were widely regarded as extreme, and he was not selected.