Background
He was born at Street Leonards, Sydney, to Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, a magistrate, and Marion, née Lydiard.
He was born at Street Leonards, Sydney, to Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, a magistrate, and Marion, née Lydiard.
Educated at The King"s School, Sydney, he left school at 14 to work as a jackeroo near Gunnedah. He also attempted to become an actor in Sydney and a stockman in Queensland. He joined the New South Wales Police Force and on 1914 enlisted in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, and then transferred to the Australian Imperial Force, and served in New Guinea, Gallipoli, and Sinai.
He returned to World War I in 1917, and took part in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force advance to Damascus.
He was wounded in 1918, and promoted to captain. He returned to Australia in 1920.
He rose quickly through parliament and became Minister for Home Affairs in 1928, but was defeated at the 1929 elections. He was returned as the member for Gwydir in 1931 and remained in parliament until 1937, when he was appointed administrator of the Northern Territory.
Perceived as insensitive, arrogant and authoritarian, he was met with hostility by many Northern Territorians, especially in Darwin, although he had a good relationship with the pastoral industry.
He was instrumental in removing Cecil Cook as chief protector of Aborigines in 1938 and, although he was on good terms with his Aboriginal staff, he was a paternalist who viewed Aborigines mostly as a resource. Abbott was almost killed in the Japanese bombing attack on Darwin in 1942, and was criticised for lack of leadership. The administration was evacuated to The Residency in Alice Springs and returned in 1945, although he was deposed the following year.
In 1950 he published a book, Australia"s Frontier Province, in which he surveyed the Northern Territory"s development.
He retired to Bowral and continued writing. He died on 30 April 1975 at Darlinghurst, and was given a state funeral.
Number longer a member of parliament, Abbott became secretary to the Primary Producers" Advisory Council, and it has been suggested that he was an organiser of the paramilitary Old Guard. He was the last surviving member of Stanley Bruce"s Cabinet.
