Donald Cleland

Brigadier Sir Donald Mackinnon Cleland, CBE (28 June 1901 – 27 August 1975) was an Australian soldier and administrator.

Born on 28 June 1901 at Coolgardie, Western Australia, eldest son of Adelaide-born Elphinstone Davenport Cleland, mine-manager, and his second wife Anne Emily, née Mackinnon, from Scotland. On 18 December 1928 he married Rachel Evans at St George's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia. Energetic, with broad interests and deft social skills, Rachel complemented his dour, sometimes gruff, manner, and eased contact with diverse people. She was appointed DBE in 1981.

Cleland stood for the Legislative Assembly seat of Claremont at the 1933 and 1936 state elections, on both occasions with the endorsement of the Nationalist Party. His chief opponent on both occasions was Charles North, the sitting Nationalist member since 1924 and a future Speaker. The margin between Cleland and North was 378 votes in 1933 and 79 votes in 1936 – Cleland polled 49.05% of the vote on the latter occasion.

For his work as deputy assistant quartermaster general, I Corps, during the campaigns in Libya, Greece and Syria in 1941, he was appointed MBE (1942) and mentioned in despatches. In October 1942 he was promoted temporary brigadier. Again mentioned in despatches, Cleland was elevated to CBE in 1945.

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