Douglas Burrows

Douglas Squire Irving Burrows CBE (Civil) MBE (Military) (7 August 1915 – 10 December 1982) was an Australian , businessman and philanphropist who from 1970 until his death was President of the Board Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. With Lorimer Dods and John Fulton he co-founded the Children's Medical Research Foundation of which from 1970 he became the Chairman of the Management Committee.

Burrows was born in Sydney, the son of Rita (née Squire) and Harry Irving Burrows. He was educated at Newington College (1932–1934) and rowed in the 1st IV at the GPS Head of the River in 1933 and 1934. In 1934 he was stroke of the crew. Burrows was Captain of 1st Rifle Shooting Team in 1934. Under his captaincy, the team were GPS Premiers that year and won the Earl Roberts Trophy.

Upon finishing school, Burrows gained employment with the chartered accounting firm Priestley & Morris. He stayed with the firm until the beginning of World War II and at war's end rejoined them briefly beforing joining A J Dawson as an Accountant. In 1951, Burrows became a Member of the as a partner of Ernest L Davis & Co. He later served as a director of A J Dawson Ltd, and as Deputy Chairman of Edward Lumley Ltd, Security Life Assurance Ltd and Security & General Insurance Company Ltd.

In 1939, Burrows enlisted in the Australian Army and travelled with the first group of enlisted men on the first boat to leave after the beginning of the war. He served in North Africa, Greece and eventually in New Guinea on the Kokoda Track. As Major Douglas Burrows, he became Deputy Assistant Adjutant General of the Australian 6th Division. In that role he was responsible for co-ordinating the ceremony for the signing of surrender documents by Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi, Commander of the Japanese 18th Army in New Guinea. After signing the unconditional surrender, Adachi presented his sword to the General Officer Commanding, 6th Division, Major General Horace Robertson. Adachi's aide then surrendered his sword to Burrows and this weapon remains with the Burrows family to this day. On 14 February 1946 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Military Division for his war service.

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