1890 Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey born on August 29 in Brisbane. Eldest child of Richard Gardiner Casey and Jane Eveline Casey (known as Evelyn, nee Harris). Richard’s father was 44 years old when he was born and his mother was 24.
1891 The future wife of Casey, Ethel Marion Sumner Ryan, known as Maie, born on March 13, in Melbourne. She was the daughter of Sir Charles Snodgrass Ryan and Alice Elfrida Sumner. Her brother, Rupert Sumner Ryan had been born in 1884.
1893 Casey Family moves to Melbourne, where his father worked as a Company Director.
1893 Sister, Eileen Ruth Evelyn Casey is born on August 21. She died December 13, 1894.
1897 Brother, Dermot Armstrong Casey is born on August 27. He died in 1977. He was married to Gwynnedd Mary Browne. Her mother, Mary Chirnside, was the sister of Andrew Chirnside who was married to Winifred Sumner. Winifred was the aunt of Lady Casey and left Edrington to Maie and her brother Rupert Ryan.
1895-1908 Schooling at Cumloden until 1905, then his final years at Melbourne Grammar.
1909 Started Engineering Degree at Melbourne University, then moved onto Cambridge University.
1913 Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Cambridge and a Master of Arts in 1918.
1914 Appointed Lieutenant in the A.I.F on September 14 and left Melbourne on October 21 for Egypt. Later served at Gallipoli and the Western Front and worked in intelligence gathering.
1917 Awarded Military Cross in January and Distinguished Service order in 1918. Promoted to rank of Major.
1919 Demobilized on June 10. Casey’s father died in April, leaving an Estate of £100,000.
1919-1924 Worked in various Companies.
1924 Joined the Commonwealth Public Service and went to London as Australia’s Liaison Officer, effectively a political agent for Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce.
1926 Married Maie on June 24, in London.
1928 Daughter Jane Alice Camilla born in England on October 7. She died August 26, 2015.
There was a gushy report in the Australian Women's Weekly of April 3, 1937, with the headline - Have you seen our Mr Casey? In London they think he's simply divine! He was described as tall, well built and graceful.
Australian Women's Weekly April 3, 1937
1931 November. Son Richard Charles Donn (known as Donn) born. The Casey’s are described (by W.J. Hudson) as taking ‘no pleasure in small children’ and ‘they were largely left to the mercies of a nanny’. Donn never married and died in January 2009.
1934 Maie Casey and her brother, Colonel Rupert Ryan, inherit Edrington at Berwick from their aunt, Winifred Chirnside (nee Sumner)
1935 Became Treasurer, under Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
1938 Casey Airfield established at Berwick by Colonel Ryan. Casey had purchased a Perceval Gull monoplane and commuted to Canberra in the plane.
1939 Became Minister for Supply and Development. Lyons died in 1939 and Casey stood for the United Australia Party leadership (later the Liberal Party), but was defeated by Robert Menzies.
1939 Appointed Privy Counsellor.
A report in the Australian Women's Weekly about Lord Casey's Washington appointment.
Australian Women's Weekly March 9, 1940
1940 Resigned from Parliament and appointed as the first Australian Diplomat to the United States by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. ‘As in London, he proved to have an extraordinary flair for diplomacy’ and ‘he was a keen convert to the American craft of diplomacy’ Quotes from W.J. Hudson.
1942 Accepted the post of United Kingdom Minister of the State in the Middle East (offered to him by Sir Winston Churchill)
Lord Casey relaxes at Edrington, on the skin of a tiger he shot whilst Governor of Bengal*
Australian Women's Weekly, February 10 1960.
1944 Became Governor of Bengal, India.
1944 Appointed C.H (Companion of Honour). The order consists of the Sovereign and 65 ordinary members. The Order's badge is a gold oval-shaped medallion with a representation of an oak tree. Hanging from a branch is a shield of the Royal Arms, and on the right of it is a representation of a knight in armour mounted on a horse. The badge, surmounted by an imperial crown, has a blue-enamelled border bearing the motto of the Order, 'In action faithful and in honour clear'.
1946 Back to Australia.
1947 Federal president of the Liberal party.
1949 December - elected to the Federal seat of La Trobe and became Minister for Supply and Development for Works and Housing.
1951 Minister for External Affairs (also responsible for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service). Casey preached the importance of Asia and was a frequent visitor to Asia.
1952 Maie’s brother, Rupert, died. He had married in 1924, divorced in 1935 and had one son Patrick (died 1989). When he returned from England after his divorce he and his son lived at Edrington, as did the Caseys when they were in Melbourne.
1955 Daughter Jane married Murray Wynne Macgowan on March 12 at Christ Church in Berwick. The reception was held at Edrington.
Jane Casey's wedding to Murray Macgowan at Christ Church, Berwick, was featured in the Australian Women's Weekly of March 23, 1955. The gown was described being fashioned from an Indian sari of fine cream silk, narrowly bordered in gold. (AWW February 23, 1955)
1955 Grand-daughter Anna Macgowan born in December.
1959 Played a lead role in negotiating the Antarctica Treaty covering co-operation in exploration and scientific research.
1959 Grand-daughter Tempe Macgowan born.
1960 Made a Life Peer in January and resigned from Parliament to sit in the House of Lords.
1960-1965 On the C.S.I.R.O executive.
1965 September- Appointed Governor General of Australia. Retired in April 1969.
The Australian Women's Weekly reported on the swearing-in of Lord Casey as Governor General in their October 6, 1965 issue. - Attended by members of the Household Staff, Lord Casey took the General Salute on the steps of Parliament House immediately his arrival for the swearing-in ceremony in the Senate Chamber. Directly behind him are Lady Casey, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies,and Dame Pattie Menzies. Crowds waited outside the House from early morning to watch the arrival of guests, who came from all over Australia
Australian Women's Weekly October 6, 1965
The Star and Badge of the Order feature the cross of St George, the Order's motto, and a representation of the archangel St Michael holding in his right hand a flaming sword and trampling upon Satan.
1965/66 Grand-son Richard Macgowan born. He was christened on Easter Sunday 1966 according to the Australian Women's Weekly of April 13, 1966.
1968 Named Father of the Year.
1969 Awarded K.G - Knight of the Garter. The Order consists of the King and 24 Knights and is a personal gift of the Monarch. The investiture was held June 16.
1969 Lived at Edrington with Lady Casey. They also had a house in East Melbourne.
1970 Named Australian of the Year for 1969.
1976 June 16 - died. He left an Estate of $621, 560 in Victoria and £64, 899 in England. Buried at Macedon.
1983 Lady Casey died January 20 at Edrington. Buried at Macedon.
1994 Newly created City of Casey named for Lord Casey
* Casey Cardinia Links to our Past does not condone tiger shooting, in fact I can't believe anyone ever thought it was a good idea.
