Wilfrid Kent Hughes is a historically notable Australian figure who lived from 1895 to 1970 and held roles as a soldier, politician, and public servant.
- Most recent prominent summaries indicate he served in Parliament (Victoria) across the mid-20th century and also had a distinguished military career, including service in both World Wars and time as a prisoner of war. If you’d like, I can pull exact dates for his terms in office and key military appointments.
- He is associated with the Kent Hughes biography, which covers his wartime experiences, political career, and later civic contributions, including his role in veterans’ affairs and public service. If you want deeper detail, I can summarize that biography or pull specific anecdotes.
Would you like a concise timeline of his life (dates for birth, military service, political offices, and death), or a focused profile on a particular aspect (military career, parliamentary work, or wartime writings)? I can also provide a short list of reliable sources for further reading.
Sources
Sir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes KBE, MVO, MC (12 June 1895 – 31 July 1970) was an Australian soldier, Olympian and Olympic Games organiser, author and federal and state government minister. Kent Hughes was born in Melbourne to an upper middle-class family. He was set to attend the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship when he enlisted in the army on the outbreak of World War I. After his discharge from the army, Kent Hughes attended Oxford and represented Australia in athletics as a...
military-history.fandom.comTitle: Kent Hughes - A Biography of Colonel The Hon. Sir Wilfred Kent Hughes Author: Howard, Frederick Condition: Very Good + Edition: 1st Edition Publication Date: 1972 ISBN: 0959897801 Cover: Hard Cover with Dust Jacket - 255 pages Comments: The biography of Colonel The Hon. Sir Wilfred Kent Hughes.
regimental-books.com.auDescription
www.eoas.infoFormer MemberMember of Victorian Parliament between 1927 and 1949 Born: 12 June 1895 (East Melbourne, Victoria) Died: 31 July 1970 (Kew, Victoria) Nationalist United Australia Party Liberal Party Liberal Country Party
www.parliament.vic.gov.auIn August 1939 he resigned as deputy-leader of the Opposition and was appointed major in the Militia. He was seconded to the A.I.F. in June 1940 and was D.A. & Q.M.G. of the 8th Division in Malaya by April 1941. Colonel Kent Hughes was captured at the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and spent six months at Changi before being transferred to Formosa (Taiwan) and later to Manchuria. … One public duty gave him the greatest satisfaction. As chairman (from 1951) of the organizing committee, he...
adb.anu.edu.auDescription
www.menziescollection.esrc.unimelb.edu.au