He has held a wide variety of positions beginning as a veterinarian then as an academic, moving onto become CEO of the Rottnest Island Authority and later the CEO of the WA Bush Fires Board. Chris then moved into the Oil and Gas industry working in Australia, South East Asia, India and the Middle East servicing oil majors and military clients and subsequently assisting in the establishment of a multi-national oil and gas services company until 2008.
In 2009, Chris was appointed a Federal Senator for WA and after serving in many important roles left the Senate 31 July 2017.
Chris and Linda have three adult children, Their daughter Elizabeth is a lawyer and now lives in Panama where she also serves as Australia’s Consul-General, son Michael operates a wine retail business in Singapore specialising in WA wines, of course, and younger son Justin is a former Rotary Exchange Student to Belgium, and a graduate of Duntroon who served with distinction in the Australian army, which included several overseas postings.
Today, as we look forward to Anzac Day, Chris talked about travelling to the battlefields of World War I with Linda and their two sons, last year.
Here’s a slightly cynical take on the First World War: The Germans were late into colonization so decided to take a short cut and take over other European countries that had colonies. Unfortunately it seems they didn’t study the Napoleonic wars so they too invaded Russia. Not only did this lead to the overthrow of the Czar and the establishment of Communist party rule but the philosophy of communism then began to ‘infect’ the German masses who started wondering if their own Kaiser had reached his use-by date.
Another observation Chris made was about conscription – Australia voted twice against conscription; even the troops overseas voted no in the second referendum. New Zealand had conscription and maybe this was the reason that country was slow to recognise the sacrifices made by their servicemen.
Chris then turned his attention to the events involving the Australian army in France from 21 March 1918 until the knighting of the Australian Army Corps Commander John Monash, in the field, by King George V on 12 August 1918.
The Germans were convinced that they were winning the war, and the Kaiser came to France to visit his troops to celebrate. They had captured Armiens (which effectively meant control of the railways of Northern France and Belgium), and the plan was to then take Paris and move across the channel to England. This started with the capture of Villers-Bretonneux on 24 April.
However all this changed quickly when the Australians took back Villers-Bretonneux from the Germans on 25 April, and essentially took control of our men the next day with the establishment of the Australian Army Corps under Lt General John Monash.
The British High Command scoffed at Monash’s plans to recapture Le Hamel on 4 July, with his colonial forces reinforced by the newly arrived but ill prepared American troops. (This was the first and last time US troops served under the command of a foreign General.) Monash said he could do it in 90 minutes, and was genuinely angry that it took 92! The Battle of Hamel was also the first time that artillery, infantry, tanks and aircraft had been coordinated effectively, with the plan devised by Monash’s 2IC, Lt General Talbot Hobbs from WA.
Armiens was recaptured on 8 August, effectively ending the war.
The French prime minister of the time, Georges Clemenceau, personally went to congratulate Monash and his troops.
Ringed by Australian soldiers, Clemenceau* told them: "When the Australian army came to France, the French people expected a great deal of you.
"We knew that you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the beginning you would astonish the whole continent.
"I shall go back tomorrow and say to my countrymen: 'I have seen the Australians. I have looked into their faces. I know that these men will fight alongside us again until the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and our children'."
*Clemenceau has left behind many memorable quotes including:
- War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military.
- America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization.
- All that I know I learned after I was thirty.
Honorary Member Dr Chris Back was born in 
