Albert was born in 1872 in Mailee Gully, South Australia. His father, John, had left Elie, Fife during 1839 with his parents and a number of other local families, and sailed for Australia, where they eventually settled in areas north of Adelaide. In the 1850s John was involved with the Victorian gold rush but eventually settled down when he married Jessie Barr and became a farmer. Albert, who was one of eleven children, would eventually follow in his father’s footsteps and farmed land in Warratta before the war. He married Agnes Brougham in 1902 and they had six children together (four girls, two boys.)

Albert was almost 46-years-old when he enlisted in the Army, and joined the Veterinary Section in May 1917. However, his time in the military was short-lived, and he was discharged from service six months later having been assessed medically unfit.

In 1930, he ran in the State general elections as one of 14 candidates representing the Country Party, which had been formed out of the Farmers and Settlers Association in September 1917 to represent the association’s interests in Parliament. On this occasion, Albert’s campaign was not a success however he remained active in local politics for a number of years before leaving the area for Tumby Bay in 1940.

During the Second World War Albert and Agnes were active in supporting the war effort and assisting returning soldiers, and in 1944 he was voted to the chair of the Tumby Bay Farmers Association.

Albert died in Tumby Bay on 13 April 1964. He was a respected member of the community and involved in many aspects of local life.

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