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Brigadier Sir Murray William James Bourchier, CMG, DSO, VD (4 April 1881 – 16 December 1937) was an Australian soldier and politician. He was Deputy Premier of Victoria from April 1935 until June 1936.
While on Gallipoli he was appointed temporary captain on 1 July 1915 and adjutant of the 4th Light Horse Regiment on 7 September. He became the acting commander of "A" Squadron on 19 October 1915 and gained his substantive captaincy on 22 November. He was promoted to major on 20 January 1916. The recommendation for promotion noted that "he was always quite cool and collected, and this had a very good effect upon his men". Recommendation - Australian War Memorial He assumed full command of "A" Squadron on 1 February 1916.
Bourchier was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 15 March 1917 and took command of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. On 31 October 1917 he led the 4th and 12th Regiments in the four-mile charge against Turkish positions at the Battle of Beersheba, capturing 15 of the 17 wells intact and taking over 700 prisoners. In a later report he summed up the effect of the attack:
He received the Distinguished Service Order on 4 November 1917: Citation - Australian War Memorial
In September 1918 Bourchier again commanded a joint force of the 4th and 12th Regiments ("Bourchier's Force") in the final advance on Damascus, capturing 12,000 Turks. He was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 3 June 1919 for the following recommendation: Citation - Australian War Memorial
He took temporary command of 4th Light Horse Brigade in November–December 1918 while Brigadier William Grant was in temporary command of the ANZAC Mounted Division. During the war he was mentioned in dispatches three times. The regiment returned to Australia in June 1919.
He was re-elected as a Country Party candidate in 1921 and re-elected (unopposed) several times until his resignation in 1936. He was deputy leader of the Country Party in 1927–1930, leader in 1933–1935 and deputy leader again in 1935–1936. During his political career he served as Minister of Agriculture and Markets in the Allan government and the Chief Secretary, Minister of Labour and Deputy Premier of Victoria in the early years of the Albert Dunstan government.
He resigned from Parliament in August 1936 and was appointed Victorian Agent-General. While in this position he represented Victoria at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He died in London from pernicious anaemia and cancer on 16 December 1937. He was posthumously in January 1938.
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