April 24, 2026
Sailor, Soldier, Vicar, Farmer tells the extraordinary story of Walter Dexter – merchant mariner, daring soldier, chaplain, and eventually a struggling farmer.
Written by Dr Daniel Reynaud — Emeritus Professor of History at Avondale University and inaugural Visiting Historian at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park — the book draws on a treasure trove of personal letters and photographs preserved by Walter's granddaughter, Jocelyn Dexter, soon to be shared with the nation through the Australian War Memorial.
This week, the book was launched at the Australian War Memorial in the presence of Walter's family – including his great-great-grandchildren – alongside defence chaplains, military and federal police chaplains, representatives from multiple church traditions, and staff from the Memorial itself.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Michael Gladwin, lecturer in history at St Mark's National Theological Centre and one of Australia's leading historians of religion and war. Dr Gladwin situated Walter Dexter within the broader story of Australian chaplaincy, reminding those gathered that chaplains are not peripheral figures – but often central to the human experience of conflict.
