The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Owen, Major-General John Fletcher
Owen, Major-General John Fletcher, R.A., military commandant, Queensland, was born on April 9th, 1839. He entered the Royal Artillery as lieutenant on Oct. 1st, 1857, and became captain on Dec. 1st, 1869. He passed in the advanced class at the Artillery College in 1872, and acted as adjutant from Sept. 25th of that year to Dec. 31st, 1873. He was captain instructor at the Royal Gun Factory at Woolwich from Jan. 1st, 1874, to March 31st, 1877, and was assistant superintendent at the factory from April 1st, 1877, to Dec. 31st, 1878. He became major in the Royal Artillery on Oct. 1st, 1877, and received brevet rank as a lieutenant-colonel in the army on Nov. 29th, 1879, for his services at the battle of Ulundi, in the Zulu campaign, for which he was also mentioned in despatches and received a medal with clasps. He was made colonel in the army on Nov. 29th, 1883, but was placed on half-pay on Oct. 1st, 1884. He became lieut.-colonel Royal Artillery on Oct 1st, 1885, having been appointed on March 26th previously Commandant of the Colonial Forces in South Australia—a position the duties of which he discharged till March 25th, 1888, when he returned to England. On May 13th, 1890, Colonel Owen read a paper before the Royal Colonial Institute on "The Military Defence Forces of the Colonies." In 1891 Colonel Owen was appointed Commandant of the Queensland Defence Forces, with the rank of Major-General, and assumed the duties of the post in August of that year.