Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of John James BONNAR and Mary nee CORNELIUS, Roslyn Road, Magill, SA

Military Cross

'For marked gallantry and good work. On the night 7th/8th October, 1918, at Joncourt, when the group received orders which necessitated a hurried move, he connected all brigades and batteries to group headquarters by wire, and remained on the lines all night under heavy shell fire. He also laid and maintained a wire of 4,000 yards in length back to the artillery liaison officer with American Infantry Brigade Headquarters. Again, on the night 9th-10th October, he, with his section, went forward and established and maintained communication between batteries and group headquarters under heavy bombing by aeroplanes.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 30
Date: 25 March 1920

By WW2 Malcolm was a Manufacturing Engineer and founded with his brother Scott Bonnar the company called Scott Bonnar Ltd. (formed in 1926) and began selling electric lawnmowers.  They set up a welding workshop and brass-foundry at 3 Chapel Street, Thebarton, South Australia, manufacturing brassware until at least 1927. By 1924 Scott Bonnar & Co. had a workshop at 22 Mill Street, Adelaide, repairing and regrinding lawn mowers. 

By 1939 their factory was located between Beans Road and Holland Street, Southwark, South Australia.[9] By 1948 they were also making electric hedge trimmers.

In 1950 Scott Bonnar Ltd, lawnmower and brassware manufacturers, was restructured as a public company, whose directors were M. C. Bonnar, M. F. Bonnar, L. W. Harris and A. L. Slade.