Born in 1869 in Hobart, Tasmania, Percy Abbott, a solicitor by profession, served as alderman and mayor of Glen Innes Municipal Council before entering federal politics as the Liberal Member for New England in 1913.
Abbott had a long and distinguished history of military service dating back to 1898 when he joined the 4th NSW Infantry Regiment. Transferring to the Light Horse in 1903, he rose through the officer ranks, becoming commander of the 5th Light Horse in 1913.
Appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March 1915, Abbott was deployed to Egypt in command of the 12th Light Horse, and then to Gallipoli where he commanded the 10th Light Horse. In October 1915, ill with enteric fever, Abbott was evacuated to England. There, regaining his health, he commanded Australian staging camps. In 1917 he served with the 63rd and 30th battalions in France, being mentioned in despatches and appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. Abbott returned to Australia in April 1918 and was subsequently released from the AIF due to ill health. However, he continued to command the 12th Light Horse (later the New England Light Horse) until 1929.
On his return from the war, Abbott returned to the House of Representatives but retired at the 1919 election. After an unsuccessful campaign in 1922, he became a Senator for NSW in 1925.
Following the war, Abbott returned to legal practice and actively supported welfare efforts for returned soldiers in the Glen Innes and Tamworth districts. In 1939-40 he commanded Tamworth’s civil defence.
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