Keith Heritage MC (1882 – 26 July 1916) was an Australian national champion and representative rower and a 1st AIF officer who fell on the Western Front in WWI.

Keith Heritage's English grandfather James stole a book in Somerset and later, a silver plate worth five pounds.

[1] In 1909 Keith Heritage rowed in the seven seat of the Tasmanian crew which won the men's eight event at the annual Australian Interstate Regatta.

[6] He was a member of the Australian men's eight which racing as a Sydney Rowing Club entrant, won the Grand Challenge Cup on the River Thames at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Heritage was then controversially replaced by Hugh Ward, a UK resident Australian medical student who had raced for New College, Oxford against the Sydney eight at Henley that year.

At the time of joining the army one week after Britain's declaration of war, Heritage was aged 32, a bachelor living in Sydney where he worked for the Union Steam Ship Company as a Traffic Manager.

[1] "He carried back a wounded man single-handed and throughout the raid set a fine example of cool courage," the citation concluded.

[8] It is likely Heritage never knew of the honour as he was killed in action and buried in the field at Pozieres a month before news of his award was made public.

Francis Bede Heritage was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and after the war headed the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

[1] Lieutenant Austin Heritage also received the Military Cross for leading his men in an attack on a heavily defended position and rallying them while wounded and under heavy fire.