Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

JOHN FERDINAND STURKEN was born on 29th September, 1894, at North Fitzroy, Victoria, son of Mr. Henry and Mrs. Annie Sturken, and received his education at Highgate, Perth, Western Australia. He entered the service of the Bank at Melbourne on 21st February, 1911.

John Ferdinand Sturken enlisted in the A.I.F. as a private on 8th March, 1915, and before embarking with the troops for Egypt was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was on the staff in Egypt as a member of the 1st Army Pay Corps.

Source - Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

Death Of Leading
Berwick Townsman
ONE OF BERWICK’S best known businessmen, Mr. John Ferdinand Sturken, of “Gowrie,” Berwick, passed away suddenly in the Mercy Hospital on  January 30, after a brief illness of only five days’ duration. A returned soldier from the 1914-18 war, he was only 48, and last year re-entered  military service to do his bit at no little personal sacrifice to himself.
A native of Fitzroy, he was the son of the late Henry Amadis and Annie Sturken. Before he enlisted for the last war he was employed at the  Melbourne head office of the Bank of New South Wales and on his return he resumed his association with the bank. Later, however, he decided to  strike out for himself and in 1920 he became an auctioneer and estate agent at Berwick, where he has resided with his family ever since. His wife  was a daughter of the late Mr. William Wilson, formerly well known as the owner of the Berwick Quarries. She survives him and there is one  daughter, Joan Elizabeth (“Betty”). Both have the heartfelt sympathy of numerous friends throughout the district in the sorrow that is theirs today. Their grief is shared by one sister (Mrs. Keetley, of Dandenong), and one brother, Norman (of Kew). The late Mr. Sturken proved a successful and  enterprising business man. When he resigned from the bank, he launched the firm of John F. Sturken and Co., Commission Agents, and at the  same time established the “Berwick County Times.” He took out an auctioneer’s licence and conducted sales at Cranbourne, Old Pakenham and in  the surrounding districts. He was a Fellow of the R.E. Institute of Australia and a commissioner for taking affidavits. For some years he has been  the Deputy Returning Officw at both Federal and State elections. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and interested himself in many local and  district bodies, chief among them being the Berwick Agricultural Society. When that old-established body ran its record combined patriotic show in conjunction with Dandenong, he was president of the society. Many other movements in the town also claimed his support, and the Berwick  community will miss him greatly.
When he enlisted in the AIF. for the present war, he attained the rank of WOl. and was associated with the Ist. Australian Ammunition Factory. However, his health began to trouble him and he was admitted to Heidelberg Hospital for treatment. After 3 months there he was discharged unfit  and returned to Berwick.
He was not well for two months prior to his death but continued to move about. It was only days before the end that he entered hospital. 
The funeral, which took place on Monday, was very largely attended. Before the cortege moved off Rev. Ernest Panelli conducted a service at  deceased’s late home, “Gowrie,” Berwick, and he also performed the last sad rites at the graveside. The Returned Soldiers’ service was also read,  and when the coffin was lowered, his comrades of the last war filed past the grave and dropped poppies into it as a silent tribute.
There was a wealth of floral tributes on the hearse and one on the oaken casket from his wife and daughter, The remains were laid to rest in the family grave at the Berwick Cemetery, where the pall-bearers were Messrs. N. E. Beaumont, P. H. Brunt, A. Millar, C. Roberts, J. Grant, H. M. Potts and S. J. Bird. W. J. Garnar and Son carried out the funeral arrangements.