Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Eldest of three brothers (James {KiA in 1916} and George) who served in WWI, Gunner Stephen Henry Bartlett (Service No:38822) served for seventeen years with Australian Horse Artillery, and his first application for Enlistment for Service in WWI (1915) was not accepted because of his Government contracts for military and naval uniforms. He then went to Sydney, where on 6 December 1917 he enlisted in the AIF as a Private. Gunner Bartlett was attached to Field Artillery Brigade 33 Reinforcement on 19 December 1917 when he embarked with his Unit from Sydney for Suez on board HMAT A38 Ulysses. From Suez the Unit proceeded to Taranto, and then overland via Italy and France for England. Gunner Bartlett embarked from England for Melbourne on 8 November 1918 on board HT Gaika, and was attached to Artillery Details at Discharge on 19 March 1919. 

Steve was born in Brisbane, QLD in 1875, third of ten children of Stephen Bartlett (b1847 in Devon, England) and Hannah Forbes (b1850 in Marlboro, Queens County, Ireland). Stephen was a Carpenter when he immigrated in 1868, arriving in Brisbane on board the Julie Tatham; and Hannah immigrated in 1869, arriving in Brisbane on board the Star Queen. Stephen settled in Morningside where he was a Storekeeper (Sunnyside Store), and he and Hannah married in 1871 in Brisbane. In 1895 Stephen was appointed Chief Carpenter with the QLD Marine Defence Force (Warrant Officer, Service No:192). In the late 1890s, Stephen was appointed Inspector of Government Works with the Harbours and Rivers Department, and he and Hannah settled in Maleny. His job involved travel (for example in 1909 to Thursday Island to complete work on jetties, and Bowen to carry out repairs on jetties). By 1911 Stephen and Hannah had returned to Brisbane, where they settled with their family.

Steve started work as a Carpenter, and in 1897 was a Tailor's Cutter in Brisbane, when he married Isabella (Belle) Mary Moffat (b1872 in Brisbane, QLD). Steve and Belle settled in Brisbane, where they raised their family and Steve established his business - SH Bartlett - 'High Grade Civil, Naval and Military Tailoring Expert, Pyjama and Shirt Maker. Contractor to the State and Commonwealth Governments for Postal, Police, Naval and Military Uniforms. Ladies' Tailoring a Specialty' (NAA). In the early 1920s Steve and Harriet took up Farming at Amiens via Stanthorpe (Pikedale Soldier Settlement) before returning to Brisbane in the late 1920s - Steve worked as a Salesman and Belle as a Shop Assistant.

Steve was involved in his local community - a member of the Brisbane Amateur Athletics Association, founding member of the Old Kianawa Cricket Club, the first Scout Master of the Morningside Company of Boy Scouts, a foundation member of the Bulimba Branch of the Australian Natives' Association, was interested in sailing and yachting, and was a regular exhibitor (and award winner) of ponies in the Brisbane Show. Steve, a pensioner in 1932, was involved in an accident in Morningside - the motor vehicle he was driving collided with a motor cycle, and two people were killed. Steve died in 1933 and Belle in 1955.