HEALY, Matthew
| Service Number: | 16441 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 6th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Glanville, South Australia, 13 June 1873 |
| Home Town: | Port Adelaide, Port Adelaide Enfield, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Adelaide, South Australia, 30 June 1934, aged 61 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: LO, Road: 8S, Site No: 20 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jul 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 16441, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 1916: | Embarked Gunner, 16441, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Berrima, Melbourne | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 16441 |
Help us honour Matthew Healy's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Trevor Pyatt
Matthew Healy
Matthew Healy was born on 13 June 1876 at Glanville, South Australia, the son of Michael Healy and Mary McCue. He grew up in the Port Adelaide district during a period of rapid maritime and industrial development, an environment that shaped the working lives of many South Australian families.
On 7 May 1904, Matthew married Marion Morrison Naismith at Glanville. The marriage united two well-established local families, and the couple went on to raise a large family. Their children included James Harold, John Henry, Joseph Matthew, Stella Jane, Matilda Eileen, Ernest George, Marion Thelma, Robert William, Matthew Michael, Jene Verdun, and Frank Lionel. The family's life was closely tied to the Port Adelaide and western suburban communities.
Military Service – First World War
With the outbreak of the First World War, Matthew enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 6 September 1915. At the time of enlistment, he was 37 years of age, employed as a labourer, and residing at Ship Street, Port Adelaide. He was initially posted as a Gunner with reinforcements to the Field Artillery Brigade.
Matthew embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT A35 Berrima on 4 July 1916. Following training and administrative postings in England, he was transferred into motor transport service, reflecting the increasing importance of mechanised logistics on the Western Front. He later served with the 4th Motor Transport Company.
During his service Matthew experienced both the hardships and discipline typical of wartime life. His records note periods of illness, including pneumonia, and several minor disciplinary offences. In October 1917 he was reported wounded as the result of a gas casualty, one of the defining dangers of the conflict. Gas exposure frequently resulted in prolonged medical treatment and lingering health effects.
Following medical care in France and England, Matthew was eventually invalided to Australia, returning home in November 1918. His service entitled him to the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
Later Life
After the war Matthew resumed civilian life in South Australia. Like many returned servicemen, he carried the physical and emotional legacy of wartime experience while rebuilding family and working life.
Matthew Healy died on 30 June 1934 in Adelaide, aged 57 years. His last recorded residence was Torrensville. He was laid to rest at West Terrace Cemetery. His wife Marion Morrison Healy survived him by several years, passing away in 1938 and being buried at Cheltenham Cemetery.
Sources & Evidence
• South Australian Birth Registration
• South Australian Marriage Registration
• Australian Imperial Force Service Record
• Embarkation Roll
• Medal Entitlement Records
• West Terrace Cemetery Burial Records
Biography by Trevor Pyatt 15/02/2026
Click images to start slideshow.