Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Peter Hardie was born on 26 July 1876 in Forfarshire, Scotland. He was the son of Peter and Elizabeth Stewart Hardie. Peter arrived in Australia in 1895, and five years later married Inez Piper on the 28th March 1900 at Balmain.

In due course, Peter and Inez had four children, Archie Robert (b. 19 Jan 1901), Sylvia Margaret Minnie (b. 06 Sep 1903), Maxwell Stanlee Sheridan (b. 03 Mar 1907), and Alice Annie Elizabeth (b. 15 Oct 1910). On enlistment Peter described his calling as "labourer", although he was also described at a later stage (by his sister) as a poetry writer. She apparently had several books of his poetry, although it is not known if these were ever published.

Peter was 5’9” (175 cms) and weighed in at 157lbs (71 kgs), and he was described as having a dark complexion. He enlisted in the A.I.F. on 27 Feb 1915, and embarked for service abroad from Sydney aboard the HMAT Ceramic on 25 Jun 1915.

Peter saw service at Gallipoli as a member of the 18th Battalion's B coy., and he was involved in the attack on Hill 60. Peter was killed on 22 Aug 1915, with one eye-witness account stating that he was shot by machine gun, and that “when he was hit, they shook hands and Peter said goodbye”.

That eye-witness “was himself layed wounded beside him for two days before help arrived – the two men didn't speak after the "good-bye”.

Another witness sated that he saw him killed “about half way between the first and second lines of the Turkish trenches. He was dead at the time, lying face upwards and his rifle lying across his feet.”

Peter Hardie, the Scottish labourer and poet, who wanted to make Australia his home, died two months after leaving for the war. His body was not recovered. He left his widow, Inez, and four young children.