Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Gorton Bibbing was born on 30 March 1898 in Katoomba, NSW, to Charles William Bibbing and Charlotte M. Gorton. His parents were well known in their communities, with his father recognised in local maritime circles and his mother the daughter of George Gorton, who owned Coneac Station(1). They married on 30 March 1898 (2), and their son Charles was born the following year. The family resided at 32 Hereford Street for much of Charles’ childhood, where he attended the nearby Forest Lodge Public School. After completing his primary education in 1912, he attended Sydney Technical High School in Ultimo, where he developed a strong academic interest in engineering, consistently ranking among the top seven of his cohort, as recorded in the 1913–14 General Examination Sheets(3). Following his studies at STHS, he continued to build his knowledge of engineering through an apprenticeship at Mort’s Dock while also studying at Sydney Technical College, where he earned qualifications in Drawing, Calculations, and Fitting and Machining in 1916.

During World War I, many underage individuals, including Charles, altered their ages on enlistment documents such as Attestation Papers(4) in order to enlist and serve in the military. After acquiring his qualifications at Sydney Technical College, Bibbing—aged 16 to 17 at the time—was eager to enlist and did so on 20 January, being officially accepted into the Australian Imperial Force on 19 February(5). He underwent intensive physical and weapons training at the Sydney Showgrounds until 2 August 1917, when he departed for England, where he underwent specialised training upon arrival. This continued until 10 February 1918, after which he was posted to the 4th Field Company Engineers in France for the remainder of the war.

Upon his deployment in France, Bibbing and his company arrived during a period of temporarily reduced hostilities, which allowed time for construction, maintenance, reconnaissance, planning, and reorganisation. However, this period did not last long, as major offensives from German forces, such as the German Spring Offensive of March 1918, soon followed. The 4th Field Company Engineers, part of the 4th Division serving in France from early 1916, primarily carried out defensive and logistical operations, including constructing trenches, bridges, and fortifications. Bibbing’s unit fortified positions with barbed wire and prepared demolitions of bridges and roads to slow enemy advances. Bibbing and his comrades demonstrated cooperation and resourcefulness typical of Australian engineers on the Western Front. His service earned him the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, both awarded to those who served overseas during the conflict.

Following the end of the war, Bibbing returned to Australia on 19 June 1919. His reintegration into civilian life mirrored that of many returning servicemen, as he resumed work as an engineer and remained active in his RSL and local Glebe community(6). Although the specific date is unknown, Bibbing’s family later moved to a Coogee residence sometime between 1919 and 1928.

Charles died of natural causes on 31 December 1979 at the age of 90.

ENDNOTES

1- Sydney Evening News, 2nd of April 1898, accessed on September 7th 2025 using trove.nla.gov.au
2- ancestry.com timeline accessed through Ken Stevenson’s “BIBBING Charles- engineer MORRISON” 
3- Sydney Technical High School 1913-1914 “General Results Sheet” accessed on September 5th via “BIBBING C - Charles Gorton” 
4- Australian War Memorial profile accessed on September 7th via http://awm.gov.au/collection/C1347246 
5- Australian War Memorial profile accessed September 6th via Ken Stevenson’s “BIBBING Charles- engineer MORRISON” 
6- VWMA Charles Gorton Bibbing’s biography accessed on September 3rd, via https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/375857

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109645406?searchTerm=bibbing%2C%20charles%20gorton

2.
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/375857

3.
http://awm.gov.au/collection/C1347246

4.
Ken Stevenson’s “BIBBING Charles- engineer MORRISON”