Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James George Stead (5566)

George James Stead was born in St Peters, New South Wales, Australia on the 7th of June 1901, and was the third of four siblings. (1) He was born to William Charles Stead (1872-1949) and Elizabeth Maria (1871-1941), eight years after their marriage on the 28th of November 1893. (2) Born into a Christian family, George was gifted in engineering, and he had used that gift in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a telegraphist (3) to relay precise and accurate communicationsamongst his fellow soldiers, effectively supporting them throughout the battle.

George Stead lived his childhood with his family in the area around St Peters (4) , where he was accommodated until his enlistment into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). He was educated at multiple schooling facilities, namely, Fort Street Public School, and Kegworth Public School, (5) and was later admitted to Sydney Technical High School
in 1914 upon success in his entrance exam, where he received a qualifying certificate signifying his success in completing grade 10 (6) . Stead spent 2 years in Tech with excellent grades. (7) In his first year; 1E, he achieved a class placement within the top 10, as well as a German prize (8) , awarding him a letter for outstanding performance. (9) His academic excellence along with his strengths in technology/engineering made him a popular boy among his peers. Such qualities also paved the way for his future profession after the war and enabled his entry into the Navy as a telegraphist.

Following the death of his paternal grandparents in 1913 and 1915 10 , Stead enlisted into the RAN as a training recruit at age 16. George Stead, along with 99 other boys (seen in picture) ranking “boy II” (11) , boarded the training ship HMAS Tingira (1916 - 1918) on the 23rd of February 1916, where he had spent 2 years of his life before officially joining the Navy (12) . As the goal of the Tingira was to train strong and reliable troops, naturally,
the day-to-day life on the ship was harsh and taxing. It was a place where “discipline reportedly came on its own” and “everything was done at the double”, explains senior historian Petar Djokovic of the Naval History section, Sea Power Centre (13) . A typical day for George would have begun at 5:30 am when he would “lash and stow” his hammock and start the day by maintaining hygiene; showering first before mopping to clean the ship. Immediately after, recruits were required to initiate rigorous training before finally eating and enjoying recreation before sleeping (14) . As George honed his skills on the Tingira, he was promoted to rank “Boy I” (6th of October 1916) 15 . After two years, Stead officially joined the Navy where he sailed on ships as a telegraphist; the HMAS Australia (5 December 1919), HMAS ANZAC (5 November 1920), and leading telegraphist on the HMAS Platypus, Sydney (28 April 1922) 16 . Being a telegraphist, Stead did not fight on the front lines, and likely due to this, did not sustain any injuries in war. 17 Whilst in the Navy, Stead’s crew received rewards in the form of ‘prize funds’, cash prizes split amongst crew members in case they had sunk or captured enemy ships. (18) Stead
received portions of prize money in grades whilst onboard the HMAS Sydney: ‘Supplementary prize fund’ and ‘Final ship prize fund’. (19)

 After 7 years, on 6th June 1926, Stead resigned from the Navy, returning to Sydney. (21)

Following his resignation, George Stead resumed his studies at Sydney Technical College, where he pursued an electrical fitting career, taking the course: Electrical Fitting Stage IV Grade A. 22 Aside from studying in college, George worked as a shift electrician until 1934. During his time at work, Stead encountered no reported difficulties
except for one case of injustice in his workplace from his employer who failed to pay him adequately. 23 Stead sought legal action, and his employer was fined in breach of section 21 on August 19th, 1928 24 . George received a scholarship to do an Electrical Engineering Diploma at Sydney Technical College, 25 after which he became an electrical fitter in ~1934. Between the years of 1939 and 1948, Stead participated in World War Two with the rank of a ‘petty officer’ in the Navy once more 26 .

Information about Stead’s life after the Second World War is limited, however, it is known that he returned to
Sydney following the conclusion of the war.

ENDNOTES

1 1. Ken Stevenson, K.S, research on Google document STEAD George James.docx.
2 2. Ibid
3 3. Australian War Memorial, STHS WW1 Honor Roll, 2024, Boy Class I George James Stead | NSW
War Memorials Register. [online], https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/boy-class-i-george-
james-stead.
4 4. Virtual War Memorial, James George STEAD, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/806378
5 5. Ken Stevenson, research on Google document 
6 6. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, Stead qualifying certificate document,
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aprSZxIb0DjoQkwxf_IFa4spZnZStYjH.
7 7. Ken Stevenson, Google Document STEAD George James.docx.
8 8. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, THS 1914 Prizes document.
9 9. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, Stead 1914 1E Half-Yearly document,
10 10. Ken Stevenson, Google Document STEAD George James.docx, page. 8.
11 11. Royal Australian Navy (2024). HMAS Tingira, Navy.gov.au, caption for 4 th image:
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/hmas-tingira.
12 12. Virtual War Memorial, James George STEAD.
13 13. Royal Australian Navy (2024). HMAS Tingira, Direct Quotation: caption for 6 th image.
14 14. ibid
15 15. Ken Stevenson, Google Document STEAD George James.docx, page. 1.
16 16. Virtual War Memorial, James George STEAD.
17 17. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, STEAD Navy .01 document.
18 18. Burnett, J. (2006). Prize Money, The Great War (1914-1918) Forum,
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/68154-prize-money/?tab=comments.
19 19. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, STEAD Navy .01 document.
20 20. ibid
21 21. Ken Stevenson, Google Document STEAD George James.docx, page. 1.
22 22. Ibid
23 23. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, STEAD 1929 appeal document.
24 24. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, STEAD 1929 appeal upheld document.
25 25. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive, STEAD 1931 Diploma Scholarship document.

26 26. Ken Stevenson, Google Document STEAD George James.docx, page. 7.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Boy Class I George James Stead | NSW War Memorials Register, Nsw.gov.au,(2024);
https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/boy-class-i-george-james-stead
 George James STEAD, vwma.org.au (n.d.); https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/806378
 HMAS Tingira, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), (2024), https://seapower.navy.gov.au/hmas-tingira,
o Prize Money, Burnett. J, (2006), The Great War;
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/68154-prize-money/?tab=comments
o Prize Money, Burnett. J, (2006), The Great War;
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/68154-prize-money/?tab=comments

 Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aprSZxIb0DjoQkwxf_IFa4spZnZStYjH
 Royal Australian Navy in World War One | ANZAC Portal, anzacportal.dva.gov.au;
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/royal-australian-navy
 Ships’ History at a click, defence.gov.au, (2021,07,07)https://www.defence.gov.au/news-
events/news/2021-07-07/ships-history-click
 Ships named ANZAC, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), (2014), Navy.gov.au;
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/ships-named-
anzac#:~:text=In%201919%20Anzac%2C%20along%20with,she%20departed%20Plymouth%20f
or%20Australia.
 STEAD George James.docx, STEAD George James.docx,
(2019); https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yC1dIYL05CPpPdPxNdHbYeykqMSr-pRX/edit