Studio portrait of 1980 Private Thomas Skelly, 54th Battalion

Studio portrait of 1980 Private (Pte) Thomas Skelly, 54th Battalion. Born in Lachlan River, NSW, Pte Skelly was the son of Caroline Wade, an Indigenous woman and John Skelly, an Irish migrant. A bookmakers clerk before the war, he enlisted on 10 February 1916, joining the 3rd Reinforcement to the 54th Battalion, before embarking for overseas service with HMAT A37 Barambah on 23 June 1916. Serving with the 54th Battalion in France, Skelly suffered a period of illness through mid-1917, then rejoined his unit, before taking some leave in England in early 1918. He was killed in action during the Battle of Peronne on the 1st September 1918, age 38.