Cornelius Aloysius Deane came from a large family at Wahring, near Nagambie, Victoria. He was the son of  Patrick and Johanna (nee Forde) Deane and brother to Teresa, Jonnie, Caecilia, May, Patrick and Thomas, plus one other sister and a brother who died early. He enlisted on 9 July, 1916, at which time he was a 24 year old bachelor and a mechanical drafstman and designer by trade. After training he was allocated to the 3rd Reinforcements of the 58th Battalion and embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Ajana A31 on 8 July, 1916.

In England, the novice soldiers did further training at Camp Codford with the Fifteenth Training Battalion, then on 7 November, 1917, marched out to join the 15th Brigade, proceeding overseas on 9 November, 1917. Here Con Deane was taken on strength with the 58th Battalion on 1 December. A month later, on 3 February, he received a gunshot wound to the head and was admitted to the 2nd Red Cross Hospital at Rouen, then transported to England for treatment on board HMS Warilda, and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. He was in hospital until 5th April, when he was transferred to Cobham Hall for his convalescence, then on to Perham Downs, rejoining his battalion on 2 June, 1917. 

Con Deane was promoted to Lieutenant in February, 1917, and now his leadership skills came to the fore. He seems to have suffered another wound on 2 September, 1917, and on 11 February, 1918, was admitted again to hospital with a severe wound to the abdomen and sent back to England to the 3rd London General Hospital. Somewhere in the middle of all this, while his battalion was in the Ypres Sector, he won the Military Cross for his courage and daring. 

The award was announced in the Third Supplement, No. 31043, to the London Gazette, dated  29 November, 1918

AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS

Lieutenant Cornelius Aloysius Deane

For conspicuous gallantry and resource. He led his company with great skill and resource. When part of the attacking troops lost direction in thick fog and a gap occurred in the line, he filled the gap, then led his men to the objective, taking 50 prisoners. In a later attack, he led his men in the capture of an enemy headquarters, taking 18 0fficers and 250 other ranks prisoner. He showed splendid leadership and courage.

The abdominal wound was so severe that it prevented him from taking any further part in the war. On 25 April, 1918, he was placed on the supernumerary list and invalided in the UK. He embarked for Australia on 2 September, 1918, on HMS Leicestershire from Liverpool, but on the voyage the abdominal wound perforated and he had to be off-loaded at Port Said, where he was admitted to 4th Australian General Hospital on 9 December. He remained in Egypt until 19 February, 1919, when he re-embarked for Australia on board HMS Lancaster. He arrived at Melbourne on 31 March, 1919, and his appoinment was terminated on 12 September that same year. One more award followed him: on 29 September, 1919, he was sent an Army Rifle Association medal ' for your skill with a rifle in a competition held while serving with the Australian Imperial Force'.

Cornelius Deane returned to civilian life and returned to his old profession as an examiner of patents. In 1925, he was still a bachelor, but was married that same year to Liliane Babe Hossey. They were to have three children. By 1927, he and his wife Liliane were living ar 8 Hilda Street, Malvern East. By 1943, however, they had moved to 12 La Perouse Street, Griffith, ACT. In 1949, Liliane died. She was the mother of three children, Shirley (Mrs Cummings), Joan and William. In 1958, Cornelius Deane moved from Canberra  to 193 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, NSW, and, at age 68 and probably in semi-retirement, described himelf as a patent officer. This was the last entry on the Electoral Roll for him.

Cornelius Deane died on 25 April, 1962 in Newtown, Sydney, and is buried at the Macquarie Park Cemetery in Sydney.

His son William was to graduate in Arts and Law at Sydney University. Following graduation, he worked at the Commonwealth Attorney General's office post, then studied International Law abroad, and was awarded, cum laude, with a Diploma from the Hague Academy of International Law. He was called to the Bar in 1957, and was appointed a Q.C. in 1982. In 1977, he was appointed a judge in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of N.S.W. In July 1982 he was appointed as a  Justice of the High Court, retiring in  November 1995, to take on the role of Governor General. He was sworn in as Ausrtalia's 22nd Governor General on 16 February, 1995.