This is not the story of one young man, but of six, of whom two were to die in WW1. Austin Hepburn was the second of five sons born to Thomas Robert Hepburn and his wife, Emily Marion (nee Cosgrove). The family was Roman Catholic by religion and their sons were all educated at Xavier College, Kew. The eldest was Harold Robert, born March 1890, then Eric Thomas, born 14 March, 1891. Thomas, as he called himself on his enlistment form, joined the 7th Field Artillery and was killed in action on 19 Aril, 1918 at the Western Front. He is buried at Heilly Cemetery, three miles north East of Corbie. Rupert Osric was born on 16 June, 1892. He was to die at Gallipoli in the battle of Krithia. Severely wounded in the head, he died on board the hospital ship Mahene on 9/9/1915. The fourth son was Austin, born 6 September, 1893, who joined up on 17 August, 1914, and who survived the war. Then there was Douglas William, born 6 January 1896 and finally, Alan J., born 19 September 1900.
Austin Hepburn enlisted on 17 August, 1914. He was just a month under 21 years old. His father was a bank manager with he Colonial Bank, and at least three of his sons became clerks. Austin had some military training, having served four years with the Senior Cadets at Xavier. He was a good height for those times, 5'7" with dark hair and blue eyes and was single. His mother had died in 1911, and his father was a widower, living in Glenhuntly. Austin Hepburn joined the Bank of New South Wales as a clerk in 1913; his name and photograph can be found on the Bank of NSW website.
He enlisted a few days after the outbreak of war, on 1th August, 1914 and was placed as a Private in the 5th Battalion, which had been quickly raised in Victoria when war was declared. After two weeks training, they left for Egypt, arriving on 2 December 1914 and went into training in preparation for the assault on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Led by Lieutenant D.S. Wallis, the 5th Battalion took part in the landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, then later on the assault on Krithia. It was here that Rupert Hepburn got his fatal wounds. Austin Hepburn was struck down with gastro-eneritis on 27 July, 1915, and was evacuated by Field Ambulance. He returned to the battalion, but on 31 July, came down with dyspepsia and had to be evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station at Mudros, Egypt. On August 2, they fought at Lone Pine. On 14 December, 1915, he was made Lance Corporal
Having served in Egypt and taken part in the Landing at Gallipoli, Austin Hepburn remained on the Peninsula until the evacuation, and subsequently saw service on the various fronts in France and Flanders, taking part in the Battles of the Somme and of Messines.
Over the next two years, Austin Hepburn was promoted successively to the ranks of lance-corporal, corporal, lance-sergeant and sergeant. He was eventually granted a commission on 23rd August, 1917. By then he was attached to the 23rd Battalion, having been transferred to the General Infantry Reinforcements at Tidworth on 1 April, 1917. He had also spent some time training with the Trinity College Cadets at Oxford in January 1917 and was then put with the 23rd Battalion on 4 May 1917, by which stage, he was a lieutenant.
On 14 May, 1917, Hepburn left England and on 23May was taken on strength with the 23rd Battalion at the Western Front. He was with the 23rd at the second battle of Bullecourt, at Messines in June 1917,and at the third battle for Ypres from July to November that year. On 23 October, he was ill ,rejoining the battalion on 5 November 1917. On 4 March, 1918, he was back in England, marching in to Fovant to serve with the 2nd Training Battalion. He was sent to attend a Lewis Gun Course at the School of Musketry, Tidworth, from 3- 27th June, emerging with First Class honours in the exam and on the range.
By the end of the year, the war was over and on 15 April 1919, Austin Hepburn sailed for home on board the HMT Medic. In the post-war years, he turned to farming, listing himself in the Electoral Rolls as a grazierfrom 1922-25; in 1935, he describesd himself as a fruitgrower and in 1935 as a farmer. He served with the armed forces again from 1939-45, stationed at Royal Park , with the A.C.M.C. In 1931, he married Evelyn Fay Baldock (nee Dudgeon) a divorcee with one child, Gwenda Fay.
Austin Hepburn died on 5 July, 1949. His death notice in The Argus newspaper, 7 July, 1949 read
On July 5, at his home, Torwood, Croydon, Austin Hepburn, loved husband of Evelyn Fay, loving stepfather of Glenda Fay Glen, (Peggy)
He was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery,,Carlton.