James Gordon Steele
Biography
Born: 2 June 1892 — Mount Gambier, South Australia (SA BDM + obituary; confirmed 2026-09-07)
Died: 3 August 1951 — Mount Gambier district (Grey), South Australia, aged 59 (SA Death Reg 771/4098)
Wife: Ethel Edith Telfer (married at Mount Gambier)
Life Summary
James Gordon Steele was born at Mount Gambier in 1892, the son of Dugald and Elizabeth Steele. He was a keen footballer, cricketer and boxer. After a few years as a postal employee at Mount Gambier he joined the Navy; his naval service ended on 21 July 1914. He then re-entered the postal service at Port Augusta, and later joined the radio section of the Australian Expeditionary Forces during the First World War (1914–18). After the war he farmed land at The Bluff, and retired from there to Bertha Street, Mount Gambier.
He married Ethel Edith Telfer at Mount Gambier (the couple had two sons and two daughters). James died at his residence in Bertha Street on 3 August 1951, aged 59.
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Father | Dugald Steele |
| Mother | Elizabeth Steele |
| Wife | Ethel Edith Telfer |
| Children | Alex Steele (farmed The Bluff) |
| Phyllis Steele, m. Harvey Kyle Ploenges | |
| Joan Steele, m. Lionel Dutschke | |
| Colin Steele (Mount Gambier) | |
| Siblings | Mrs Marion L. Kay (living Mt Gambier 1951); Dugald (dec.); Major Alex (dec.); Allan Stewart (dec.); Mrs Jessie Burton Norman (dec.) |
Sources
- SA BDM Death Registration 771/4098 — James Gordon Steele, d. 3 Aug 1951, age 59, Grey district — accessed via Genealogy SA, 7 Sep 2026.
- Trove / Border Watch (Mount Gambier), "OBITUARY. Mr. James Gordon Steele," 4 Oct 1951, p.5 (article 78660605) — full life obituary quoted above: membership of Presbyterian Church, RS. L., Buff's Lodge, Caledonian Soc., early M.G.B.I. member.
- Trove / Border Watch Family Notices, 5 Aug 1952, p.6 (article 80766637) — In Memoriam one-year anniversary notice placed by children ("our dear father").
Tags
Spouse
- Ethel Edith Telfer (1894 – ?)