| Accession Number | P08167.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | c 1919 |
| Conflict |
Period 1910-1919 First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) (later Temporary Captain) William Blackett Forster, 4th ...
Description
Studio portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) (later Temporary Captain) William Blackett Forster, 4th Pioneer Battalion, of Bondi, NSW. Formerly an architect, Lt Forster enlisted on 30 July 1915 and as a member of the 4th Reinforcements, he embarked from Brisbane aboard HMAT Itonus (A50) on 8 August 1916. He served on the Western Front where he was wounded in action from enemy shell fire, resulting in the loss of his left arm on 17 June 1917. After recovering, he returned to Australia on 2 April 1919. Post war, William Forster resumed his career as an architect. To assist him with his work, he used a special drafting machine supplied by the repatriation department and he learnt to drive a car. In 1929 he was awarded the bronze medal from the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects for his winning design of Francis House at 107 Collins Street Melbourne.