Family background
John Bernard Varley was born on 18 April 1910 at Erskineville, NSW, the son of John Varley and Ellen C Mitchell.
Varley lived at 93 Walker Street, Redfern. In his military service record he noted he was single, had one dependent aged over 16 and listed Ann Bridget Bantine as his next of kin living with him at Walker Street, Redfern. The relationship listed was that of ‘guardian’.
Varley died on 2 August 1966 at Narwee, NSW, aged 56 years and was buried at Botany Cemetery.
Occupation & interests
John Varley worked as a bookkeeper and customs clerk. On 2 April 1943 John Varley enlisted in the Australian Defence Force during Word War II. He undertook mainly clerical duties and did not see service overseas. In a letter from his niece in his service records, according to family accounts Varley was ‘supposed to be going overseas but his C.O [commanding officer] had the orders cancelled because my uncle always managed to balance the books’. He was discharged at the rank of sergeant on 9 July 1946.
Local government service
John Varley was an alderman for Belmore Ward of Redfern Council in 1944.
References
National Archives of Australia: B884, N213595
‘Election Results’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 1944, p.6, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17778013