There are stories of war that belong to nations, and then there are stories that belong to a street, a neighbourhood, a family. The story of the Five Soldier Brothers of Newport is one that the Northern Beaches community has preserved for over a century.
When Mr and Mrs Robert Porter of Newport saw five of their ten children go off to the Great War, they were not unique in their sacrifice. Families across Australia were doing the same. But what set the Porters apart was the sheer number of sons who served, the losses they endured, and the resilience of those who came home.
The Brothers Enlist
The first to go was William, the second eldest, who signed up on 9 September 1914 with the 13th Battalion at just 23 years old. A police constable by trade, William was among the troops who landed at Gaba Tepe, Anzac Cove, on 25 April 1915. He was wounded four months later, and contact with his family was lost. Service records later confirmed he died on 22 August 1915, with a notice appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald on 22 January 1916.
Eldest brother Robert enlisted on 2 July 1915, aged 28. Then, on 15 September 1915, the three younger brothers, Sidney (23), Carl (21), and Albert (18), enlisted together. Sidney was assigned to the 53rd Battalion while Carl and Albert both went to the 3rd Battalion. Five brothers. Five enlistments. One family doing what so many Australian families did, answering the call together.
A Reunion in the Trenches
Perhaps the most striking moment in this story comes not from a battle, but from a brief, chance encounter in the mud of France.
On 14 June 1916, Sidney, Albert, and Carl were on fatigue duty repairing trenches damaged by German shelling. Sidney had moved ahead of his brothers when he was struck by a bullet to the chest. As Carl and Albert waited with him for a stretcher, word reached them that a “Porter” had been wounded.
Then, almost improbably, their eldest brother Robert appeared. He was crossing the trench on message duty and stopped just long enough to greet them before pressing on.
It was the last time the four brothers would see each other.
Loss Upon Loss
Just over a month after that brief reunion, Albert was killed at Pozières on 22 July 1916. Sidney, who had recovered from his chest wound in England, was transferred to Belgium and was killed in action on 24 September 1917, according to Australian War Memorial records.
Of the five brothers, three would not return home.
The Men Who Came Back
Robert and Carl survived the war and made it back to Newport. Robert was awarded the Military Medal for “conspicuous gallantry” during operations northeast of Strazeele on 17 and 18 April 1918.
Carl’s return was harder. He was blinded by gas during the Third Battle of Ypres, a wound that would stay with him for the rest of his life. But Carl Porter did not retreat from the world. He became one of Newport’s most dedicated community members, a founding member of the Newport Surf Life Saving Club, President of the local P&C, and a driving force behind the formation of the Community Centre at Mona Vale and the RSL Clubs at Pittwater, Newport, and Avalon.
Today, Porter Reserve, Newport’s local oval, bears his name in honour of his contribution to the community.
Read: A Familiar Face Gone Too Soon: Newport Remembers Gordon “Gordy” Spring
A Legacy Worth Remembering
The Five Soldier Brothers of Newport are a remarkable piece of Northern Beaches history, and their story deserves to be widely known. It is a story about a family who gave almost everything, about brothers who found each other in the chaos of war one last time, and about the men who came home and rebuilt their community.
Published 13-April-2026
