Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Peter James O'Brien was born to Peter O'Brien and Dorothy Mayes at Hoyles Plain, South Australia in 1870. He married Dorothy Ann Drake in 1899. Before enlisting he had two children with Dorothy, both of whom died before one year old.
He enlisted in the 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen contingent in 1901.
Soon after returning from South Africa in 1902, Peter was reported as missing in the police gazette and was arrested at Yunta. It can assumed that he was headed for Broken Hill for work, as he eventually worked there as a miner. His son is born in 1905.
Peter O'Brien died as a result of a mine cave in at the South Mine on 7 September 1905. The lack of first aid equipment in the mines was cited at the inquest as contributing to his death and suggestions were made that these should become standard equipment.
Peter's son died the following year.
Peter James O'Brien is buried in the Anglican Cemetery in Broken Hill, New South Wales, in an unmarked grave. He has no known direct descendants. He is listed amongst others killed in mining accidents at the memorial overlooking Broken Hill.