Christopher Cyril Pearce was born 12 October 1901 to Henry Charles Wilson Pearce and Ellen Warner. Known as Cyril, Pearce was an office assistant at the Library when he joined up as a Navy cadet on 30 October 1917. Pearce did not return to the library but made a career in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

During his career Pearce served as Coxswain of HMAS Voyager and was a member of the Australian Contingent at the coronation of King George VI in 1937. He served as president of the Scrap Iron Flotilla Association (HMAS Voyager and four other ships of the Australian Destroyer Flotilla became known as the Scrap Iron Flotilla because they had already served as part of the Royal Navy before being commissioned in the RAN).

Pearce married Nellie Margaret Whalley and they had seven children - Cyril, Joan, Helen, Keith, Iris, Ron and Bruce. Nellie died of tuberculosis shortly after Pearce returned from his service in World War Two. In 1948 Pearce married Eleanor (Nellie) Lois Anderson. Pearce died in Sydney on 19 June 1960.

Images: Held in private collection

Pearce, Christopher Cyril, 1901-1960

State Library of South Australia

RAN service record

Death notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 June 1960, p. 20

Funeral notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 June 1960, p. 20

Royal Australian Navy: HMAS Voyager (I)