Background
Son of Robert (1849-1881) and Barbara Royle (1852-1939), née Phelps, and one of four children, he was born in England on 24 August 1878. His mother, along with her four children, moved to Australia in 1880.
Son of Robert (1849-1881) and Barbara Royle (1852-1939), née Phelps, and one of four children, he was born in England on 24 August 1878. His mother, along with her four children, moved to Australia in 1880.
He died in action whilst serving with the First AIF during the First World War. Bobby married Susannah Caroline "Susie" Shillinglaw in 1900. They had five children: Muriel (1900-1975), Barbara Holly (1902-1960), Violet (1905-1981), Myrtle (1908-1909), and Robert Ivan (1910-1964).
He played his first senior match for the Melbourne Club, aged 19, against Street Kilda, at the Junction Oval on 14 May 1898 (round one).
He played in three senior matches: against Street Kilda on 14 May 1898, against Carlton on 21 May 1898 ("Royle, a back man with a tremendous turn of speed, also showed well He did a fine sprint with the ball at top speed, full half the length of the, on one occasion), and against Collingwood on 24 May 1898. Prior to his enlistment in the First AIF, he worked as a carpenter/builder.
Stating that his occupation was "carpenter", he enlisted on 7 June 1915, and served with the 2nd Company Australian Machine Gun Corps of the 7th Battalion. He served at Gallipoli, in Egypt, and in France.
He was killed instantly by an enemy shell, when he, as part of a party of seven, took shelter in a trench, near Gueudecourt, on the way to take supplies to their comrades.