Leslie Maloney (SN 78) born in Ballarat, was a 24 year old saddler when he enlisted in Melbourne on August 17th 1914. Assigned to the 8th Infantry Battalion, he embarked aboard the Benalla on October 19th and sailed to Egypt before landing at Gallipoli on April 25th 1915. In late July an eye injury forced his evacuation to hospital at Malta. An assessment of defective vision limited his further active service. He was attached to AIF Headquarters as a groom before being returned to Australia on escort duty aboard the Port Sydney. He disembarked at Melbourne on July 27th 1916 and was discharged ‘medically unfit, defective vision’ on October 8th.

His brother Leonard also served in the AIF and is honoured with a tree in the Avenue.