John Bonney was born in Perth in about 1893. The youngest of four children to George Bonney and Harriet Hearle, he attended Claremont State School and served three years in the School Cadets learning about firearms and preparing for potential future military service.
Jack first played football while a student and at the age of 13 made his first competitive appearance by turning out in the Junior League for Claremont B. He played his part in Claremont B finishing top of Division Three in 1907 and the following year helped them to a respectable mid-table placing at the first attempt in the second tier.
When the Bonney family moved to the Wheatbelt town of Narrogin in 1910 it appeared Jack’s footballing days were over. However, that changed with the formation of the Narrogin British Association Football Club in July 1912. After featuring in a club practice game, Jack featured prominently for Narrogin in both legs of a two-game series with Katanning.
The establishment of a three-team regional league the following year saw Jack don the black and white stripes of Narrogin against neighbouring towns Cuballing and Toolibin. His performances in the middle of the park prompted the Great Southern Leader to lavish praise on Jack, who was considered “one of the strongest full backs in the Great Southern”.
Jack enlisted with the 10th Light Horse Regiment, as a Private, in January 1915. Five months later he landed at Gallipoli where his regiment fought dismounted as infantry. In early August Jack suffered wounds to his arm when a shell exploded in his vicinity during the Battle of Hill 60. He was discharged to light duties at the end of September following a lengthy stay at the 1st Australian General Hospital in Heliopolis, Egypt.
Jack returned to full duty early in the new year ahead of his April 1916 promotion to Driver, whose role was to manage horse-drawn transport for ammunition, food and wounded soldiers. For much of the next two years he helped defend Egypt from the Ottoman Army by halting the advance on the Suez Canal and driving the Turks across the deserts of Sinai before advancing into Palestine.
In August 1918 Jack was attached to the Australian Army Service Corps, where he continued to provide transport, supply and logistical support for frontline troops. Following the capture of Damascus in the first week of October, a severe malaria epidemic swept through the Australian Mounted Division. Jack was one of those struck down and hospitalised in the field.
John Bonney passed away on 18 October, 1918, in Damascus, Syria.