Robert Hounam was born in October 1884 in Rothbury, Northumberland.
After migrating to Australia in 1910, he found his way to Burnie, Tasmania where he married Phoebe Tallack in 1913. Bobbie was also elected vice-captain on the Burnie Club in 1914 and was one of a published list of Burnie Sportsmen who had enlisted by August 1915.
Sergeant Hounam was killed in action in France just over one year later on 16 November 1916 at the age of 32, leaving behind wife Phoebe and a one-year-old daughter. He was buried in Flers-sur-Noye, Somme, France.