Gladstone Porteous was born in Carngham, Victoria, Australia in 1874, the son of John Dempsey-Porteous, who had emigrated to Australia with his parents from Glasgow, Scotland, and Catherine Fletcher of Sandon, Victoria.
Known to his friends as "Gladdie" Porteous,[REF] he was one of the young Australians who came to China following the death of James Bruce in western Hunan province in August 1902 aged 30.