Quote Originally Posted by Lenore View Post
..wearing a white suit, he more than likely had his photo taken in Egypt, and it was looking a little scruffy because he had just come off a ship. ....

There is an anomoly with the uniform in that he does not have his "branch" badge on his right sleeve. (I think here I'd offer the explanation that he was likely to be non-compliant, going on family traits!)

Don't mean to throw a spanner in the works, but a couple of things still bother me.
What makes you think the photo was taken in Egypt? If it is just the white uniform, then he could have had it with him wherever he was?.I'm still a bit bothered about the scruffy uniform. The navy certainly didn't have posed-in-front-of-props, photos, so it must have been in a studio somewhere, in which case he would surely have wanted to look his best for a picture to show someone and would not have just come off duty.
As for non compliance, I am fairly certain that there was no such thing as non compliance with regard to the correct wearing of uniform and necessary insignias.(more knowledgeable members with a background in any of the services, especially in that period, will have a view on that)
My family have a long background in various marine services, and I have never ever seen a posed photo in anything less that correct uniform,including the horizontal creases when appropriate even during WW1 & 2, so I am rather perplexed at the general appearance of your chap in this photo.
I do hope you'll be able to locate some references in the naval records to help clear up the mystery. There are quite a lot of records available, though it may require some outlay from UK & Australian archives.
Good luck
Sandra