His father had a stock and station business, H Munckton and Co., at Dubbo.

They lived in Bultje Street until his father died in 1904.

His mother, a trained nurse, then bought Hopetoun Private Hospital in Wingewarra Street, Dubbo, which she ran for many years with her sister, Nurse Jane McCready.

Robert Munckton was educated at Dubbo District School and All Saints' College, Bathurst.

After working for a year with the Perpetual Trustee Company, he returned to All Saints' College for further schooling with the intention of his later entrance to the legal profession.

According to an article in the Dubbo Liberal, "War had only three days been declared against Germany when he arrived home one evening, and in a serious manner asked his mother to allow him to "do his bit" for the Empire".

Robert Munckton then "went off to Sydney the next day, and Robert Munckton enlisted in Sydney on August 17, 1914 in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as Private 349 in the 3rd Battalion (1st Brigade)".

After initial training at Liverpool he embarked from Sydney on the Euripides on October 20, 1914, arriving at Alexandria in Egypt on December 3.

The Dubbo Liberal reported Bob had written about the excitement "and ringing cheers that greeted the [HMAS] Sydney as she dashed passed his ship to Cocos Island on her death dealing mission" to the German cruiser SMS Emden, and of the 'wild joy that followed the wireless message that the Sydney had accomplished her purpose, and rid the seas of the pirate".

Another letter in the Dubbo Liberal told of camp life in Egypt "in the shadow of the Egyptian pyramids" where "he says they are all happy; that the arrangements for their personal comfort are splendid; and that hard work digging trenches and in marching through the sands, together with a congenial winter climate, a splendid esprit de corps, wholesome diet, regular hours,moderation in everything, and a happiness resulting from a sense of duty done and to be done - these, he says, are factors which have wonderfully built up the physique of our men - to such an extent that their friends would hardly recognise them".

Robert Munckton embarked on the transport Derfflinger on April 5, 1915 to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. He landed at Anzac Cove later in the day on April 25, 1915.

Another letter in the Dubbo Liberal referred to the fighting at Gallipoli as follows: "The Turks shelled us thoroughly nearly all the time, and the machine guns played on our positions incessantly. However, we stuck to it, and now they could never move us. For a long time we had a hard life, working day and night to strengthen our position, and now we are glad of it, as we live in safety, only, of course, for an occasional shot or shell which gets someone".

Robert Munckton was killed in action on August 6, 1915 during the Battle of Lone Pine. He was 20 years of age.

He is buried in Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli.

A photograph of his headstone is on display at the Dubbo RSL MemorialClub, the site of his former home of Hopetoun.

His name is recorded at the Dubbo War Memorial, in the Dubbo Book of Remembrance, and on the Dubbo District School Honour Roll.