How to plant an Avenue of Honor

This letter to the Editor, from Cr E. Simpson Hill of Tooradin,  on the best way to plant an Avenue of Honor, was published in the Koo Wee Rup Sun of June 18, 1919. 

Honor Avenues and Tree Planting

(To the Editor)

Sir - The time for planting the above is now at hand. Will you kindly permit me to point out a most important matter in connection therewith, so that material benefit may accrue as the result thereof. Shaded roads in winter mean bad roads, ruts and holes and increased expenditure in upkeep, hence a heavy toll on the rates. The proposal I make will, whilst adding to the beauty of our roads, give us shelter, protection from the bleak west and south winds, and allow the sun to exert its beneficent rays where most needed and when most required, upon our avenues of traffic. Plant our notable evergreen, life-giving, anti-malaria gum trees on the south and west sides of all roads running east and west  and north and south respectively. They will thus afford protection from the heavy rains and bleak winds that sodden our roads and sweep sand and gravel and light blinding away. Plant deciduous trees, such as oak, elm and ash on north and east sides of roads running east and west and north and south respectively. By doing so, when these trees shed their leaves in autumn, they admit the rays of the sun to keep the roads dry and warm in winter and keep down expense. I sincerely hope we shall all see this principle extended all over the State, thereby beautifying our land whilst paying a just tribute to the brave lads and heroes, and at the same time add material wealth in money and kind to our coffers.

E.Simpson Hill.

Councillor, Tooradin Riding, Tooradin, 14/6/19

This would, of course,  mean that the Avenues would have gums on one side of the road and exotic, deciduous trees on the other side of the road. It may have been practical, but not very symmetrical. 

Who was E. Simpson Hill?  Niel Gunson, in The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire had this to say - E.Simpson Hill was a well known contractor who reduced much of the Dalmore country to a fertile plain. Edward Simpson Hill was a Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1918 to 1924 and Shire President 1922 to 1923. The family had been at Cora Lynn and around 1917 they moved to Tooradin, where his occupation in the Electoral Roll was listed as Postmaster, so not sure how that tallies with him being  a Contractor, maybe that was his weekend occupation. 

Edward Simpson Hill died on July 16, 1930. He was the husband of Charlotte and the father of Abner, Queenie. Roland, Crissie, Dudley, Rosie, Arthur and Ivy. 

The Argus July 17, 1930   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4099960

Avenue of Honour at Tooradin

These three articles talk about the establishment of the  Avenue of Honour at Tooradin. The Avenue is fairly unusual as it consists of native Flowering Gums, not introduced trees such as Oaks or Poplars, like many of the other Avenues in the region. Having said that, the Harkaway Avenue of Honour, also had Flowering Gums, you can read about this, here.

Koo Wee Rup Sun August 6, 1919

Interesting article, the writer feels that an Avenue would be a most sensible method to honor the lads who served abroad from this locality and they hope that the trees will give to Tooradin an additional charm. The writer also feels that the Avenue is much better than solid granite monuments of obelisks some communities morbidly select to express their tribute of thanks and commemoration to the boys. 

Koo Wee Rup Sun  August 13, 1919

This article, in the paper  a week later,  says that Mr Cooper, Curator of the Alexandra Gardens, selected the Western Australian Flowering Gums. This was George William Cooper, who worked with  Carlo Catani on the design and planting out  of Alexandra Avenue and Alexandra Gardens. Carlo is also, of course, the namesake for the town of Catani. Mr Cooper's father, also called George, was foreman of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. You can read more about Mr Cooper, here. 

Koo Wee Rup Sun  August 20, 1919

Forty trees were planted on Thursday, August 14 1919. They were planted on the Melbourne side of the bridge. Later on, additional trees were planted up Tooradin Station Road.

This is the Tooradin Avenue of Honour, taken from the book Our Living Memorials: Avenues of Honour in the City of Casey (City of Casey, 2001) You can read this publication on-line at https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/avenues-of-honour

Gembrook World War One Avenue of Honour

The Gembrook Aveneue of Honour in Redwood Road was planted around 1946 by returned World War Two soldiers. This was quite unusual both in the way it was planted by returned soldiers and how long after the war that it was planted. I don't have the date it was officially opened or dedicated, however the Gembrook Progress Association requested assistance from the Berwick Shire in March 1946 to plant the Avenue, so it must have been around that time.

Dandenong Journal March 20, 1946.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214792871

Each tree has a plaque attached and the Narre Warren and District Family History Group have photographed the plaques, you can see them here, on their Casey Cardinia Remembers website. 

If you are interested in the history of Gembrook or want more information about some of the families mentioned then take  a look at the book Forest to Farming: Gembrook an early history  written by Genseric (Bill) Parker.

What follows is a list of the soldiers  who were honoured with  a tree in the Avenue. I have listed their Service Numbers (SN) so you can look up their full record on the National Archives of Australia website 

www.naa.gov.au

Ball, John Lewis (SN 3012) John was 35 when he enlisted on July 22, 1915. He Returned to Australia May 11, 1916 and was medically discharged, his condition being  a 'irritable heart'. What was his connection to Gembrook? He was born at Portarlington and when he enlisted he was living in North Melbourne at the same address as his sister, Mrs Thomas, who was listed as his next of kin.  John (and wife Ethel nee Watsham) are in the Electoral Roll from 1918 at Gembrook, but the only link his personnel file has to him being connected to Gembrook is this annotation on a 1925 document in his file (see below)

From John Ball's file 

  National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au 

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Dyson, Frederick George (SN 2459) Frederick was 21 when he enlisted on December 11, 1915. His next of kin was his father, also called Frederick, of Gembrook. Frederick Returned to Australia July 24, 1919.

Fry, George Vincent  (Lieutenant)  George enlisted at the age of 25 on May 12, 1915. His occupation was listed as 'Engineer and Farmer' however another form in his file said that he was an 'Investor and Farmer'. His next of kin was his mother,  Maria Annie Fry,  of 'Winander', Gembrook. George Returned to Australia October 18, 1917 and his 'appointment was terminated' in March 1918.  He suffered from 'Neurasthenia Cerebral Tubes' - a term apparently not used anymore but symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, palpitations and the like. George must have returned to England because he was married there on December 14, 1918 to Effie Louise Strong.  They lived in Yea when they came back to Australia, however the marriage ended in divorce in August 1937.

The Argus August 7, 1937

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11109848

Fry, James Leslie Rood. (no SN listed)  James, a 23 year old farmer,  was the brother of George (above). He enlisted on May 12, 1915, same day as George, and was Discharged on June 26 1915 at 'own request' - a letter in his file said that he wanted to travel to England to join the King Edward's Horse - King Edward's Horse - The King's Oversea Dominions Regiment - made up of men from British Colonies, such as Australia and New Zealand. He served with this Regiment from August 1915 until June 1918. James returned to Gembook after the War and lived there until he died in 1961.

Hird, William Birkett (SN 1666) He was listed as B. Hird on the plaque, so I presume he was known as Birkett, so that's what we will call him.  Birkett enlisted on February 25, 1916 aged 21. His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Gembrook. On October 12, 1917 Birkett was declared Missing in Action and a Court of Enquiry, held on April 4, 1918 declared that he had been Killed in Action, in France, on the day he went missing.

Hird, William Holmes  (SN 18468) This is Birkett's father, who was 44 years old when he enlisted on May 30, 1917. He was sent overseas and was in Egypt, had malaria and Returned to Australia August 30, 1918 and medically discharged.

Huby, Clarence Walter Percy (SN 11351) Clarence was a 22 year old sawyer when he enlisted on June 16, 1915. His next of kin was his mother who lived in Haxby in England. Clarence married Ada Elizabeth Hollick on August 18, 1919 and Returned to Australia November 7, 1919. Clarence and Ada lived in Gembrook after the War.

Ingram, Alexander Henry Brougham (SN 3540) Alexander enlisted on July 9, 1915 and was discharged in the October, due to 'pain in right foot, interferes with marching'. He re-enlisted on July 16, 1917 at the age of 38 and Returned to Australia July 23, 1919 - obviously whatever foot pain he suffered from had disappeared. Alexander's father, Robert, of Gembrook was listed as his next of kin.

James, Arthur (SN 3248) Arthur was only 18 when he enlisted on February 2, 1916. He was an orphan and his next of kin was his friend, Henry James of Gembrook North, same address as Arthur. Arthur Returned to Australia January 18, 1919.

Kermond, Edward (SN 10169) Edward was a Blacksmith and was listed in the Electoral Roll of 1914 at Gembrook, but was living in Balaclava in Melbourne when he enlisted on December 28, 1915. He was 28 years old and his next of kin was his wife, Ruby. Edward Returned to Australia June 12, 1919. Bill Parker described Ted Kermond as a 'kindly man who was a credit to his trade'.

Lloyd, Arthur Hubert (SN 12338)  Bill Parker mentions that Hubert Lloyd worked with his brother Lindsay at Lindsay's butcher shop in Gembrook. Hubert enlisted on August 5, 1915 at the age of 20. His next of kin was his father of Murrumbeena. Hubert Returned to Australia June 15, 1919.  Lindsay and Hubert were the sons of Arthur Charles Lloyd and Alice Mary Baldry.  Lindsay had bought out Fred Pitt's butchery, you can read about Fred, below.

Madigan, Timothy James (SN 3118) Timothy was 18 and a farm labourer, when he enlisted on June 16, 1916. His next of kin was his mother, Margaret, of Gembrook. Timothy Returned to Australia July 1, 1919.

McDonald, Alexander  (SN 3747) Alexander was a 21 year old orphan and he enlisted on October 9, 1917. His address was Gembrook - C/o Mr Pitt, Farmer, Gembrook. He had no next of kin on enlistment but that was later changed to Charlotte Buchanan of Gembrook, listed as his 'aunt'. Alexander was gassed when he was serving overseas and Returned to Australia December 12, 1918. To add interest to Alexander's case there is a form in his file from the 'Office of the Victorian Government Statist' and it stated that  a search had been done of the Indexes and there was no record  of  a birth of a Alexander McDonald in Victoria between the years 1895 and 1899. However I have discovered that there is a birth of an Alexander McDonald Buchanan to a Charlotte Buchanan (father listed as unknown) in 1896. I believe that this is our Alexander and that his 'aunt' Charlotte was really his mother. Did he know this then or later?  That would be interesting to know. I guess the best thing about this is that Charlotte had the opportunity to have contact with her son, most unmarried mothers at the time would have had the baby taken from them and given up for adoption.

McNulty, Bernard Viner (SN 1976)  Bernard was 19 when he enlisted on June 19, 1915 and his next of kin was his father, Patrick, of Panmure, although his address was later changed to Gembrook. Bernard suffered a number of gun shot wounds to his legs, arms and face and an operation was performed and after that his 'right arm suppurated'. Bernard Returned to Australia October 31, 1917 and was medically discharged.  However, he enlisted again on June 11, 1918 and this time his service ended when the War finished.

Mentiplay, Angus Phillip (SN 4439)  Angus, and his wife Sarah,  are listed in the Electoral Rolls at Gembrook  from 1921 - his occupation is a farmer. When he enlisted on Janaury 4, 1915 he was a 43 years old and his occupation was 'Herbalist.' His next of kin was his wife, Sarah, of Port Melbourne. Angus Returned to Australia September 9, 1916 and he was medically discharged in the December having had a 'nervous breakdown'.  Bill Parker mentions a William Mentiplay who took up 320 acres at Gembrook in 1874. The Berwick Shire Rate Books also list a William Mentiplay Jnr at Gembrook. Angus' father was a William Mentiplay, so they are possibly all connected.

Neville, Walter (SN 699) Walter enlisted on February 2, 1915. He was a 23 year old 'shoe hand' or bootmaker, as he was listed in the Electoral Rolls. His next of kin was his father, Ralph, of Gembrook. Walter Returned to Australia on February 7, 1919. Walter faced a Court Martial in October 1917 - he was charged with desertion, found not guilty of that but guilty of being absent without leave.

Pitt, Frederick (SN 1250) Frederick was a 38 year old Hotelkeeper (or Licensed Victualler as his Embarkation paper calls it) when he enlisted on April 8, 1915. Frederick Returned to Australia August 22, 1919. Fred's father, Howard, was the licensee of the Ranges Hotel in Gembrook from 1904 to 1921. I believe that Howard's brother, also called Fred, was also a licensee. Young Fred's next of kin was listed as his mother, who lived in England, which seems  a bit odd to me when it appears that he worked with his father in the Hotel. Bill Parker says that Fred worked in the butcher's shop after the War, which was built next to the Hotel by his father.

Pitt, J Can't work out who this is, I presume some connection to Frederick, above.

Gembrook Avenue of Honour

Photo credit: Casey Cardinia Remembers 

http://www.caseycardiniaremembers.org.au

Raleigh, B  Mr Raleigh is another mystery.  He is listed as having died in the War and there are only two Raleighs on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour - James Alexander Raleigh (SN 688) Killed in Action August 1, 1917 - he was born and enlisted in Queensland and James Patrick Raleigh (SN 1736) Died of Wounds June 18, 1917 - he was born in Townsville and enlisted in Dubbo. There is no B. Raleigh on either the Nominal or Embarkation rolls.
The 1914 Electoral Roll has a William Thorp Raleigh, 'Goronga' Pakenham Upper and a Hilda Elizabeth Raleigh at Gembrook South. Given that the Pakenham Upper School was known as Gembrook South from 1879 to 1916, I feel we can assume they lived at the same address. William had married Matilda Hebden in 1873 and they had a number of children, including Hilda Elizabeth in 1884 and a George Hebden Raleigh in 1878. So, I googled him and it turns out he was Captain George Hebden Raleigh and he has an entry on the Imperial War Museum website -  Unit: Essex Regiment, Squadron Commander of the 4th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Death: 20 January 1915 Dunkirk fell out of plane on ground Western Front. You can see a photo of him and read more about his career here. I don't know why he is listed as B. Raleigh, but as we can confirm a Gembrook connection I think he is the most likely candidate.

Russell, Edmund Henry Cecil (SN 1256) Sometimes listed as Edward in his personnel file.
Russell, John Hardness Cecil (SN 4899)  The boys were both born in New Zealand and were the sons of George Cecil Russell of 'Brooksby', Gembrook.  They were both farmers and Edmund was 22 when he enlisted on March 12, 1915 and John was 19, when he enlisted six months later on October 13, 1915.  Edward was discharged on medical grounds ('permanently unfit') on January 15, 1918 and his brother John was also discharged on medical grounds - gunshot wounds to both legs which caused one leg to be amputated - on April 3, 1918.

Bill Parker writes that the Russell family were 'immensely public spirited' and involved in much of the community life of Gembrook.  Cecil and Alice (nee Miles) Russell had three sons Evelyn Aylmer Cecil Russell (known as Bill); Edmund Henry Cecil Russell (known as Tom) and John Hardness Cecil Russell (known as Jack). Bill owned three sawmills and built the first garage in Gembrook, he was also a Berwick Shire Councillor.  As a matter of interest, Jack's wife Doris (nee Doris Marion Green) was a  World War One Nurse. Sister Green enlisted on September 21, 1914 at the age of 24 and she accompanied the first Australian convoy overseas, served at the Gallipoli landing and served overseas until she was discharged on April 20, 1920. Doris died in 1973.

Scott, Walter Adam (SN 1942) Walter was a 29 year old farm manager and he enlisted on August 4, 1915. His next of kin was his wife, Mrs W. Scott, of Gembrook (she later moved to South Yarra). Walter was awarded the Military Medal, suffered a 'severe' gun shot wound to the abdomen and Returned to Australia January 4, 1919.

Ure, James Buchanan (SN 960) James was born in Gembrook the son of John and Jane (nee Buchanan) Ure of Silver Wells, Gembrook.  James was 34 when he enlisted on February 25, 1916 and he Returned to Australia July 1, 1919. You can read more about the Ure family and their Silver Wells property, here

Wade, B  This is Herbert William Wade, who is listed in the 1919 Electoral Roll as a 'War Pensioner' He was the son of Richard and Alice (nee Seymour) Wade, born in 1890, so the brother of Leslie, listed below. However, he is not listed under that name in the Nominal Rolls, the Embarkation Rolls nor can I find his file on the National Archives website. However, his death notice (below) confirms everything I have found out.

The Argus August 13, 1951

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23057172

Anyway I sent this mystery  of Mr B. Wade off to the President and Treasurer of the Narre Warren & District Family History Group and voila! a solution was found. It appears that Herbert William Wade enlisted under the name John Herbert Wade (SN 1128) on October 6, 1914. He was 25 and a Locomotive fireman. John was wounded at Gallipoli and also had Tuberculosis and Returned to Australia October 8 1915 and was discharged on medical grounds in  November 1916. Of interest, and to confirm these men are one and the same,  is this letter  (see below) in his file from his sister, Eva Elizabeth Lloyd, asking for his Gallipoli Medallion - she calls him Herbert William Wade, but the form is annotated at the top with 1128 John Herbert Wade. Edith was a sister of Herbert and Leslie, listed below. She was also married to Lindsay Lloyd, so the sister-in-law of Hubert Lloyd, listed above. The only mystery that remains is the person he listed as his next of kin - Mrs A.G Speed of Seymour - however this turns out to be his sister Ethel. Ethel was born to Alice Seymour in 1887, before her marriage to Mr Richard Wade and she married Alexander Govan Speed in 1906 (as Ethel Tanner) but her death record lists Alice Seymour as her mother, so it is Herbert Wade's sister.

 National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au 

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Wade, Leslie Barton (SN 2200) Leslie, the brother of Herbert, listed above, was a Stock and Station Agent and he enlisted at the age of 26 on September 2, 1914. His next of kin was his farther, Richard, of Gembrook. He was wounded in action, gun shot wound to the head and later Returned to Australia October 23, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds.

Wilson,  Robert Harold (SN 6909) The name on the plaque says A.H. Wilson, but I believe that it is Robert Harold Wilson, as I can't find an A.H. Wilson with a Gembrook connection.  Robert was a 20 year old saw miller when he enlisted on February 19, 1917. He was wounded in action including a severe gun shot wound to the eight eye and Returned to Australia October 19, 1918.

Wilson, Thomas William Fauntleroy (SN 7584) Thomas enlisted on June 8, 1917. He was a 23 year old engine driver. Thomas was Killed in Action in France on August 23, 1918.
Thomas and Robert were the sons of Thomas and Alice (nee Coombs) of 'Strathallan', Gembrook West.

Harkaway Memorial Stone and Avenue of Honour

A Memorial stone to the Great War personnel was unveiled at Harkaway on Anzac Day in 1959, by Cr George Rae. The stone is at the southern end of the Harkaway Avenue of Honour and was instigated by Army Nurse, Jessie Traill, who wanted a permanent memorial stone.  Over 100 people were in attendance to see the stone unveiled including two of the soldiers, Alf Edmonson, who was living in Cheltenham,  and Alex McNabb,  who was living in Berwick. (Information from  Early Days of Berwick)  The Avenue was planed in 1919 and consisted of 29 Red Flowering Gums (Eucalyptus ficifolia).  This post is a list of the names on the Memorial stone, including their Service Number (SN) so you can read their full record on the National Archives of Australia website, www.naa.gov.au

This is the Harkaway Memorial Stone. 

Photograph courtesy of Casey Cardinia Remembers http://www.caseycardiniaremembers.org.au/

Traill, Jessie  When the War broke out, Jessie want to England and joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment and nursed in a military hospital in Rouen, France from 1915 until 1919. After the War, she lived in Harkaway and had a distinguished career as an artist. You can read my blog post on her here and her entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography here.

Coote, Thomas Hugh (SN 4999) Thomas was born in Ireland and enlisted on January 13, 1916 at the age of 19. He was a farmer and his next of kin was his father, James, of Harkaway. Thomas was Wounded in Action in April 1918 (gun shot wound in left shoulder, penetrating chest was the bland description in his file) and Returned to Australia July 31, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds on November 16, 1918. Thomas was granted  a Soldier Settlement farm at Rapanyup on his return. You can read about it here on the Battle to Farm: WW1 Soldier Settlement Records in Victoria website.

Cunningham, S - There is an S. Cunningham on the Memorial Stone, I am not sure who this is. It is possibly  Claude Sydney Cunningham (SN 1246) Claude was a 24 year old farmer and his next of kin was his mother, Emma, of Narre Warren sometimes listed as Narre Warren East. He enlisted on March 18, 1916 and Returned to Australia April 30, 1919.
The blog Noble Sons: Harkaway in the Great War suggests that S. Cunningham is Selwyn Bruce Cunningham (SN 7471) Selwyn enlisted on July 2, 1917 at the age of 19. He was  a farmer and his next of kin was his father, Reverend William Richard Cunningham, of The Manse, Korumburra. Selwyn Returned to Australia January 14, 1919. What is Selwyn's connection to Harkaway? There is a report in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal in July 1920 that the Reverend Cunningham had purchased a property in Harkaway. A report in the Dandenong Advertiser of March 18 1937 on the 80th anniversary of the Berwick Presbyterian Church said that William was the Minister there from 1921 to 1925 and William and his wife Amy are listed  in the Electoral Rolls at Berwick in 1924.

Davidson, J  There is a J. Davidson listed on the Memorial Stone. We know that he had  a farewell at the Harkway Hall in August 1915, at the same time as  Robert Munro, Robert Haysey and one of the Fleer brothers (see article below under Robert Munro's entry) and we also know that he was sick in August 1915 (see article immediatley below). What I don't know is who he actually is. I can't find a J.W Davidson with a connection to Harkaway or any neighbouring area. If you know who is he, then I would love to hear from you.

Berwick Shire News September 1, 1915

Trove http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92093269

Dean, Henry (SN 5585)  Henry enlisted at the age of 29 on February 26, 1916. He was a labourer and his next of kin was his father, Thomas, of Harkaway. In August 1918 he was wounded by machine gun fire - a gun shot wound to the left wrist, smashing several carpal bones and another gun shot wound to the buttock, penetrating the thigh - once again the bland description does not give any indication of the horror of the wound.  Henry Returned to Australia on November 20, 1918.
Dean, Herbert Leslie (SN 570)  Herbert was 23, a labourer, when he enlisted on February 22, 1916. His next of kin was his mother, Sarah Dean of Harkaway. Lance Corporal Dean Returned to Australia on January 25, 1919.
Henry and Herbert were brothers, the sons of Thomas and Sarah (nee Meara) Dean. Sarah died  in April 1918 and a short obituary in the Dandenong Advertister (you can read it here) said that she was of an exceedingly kind and generous disposition and that she had two daughters and seven sons. Three of her sons are on active service abroad.  From the the death notice of Thomas in The Argus of April 11, 1924 and the Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages we can establish that Thomas and Sarah had thirteen children - Frederick Thomas (born 1874, birth registered at Elmore), Annie (1876 Elmore), Sarah Jane (1878 - 1879, ten months old, Diggora), John (Rochester, died 1965, aged 83, hence born c. 1882), James (1882 Elmore), Henry (1885, Rochester), William (1887 Elmore), Arthur Alfred (1889 - 1890, seven months old, Elmore), Joseph Leonard (1891 - 1891, two months old, Elmore), Albert Edward (1891 - 1891, 2 months old, Elmore), Herbert Leslie (1892 Moama), Sydney (1894 Moama) and Ruby (1896 Moama).
 I can't work out who the other son was that enlisted, as there is also a J. Dean on the Memorial stone, it's possible that it was either John or James, but I can't find a matching record for them or any of the other sons.   I have found another possible candidate, a James Dean, born c. 1874, see below, so he was not the son of Thomas and Sarah, but he lived locally, so the address fits.
Dean, James (SN 2999)  James was 42 when he enlisted an May 31, 1916, he was a market gardener from Narre Warren North and his next of kin was his wife, Francis. He Returned to Australia on March 28, 1919.  James was granted a  Soldier Settlement farm after the War, you can read about it here.

Drummond, Daniel George (SN 3082)  Daniel enlisted on  July 12, 1915 at the age of 27, he was a farmer and his next of kin was his mother, Margaret,  of Officer.  He married Annie Hopkirk in Scotland before he Returned to Australia April 13, 1919.  Daniel was granted a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read about it here.
Drummond, William John (SN 2902)    William enlisted on January 31, 1916 at the age of 29. He was a baker and his next of kin was his father, William Peter Drummond of Harkaway. He Returned to Australia on September 5, 1919. William was also a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read his file here.
Daniel and William are the sons of William and Margaret (nee Duncan).  Daniel was born in Mitta Mitta and William, was born in the neighbouring town of Eskdale
Drummond, J  There is also a J. Drummond on the Memorial stone - not sure who he is. Daniel and William, also had another brother, Walter Neil Drummond (SN 2571) who enlisted at the age of 18 on June 28, 1915. He was a Blacksmith and had been born in Eskdale. His next of kin was listed as his father, William, of Officer. I presume that William and Margaret moved from Officer to Harkaway in 1916. Walter Returned to Australia April 13, 1919.

Edmondson, Alfred (SN 5493) Alfred enlisted on March 4, 1916, he was a 31 year old farmer and his next of kin was his father, John, of Harkaway.  Alfred Returned to Australia on July 22, 1917 and was medically discharged in November 1917. Alf was present at the unveiling of the Memorial stone in 1959.

Fleer, Cyril August (SN 6263) Cyril was an 18 year old farm hand when he enlisted on May 5, 1916. His next of kin was his mother, Martha, of Harkaway.  Cyril suffered from trench feet, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to water in the trenches which led to swollen feet, blisters, ulcers and even gangrene. He Returned to Australia on April 5 1918.
Fleer, Harold Edward (SN 3112) Harold was Cyril's brother he was also 18 when he enlisted on July 12, 1915. His next of kin was his father Edward of Harkaway and both Edward and Martha gave consent for their son to sign up.  Harold Returned to Australia on April 13, 1919.
Cyril and Harold were descendants of German born pioneer, Carl Fleer, you can read more about him and the other German settlers at Harkaway, here.

Glover, Francis Robert Dean (SN 50059)  Francis enlisted on November 24, 1917. He was 19 and his  occupation was listed as Station hand and his next of kin was his uncle, George Lyon, of Harkaway. There is a letter in his file, from his mother, Edith Glover, who lived in Sydney asking why she was not listed as his next of kin. George Lyon had signed a paper saying that Francis was adopted by him when he was a child and that Francis' father was dead. Francis is the first cousin of Charles Lyon listed below. He served in France and Returned to Australia January 18, 1919. Correspondence in his file showed that in 1938 he was the Station Manager at Carriewerloo Station in Port Augusta, a long way from the rolling hills of Harkaway. As a matter of interest, Carriewerloo Station was where the 1975 film, Sunday too far away, starring Jack Thompson, was filmed.

Halleur, Clarence (SN 1026)  Clarence was 18 years old and a labourer when he enlisted on March 8, 1915. He was born in Harkaway and his next of kin was his mother, Christina. He Returned to Australia April 27, 1919.  Clarence was the son of Rudolph Ernest and Christina (nee Dugard) Halleur also of Harkaway.

Haysey, Robert Ellsmere  (SN 2588) Robert enlisted on May 17, 1915, he was 20 years old and an orchardist. His next of kin was his mother, Anne, of Narre Warren North.  Robert was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the King of the Belgians in February 1918. He Returned to Australia May 30, 1919.

Irwin, James Purser (SN 5035)
Irwin, Horace Mark (SN 967)
Irwin,  Walter Gray (SN 968)
I have done a post on the Irwin brothers in this blog before, part of a series of Brothers who enlisted, you can read about them here.

Lyon, Charles Hugh (SN 412) Charles was the first cousin of Francis Glover, listed above. His  next of kin was his father, George, of Harkaway. He enlisted at the age of 26 on October 13, 1914 in Walebung in Western Australia. Lieutenant Lyon was Killed in Action in Palestine on November 7, 1917.  Charles' mother, Kate, wrote a letter to the Army on December 1, 1917  Lieutenant C.H Lyon is our  only son. The news of his being 'Killed in Action' came direct to me, according  to our dear sons own wish his father being over 70 we did not want him to hear the news unawares. Is it possible for us to ascertain where in Palestine he was killed?  We regret the  country has lost another  of its brave defenders but his place is already filled by our young nephew and adopted son who enlisted last week and hopes to be as true a soldier as his cousin has been since the beginning of the War. 
Charles attended Geelong College and they have  a tribute to him on their website, you can access it here.

McNabb, Alexander (SN 4166) Alexander  was a 25 year old Engineer and he enlisted on December 13, 1915. His next of kin was his father, Donald, of Harkaway. Alex Returned to Australia  December 22, 1918. Alex was present at the unveiling of the Memorial stone in 1959.

Munro, Robert (SN 6542, incorrectly listed as 65421 in the National Archives) Robert's occupation was Quarrry man  and he served as a Sapper, a military engineer, who constructed bridges, trenches, depots, roads etc.  He was 25 when he enlisted on June 5, 1915 and his next of kin was his wife, Ettie, of Berwick. Lance Corporal Munro Returned to Australia April 13, 1919.

The farewell to Robert Munro, Robert Haysey, J Davidson and either Cyril or Harold Fleer was held at the Harkaway Hall on Saturday, August 14, 1915.

 This report was in the Berwick Shire News of August 18, 1915. You can read the full article at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92090128

Wanke, Arthur Robert (SN 1427)  Arthur enlisted on March 11, 1916, he was a 27 year old carpenter. Arthur was Wounded in Action on three occasions - Gun shot wound left thigh, Gun shot wound hand and Gun shot wound right leg - as I have said before, the banal description of the wounds does nothing to indicate the severity of them.  He Returned to Australia December 12, 1918.
Wanke, Frederick William  (SN 6379)   Frederick enlisted on April 28, 1916, he was a 26 year old farmer. Frederick Died of Wounds, whilst  fighting in France on May 17, 1918.
Arthur and Fredrick were the sons of Emmanuel and Bertha  Wanke of Harkaway. Emmanuel (also spelt Immanuel) was the son of Ernst Gottlob Wanke and his wife Pauline (nee Schurmann) who settled in Harkaway in 1853. Bertha Wanke was an Aursich, and thus from another pioneering German Harkaway family. You can read more about these early German settlers, here.

Part of a tribute to Fred Wanke from the Dandenong Advertiser of July 4, 1918. 

You can read the full tribute at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88817395

Way, Leslie Gordon (SN 4547) Leslie enlisted on January 20, 1916, he was a 23 year old farmer and his next of kin was his father, Edward, of Harkaway. Leslie was gassed on two occasions and he Returned to Australia on March 31, 1919. Leslie was granted a Soldier Settlement farm at Derrinallum, you can read his file here on the Battle to Farm website.

Beaconsfield Avenue of Honour: Servicemen remembered

The Beaconsfield Progress Association have published a book, Beaconsfield Avenue of Honour: Servicemen remembered commemorating the 65 men who were honoured with trees in the Beaconsfield/Berwick Avenue of Honour which runs along High Street/Princes Highway, from the top of the hill down to the Cardinia Creek. 

Funds for the Avenue were donated by Miss Ada Armytage of Holm Park in Beaconsfield. Ada was one of the Armytage family who owned Como House. You can read about Miss Armytage here The trees were planted in 1929 and there were also metal plaques that were made at the time, but never displayed. They went missing for a while and they were located by the late Tony Rushton at the  City of Casey depot, which is where the Avenue is, however Beaconsfield, where most of the soldiers came from is part of the Cardinia Shire. New plaques listing the soldiers names were made and installed in Beaconsfield Park March 13, 2015 - there are three plaques listing the 65 names. How proud Tony Rushton would have been to see this finished project as he did a lot of work on researching and commemorating the Beaconsfield soldiers and was responsible for initiating this project, but he was sadly killed in a car accident at Easter time in 2007.

One of the new plaques installed in Beaconsfield Park in 2015

Photograph courtesy of  Casey Cardinia Remembers website.

The book lists the names, service number and a short biography of each soldier. The research on the soldiers was undertaken by Penny Harris Jennings. It's a a great publication honouring the men who served in the Great War from the Beaconsfield area. Click here to access Library copies of the book.

These are some of the original plaques, taken by Tony Rushton at the City of Casey Depot.

Berwick Grammar School Avenue of Honour and War Memorial

There are three Avenues of Honour in Berwick which commemorate the service of local people in the First World War.  The City of Casey has produced a book on the Avenues in their region, including the three Berwick ones. You can down-load a copy of the book here.

The smallest of these Avenues is the one in Church Street in Berwick which commemorates the nine soldiers who were killed and who had attended Berwick Grammar School. This school operated from 1882 until 1928 and was located in the building on the corner of Church Street and Brisbane Street, in Berwick.

This is the memorial stone, in Church Street, which lists the names of the nine soldiers.

The Argus June 12, 1920

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1710870

We know the Avenue of Honour was planted in June 1920 and an Honour Board listing the names of the 66 'old boys' who joined up was unveiled at the same time and I presume the memorial stone in Church Street was also erected at this time.

Who are the nine boys, who were honoured by the Avenue in Church Street?  It is not always that easy to specifically identify the names on a memorial and in this case, as Berwick Grammar was a boarding school as well as  a day school, many of the students did not have a local address, so I was lucky to find the following article on Trove

, 

Berwick Shire News February 9, 1916

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92090882

As you can see the article lists a number of 'old boys' who had already joined up in 1916, some of whom are on the Avenue of Honour stone. Below is a list of the nine students and their Service Numbers (SN). You can access their full service records on the National Archives of Australia website, www.naa.gov.au

Brunn, E.D'A. This is Eric D'Arcy Brunn (SN 3357) even though his enlistment papers at the National Archives have his surname as Bruun, Eric was born in Seymour and was 38 years old and living in Woodend when he enlisted on June 18, 1917. He was Killed in Action in France on April 25, 1918. I am unsure whether Brunn or Bruun was the correct surname -  his sister, Alice D'Arcy Brunn enlisted as a nurse in 1915 and yet I have found them on the Electoral Roll as both Brunn and Bruun. 

Elmes, H. O.  Herbert Oliver Elmes (SN 1543) was born in Berwick and living in Tasmania when he enlisted at the age of 40, on November 30, 1914. He was Killed in Action in France on November 5, 1916. His father, Thomas, was the Doctor in Berwick from around 1870 until his death on 1893.

Gaunt, E.G.  I believe this is Edwin George Gaunt (SN 2604). He was born at Yarraville and enlisted at the age of 37 on July 7, 1915, in New South Wales. He was Killed in Action in France on July 19 or 20, 1916.

Hodgson, S. I can't work out who this is. On the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour there is  only one S. Hodgson listed - Sidney Hodgson (SN 3562)  who was born and enlisted in New South Wales. He was 18 when he enlisted on September 7, 1915 and was Killed in Action in France a year later on October 22. Was this our S. Hodgson? The history of Berwick Grammar School (citation below) has an incomplete list of students and it lists an S. Hodgison -  but I cannot find any Hodgisons who enlisted.  If you know who this might be, I would love to hear from you.

Hope, H.L.  Harry Leslie Hope (SN 61) was born in South Melbourne and was living in Elsternwick  when he enlisted  on June 4, 1915 when he was 30 years of age. He died of wounds, in France, on April 22, 1917. 

Kent, A.E.  Alfred Ernest Kent (SN 3336) was from Narre Warren and enlisted on  August 2, 1915. Alfred's parents, Anthony and Mary Kent had arrived in Narre Warren around 1875 and purchased Granite Park (which they re-named Oatlands). Alfred was married to Alice Webb, the daughter of Sidney and Ann Webb.  Alfred was 40 when he enlisted as was Killed in Action in France on May 5, 1916.

Lyon, C.H. Charles Hugh Lyon (SN 412) was born at Hawksburn and enlisted in Western Australia on September 10, 1914. He was 26  and his next of kin, his mother, was living at Harkaway. Lieutenant Lyon was part of the Camel Corp and was Killed in Action on November 7, 1917 in Palestine. 

Miller, A.H.  Lieutenant Alexander Henderson Miller was born in Berwick  and enlisted, at Beechworth,  on July 15, 1915 aged 29. He was Killed in Action in Belgium on September 25, 1917.

Robin, A. M.  Arthur Mervyn Robin (SN 2180) was born at Camberwell and was 21 years old when he enlisted on March 10, 1915.  He was Killed in Action in France on June 29, 1916.

The Avenue of Honour in Church Street, Berwick.

There is a  history of the Berwick Grammar School - The School that was: a history of the Berwick Grammar School, 1882-1928 by John Bellair. It was published by the author in 1992.

I have created  a list of newspaper articles about the Berwick Boys Grammar School on Trove, click here to access the list.