Lang Lang had good news in September 1919 as Dr Appleford and his wife, Nurse Alice Ross-King decided to settle into the town -
Lang Lang is about to have a longfelt want filled, namely a resident doctor, Dr Appleford, a returned soldier, having decided to take up his abode at Lang Lang. The doctor is at present on his honeymoon in the Lakes district. His wife (nee Miss King Ross) is also a returned "soldier"- and holds the M.M. for bravery under fire - the Huns having shelled the hospital in France in which she was working. The doctor and his wife will be a great acquisition to the district, and we wish them the best of good luck. (1).
Dr Appleford comes to Lang Lang
South Bourke and Mornington Journal September 11, 1919
Dr Appleford also consulted at Koo Wee Rup, at Mr T. Burhop's and Grantville on 'sale days'.
Where to consult with Dr Appleford
Koo Wee Rup Sun Nov 12 1919, p. 1
The Applefords lived in a house beside the Butter Factory in Station Street (2) and started operating a private hospital. Dr Appleford treated the usual range of ailments and incidents common in a country town, including treating the 54 people injured in the Christmas Eve train accident of 1928, when a passenger train hit a stationary goods train at Koo Wee Rup (3). Here are some other reports of his medical cases, including happy births and sad deaths.
Birth of Jean Chisholm at Dr Appleford's Hospital
Birth of baby Goudie at Dr Appleford's Hospital
Death of young William McCord at Dr Appleford's Hospital
Other reports of Dr Appleford's cases -
Bee Attack - Unbeknown to his mother, Colin Leeson, the 14 months’ old child of Mr. and Mrs. A. Leeson, of Caldermeade, followed his mother to the garden and sat down in front of a bee-hive, and as a result the bees attacked him and stung him severely round the head. The child’s screams attracted his mother’s attention, and she was severely stung in rescuing him. He was hurried to the surgery of Dr. Appleford, of Lang Lang, who ordered his removal to a private hospital for observation, in case poisoning and shock should supervene. The child has since returned home apparently none the worse for his adventure (4).
Snake bite - A resident of French Island was attacked and bitten by a tiger snake during the week-end. He was brought into Lang Lang, where he was given treatment by Dr. S. T. Appleford, who ordered his removal to a public hospital (5).
Shooting accident - Stanley Jackson, aged 16 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Jackson, of Lang Lang, nearly lost his left hand as the result of an accident while he and three friends were out shooting. The gun exploded while he was trying to fix the safety catch. One of his companions stripped his shirt and bound the arm. After supporting Jackson in turn as they made their way back to the vehicle, they brought him into Lang Lang, where has was treated by Dr. S.T. Appleford, who ordered his removal to Melbourne. An operation was immediately performed, and it is believed that the youth's hand will be saved. (6)
The Applefords also joined in with the community life of Lang Lang - Alice Appleford was a member of the Lang Lang State School Mother's Club and President in 1934 and 1935. The couple's four children - Isobel, Marion, John and Richard - all attended Lang Lang State School. She was also a member of the Lang Lang R.S.L. Women's Auxiliary. Sydney Appleford was a founding member of the Lang Lang Tennis Club and President for the first fifteen years; a member of the Lang Lang Golf Club Committee (7).
The Appleford's farewell function
In 1940, Dr Appleford sold his practice to Dr Alan Hewitt of Koo Wee Rup, as he had enlisted in the Australian Medical Corps. The family left Lang Lang at this time and moved to 255 Buckley Street, Essendon.
Dr Sydney Appleford
Image: Geelong College
Sydney Theodore Appleford was born on August 29, 1891 in Geelong to John and Mary (nee Knight) Appleford; he attended Geelong College and then studied Medicine at Melbourne University. Sydney applied for a Commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps on August 24, 1915 when he was 23 years, 11 months old. He left for service overseas in the October and then returned to Australia in September 1916 on medical grounds (gastritis). He recovered and was sent back overseas in February 1917. In July 1918, he was promoted from Captain to Major. Dr Appleford Returned to Australia January 14, 1919. It was during the voyage home that Sydney Appleford met his future wife, Sister Alice Ross-King, and they married in Melbourne on August 20, 1919. Dr Appleford re-enlisted in the Army in the Second World War on April 12, 1940 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and was discharged in January 1949. (8). He died on September 20, 1959 and is buried at Fawkner Cemetery. (9).
There is a short and interesting biography of Dr Appleford on the Geelong College website,
here.
Sister Alice Ross King
Dr Appleford's wife, Alice, had also served in the First World War, and as we saw in the article at the top of the post, she holds the M.M. for bravery under fire - the Huns having shelled the hospital in France in which she was working. Alice Ross-King was born on August 5, 1887, in Ballarat, the daughter of Archibald and Henrietta (nee Ward) Ross King. She was actually christened Alys, but generally used Alice. She trained as a nurse at the Alfred Hospital and also worked at the Austin, Mildura and Wentworth Hospitals. Alice enrolled in the Australian Army Nursing Service on November 5, 1914.When she arrived in Egypt she was assigned to a Clearing Hospital for Gallipoli casualties. In April 1916, the Australian General Hospital, to which she was attached, was transferred to France. On July 22, 1917 the hospital was bombed and for her bravery, Sister Ross-King was awarded the Military Medal, one of only seven Australian Nurses who received this award during World War One. The award was gazetted in the London Gazette of September 25, 1917 and appeared in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on January 24, 1918 (10).
Sister Ross-King awarded the Military Medal
In November 1918, Sister Ross King was awarded the Royal Red Cross decoration in recognition of her valuable service with the Army in France and Flanders. The Royal Red Cross decoration was the initiative of Queen Victoria to reward women who showed exceptional service and dedication in nursing sick and wounded servicemen, whether at home or abroad. (11). Sister Ross-King's diary, 1915 - 1919, has been transcribed and can be read on the Australian War Memorial website, here.
Sister Alice Ross-King awarded the Royal Red Cross decoration
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. November 7, 1918, p. 2111.
Lorna Finnie, the author of Sister Ross-King's Australian Dictionary of Biography entry describes her service in World War two - She enlisted for full-time duty with the V.A.D.s and her husband was commissioned as a medical officer in the army. By 1942 the V.A.D.s had developed into the Australian Army Women's Medical Services and Alice Appleford was commissioned as a major and appointed senior assistant controller for Victoria. Untiring in her devotion to duty and hard work, with responsibility for some 2000 servicewomen, her organizing skills had great impact on fund-raising activities during World War II. She was fully committed in assisting Red Cross and Service charities, supporting war widows and children and demonstrating concern for the well-being of members of the A.A.W.M.S. (12).
Major Alice Ross-King
Alice Appleford died August 16, 1968 in Sydney and she is buried with her husband at Fawkner Cemetery. (13)
Footnotes(1)
South Bourke and Mornington Journal, September 11, 1919, see
here.
(2) Coghlan, Barbara Protector’s Plains: history of the Lang Lang Primary school No.2899, 1888-1988 and district (CBC Publishing, 1988), p. 22.
(3) Photographs here -
https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2020/02/railway-accident-at-koo-wee-rup.html ; Accounts of the accident -
The Argus, December 26, 1928,
here;
Weekly Times, December 28, 1928,
here;
The Australasian, December 29, 1928, see
here. There are varying reports of the number of people injured -
The Argus says it was 54 passengers; The
Weekly Times 48 passengers and the
Koo Wee Rup Sun of January 2, 1928 says it was 52 passengers.
(4)
Dandenong Journal, January 25, 1934, see
here.
(5)
Dandenong Journal, April 11, 1935, see
here.
(6)
The Age, July 9, 1935, see
here.
(7) Dandenong Journal, May 11, 1933, see
here and Coghlan, op. cit;
The Age, July 16, 1937, see
here;
Great Southern Advocate, September 24, 1936, see
here;
Great Southern Advocate, April 23, 1936, see
here.
(8) Military Service - WW1 Attestation file at the National Archives of Australia, see
here; WW2 Attestation file at the National Archives of Australia, see
here.
(9) Death notice, The Age September 22, 1959, p. 15.
The Age September 22, 1959, p. 15. newspapers.com
Isobel Appleford married Arthur Roy Mansfield Watson in 1941; Marion Appleford married Lieutenant Geoffrey Howard Sanders, RAN, on July 19, 1948, see a report of the wedding in
The Argus June 21, 1948
here;
(12) Finnie, op. cit.
(13) The ADB entry has her death date as August 17 1968, but the death notice from her son, John has the date as August 16.
The Age, August 19, 1968, p.14. newspapers.com
The Age, August 20, 1968, p. 21, newspapers.com
This is an updated and expanded version a story, which I wrote and researched, which appears on my work blog,
Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years
