Thursday, December 9, 2021

Frederick Bayles (1884-1915)

The area where the town of Bayles is now located was originally known as Yallock, however when the Strzelecki Railway line was opened in  June 1922, the station for the Yallock settlement was called Bayles, after Frederick Bayles. Frederick was the first member of the Railway Construction Branch to be killed in World War One (1). 

Frederick enlisted in the A.I.F, 7th Battalion, on August 20. 1914 and he was a bugler.  He was 30 years old, single, of the Church of England faith and his occupation was listed as a Clerk in Government Service. His address on enlistment was 64 Hoddle Street in Abbotsford. Frederick was 5 feet, 7 inches in height; 11 stone 4 pounds in weight and had blue eyes and fair hair. His next of kin was his brother George Bayles of 6 Watery Lane, Merton Park in London. Frederick embarked on the Hororata on October 19, 1914 and less than seven months later was killed in action at Gallipoli, on May 8,  1915 (2). 


Frederick's oath on enlistment. 
National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au  First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920


The HMAT Horoarta - Frederick embarked in this ship October 19, 1914.
This photo was taken in 1916 at Port Melbourne at another send-off of soldiers.
Photographer: J.E. Barnes. State Library of Victoria Image H40762

Frederick’s brother, Corporal George Bayles of the 1/5 London Field Coy., Royal Engineers (3) was, as we said,  his next of kin on his enlistment form. Frederick’s Attestation file has copies of various letters sent between the Army and George who enquired about his brother’s personal effects and any wages that Frederick might be owed. There is no information as to whether George received any of Frederick’s personal effects, he was, however, sent the Memorial Plaque, the Memorial Scroll and three medals - the British War medal, the Victory medal and the 1914/15 Star medal (4). 

From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website at www.cwgc.org we know that Frederick has his name on the Helles Memorial in Turkey which serves a memorial to the Commonwealth service men who died on the Gallipoli Peninsula and have no known grave or were buried at sea. This site lists Frederick’s parents as John and Louisa Bayles of Battersea in London.


The Helles Memorial, in Turkey, where Frederick's name is listed. 
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cwgc/7682751484/

Frederick was the youngest child of John and Louisa (nee Torr) Bayles. He was born on January 11, 1884 and attended Gideon Road School in Battersea. John was a Stone-mason. Frederick's siblings were -  Louisa  (born 1869), Annie (1871), Eleanor (1873), Arthur (1875), Alice (1877), George (1882) and then Frederick. The first four children were born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the same town where John and Louisa were married. The last three were born in Battersea, London. In the 1881 English Census the family lived at 8 Ashbury Road, Battersea. In the 1891 and 1901 Census they were at 59 Tyneham Road, Battersea. In this Census, Frederick was listed as Clerk. In the 1911 Census, Fred is living with his brother, George at 20 Shelton Road, Merton Park, Surrey. Also living there was George's wife Nellie and their two children - George, aged 5 and 3 year old Violet Nellie. In 1911, Fred's occupation was a Commercial traveller (5). 

Frederick arrived in Melbourne on the Norseman in August 1913 (6).  He was then employed by the Victorian Railways as a Clerk. Then a year after he arrived, he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force and by the following May, he was dead. You would have to surmise that he had made a big impact on his fellow workers because seven years later, they honoured him by naming the Bayles Railway Station after him. The name soon spread to the small settlement surrounding the Station (7) thus the town is a memorial to Frederick and, in a sense, his fellow soldiers who were killed during the First World War.

Frederick's Roll of Honor circular (8) was completed by his sister-in-law, Nellie Bayles, the mother of little George and little Violet. Her own husband, George, was also Killed In Action, on September 21, 1917. He is buried at the Dozinghem Military Cemetery in Belgium (9).


Frederick's Roll of Honor circular, at the Australian War Memorial, was completed 
by his sister-in-law, Nellie Bayles.


Footnotes
(1) The Great Southern Advocate, July 6, 1922, see here.
(3) A letter from George in Frederick's file (see above) says he belonged to the 1/5 London Field Coy., Royal Engineers, but his Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry said George belonged to the Royal Engineers, 511th Field Coy.
(4) See Footnote 2.
(5) This information comes from various databases on Ancestry, including the English Census collection, Marriage records and School records.
(6) Unassisted Passenger list, 1852-1923 at the Public Records Office of Victoria www.prov.vic.gov.au
(7) According to the Cranbourne Shire Rate Books, by 1923-1924, the name had spread to the small settlement surrounding the Station.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Butter, Cream and Milk factories

In 1889, the Victorian Parliament allocated £233,000 to establish creameries, cheese and butter factories in the Colony and to aid other primary industries (1). By 1895 there were 174 factories and 284 creameries in Victoria, including a number in the Koo Wee Rup Swamp area. Up until the 1930s the area could sustain several factories for a number of reasons. Firstly, dairy cattle numbers were at their peak in the 1920s. It is estimated that the Parishes of Koo Wee Rup, Koo Wee Rup East and Yallock (essentially the area of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp) had 12,000 dairy cattle in early 1920s (2) Secondly, most farmers were still using horse and cart for transport, so local factories were necessary. Lastly, the factories had slightly different purposes. For instance, whole milk was received at Iona and Cora Lynn, whilst farms with a separator could deposit cream at Drouin, Lang Lang or Bayles.


My grandparents farm at Cora Lynn in 1928. I have written about their dairy farm, here.

At Iona, a Creamery run by the Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company, was opened in 1897 and by 1900 it had 50 suppliers. The Creamery operated until around 1907. In 1906, the Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory established a factory in Iona on the corner of Little Road and the Main Drain. It closed in October 1928 and was demolished in 1930 (3). Another butter factory, owned by Holdenson and Neilson, operated in Iona from 1912 or 1917 (depending on sources). It closed in 1921 (4).  At one stage the Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company operated 70 butteries and creameries in Victoria (5). Holdenson and Nielson operated at least 20 and in the early 1890s they produced over 2 million pounds of butter, most of it being exported (6). The two companies amalgamated in 1908 to become Holdenson and Nielson Fresh Foods P/L.(7).

The Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory was established in 1904 (8) and expanded under the leadership of their aptly named General Manager, Bill Kraft. This Company should not be confused with the Drouin Co-Operative Creamery, which was established in 1891, went into liquidation in 1895, and was taken over by the Victorian Creamery and Butter Company, who were another big player in the dairy industry, at this time.


Cora Lynn Cheese Factory, taken in 1998. I have written about the Cheese Factory, here.

The Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory began the work of establishing a factory at Cora Lynn in 1910, and it opened in November 1911. The factory was remodelled and extended in 1932, partially to compensate for Iona closing down;  in that year the factory had around 500 regular suppliers. It was closed in the late 1940s/early  1950s (9).  The building is still standing at Cora Lynn and was restored a few years ago. Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory took over the Bayles Butter Factory in 1944, which had been established in 1922. It was re-built and enlarged in 1966 and operated until January 1980. This gave Drouin access to the Melbourne market as Bayles had a City distribution license.  It was for this same reason that Drouin had obtained shares in the Cranbourne and Croftbank Dairies in Cranbourne in the 1930s (10). 


Bayles Milk Factory, 1943.
Image: Bayles Fauna Reserve collection.

Yallock Southern Creamery, which was situated on the corner of the Yallock Creek and the No.5 Yallock Drain Road (which was thus also known as Creamery Road) opened in 1897 as a Co-Operative, closed in 1898, re-opened 1899 and eventually sold to the owners of the Lang Lang Butter Factory (11).  A butter factory had operated in Lang Lang for a few years before it closed in February 1893. It re-opened around 1895 with Charles Wood (or his company Wood & Co) being listed as the owners until 1926, when it was sold to Southern State Produce.

 In 1928 it was purchased by Ivan Stedman, a butter merchant. The Factory was a major employer in Lang Lang. Part of the original factory was destroyed by a wind storm in August 1930 (12). In 1934 it was reported that Extensive additions and alterations are to be made to the Lang Lang butter factory, at a cost of £2000. It is proposed to build a brick milk factory adjoining the present butter factory, a commodious modern garage to hold six trucks, a fodder room, and greatly extend the present can rack (13).  Not sure if this ever came to fruition as this photo from the Weekly Times of June 1932,  looks very much like the later photo, shown below it. 


Lang Lang Butter Factory


Lang Lang Butter Factory,
Image: Lang Lang & District Historical Society.

Farm pick-ups were initially done by horse and cart, but the 1930s the Factory had a fleet of trucks which collected from farms as far away as Phillip Island (14). The factory was sold in 1940 (15). In 1946 Prestige Ltd, the lingerie manufacturers opened in the factory for  a time (16).  Lang Lang Butter Factory is now occupied by Larmax. 


Opening of the Prestige factory in the Butter Factory premises
Dandenong Journal, March 20 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214792914#

Yannathan Butter Factory was established in 1900 or 1905 (depending on sources) and was purchased by Ivan Stedman at the same he purchased the Lang Lang Factory. According to the article from April 1929 (17) below, the plants from both factories were dismantled and re-assembled at Lang Lang.  The closure of the Yannathan factory is confirmed by the Cranbourne Shire Rate books as from 1929/1930 they list the Yannathan factory as the “old Butter Factory." Factory Road, off Heads Road, is all that is left to remind us of the Yannathan Butter Factory. 


Amalgamation of the Lang Lang and Yannathan factories.
Great Southern Advocate, April25, 1929, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254596341

Yannathan, Catani and Bayles dairy farmers could also send their milk to Melbourne on the train, after the Strzelecki Railway line opened in 1922, and in 1923 the milk train carried over 1000 gallons of milk per day from those stations (18). Read about this Railway line, here.


Yannathan Butter Factory
Image:  More Mickle Memories of Koo Wee Rup by David Mickle, published by the author, 1987.

Incidentally, Ivan Stedman (1895-1979) was a champion swimmer and led the Australian team at the opening ceremony of the Antwerp Olympics in 1920. He won a silver medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay team at those Olympics and also competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. This is an achievement, made even more remarkable, by the fact that Ivan spent over three years in the A.I.F. during the First World War and was wounded at Passchendaele (19). 

Before we leave this subject there was a private cheese factory,  constructed in 1892 by John Henry Smethurst on his property Glen Avis in Yannathan.  Smethurst was a pioneer in the use of machines. His dairy had a four horse-power boiler and a three horse-power Tangye engine which worked a 90 gallon separator and 200lb butter churn. He milked 75 cows at Yannathan and also had another cheese factory on his other property Lang Lang Park, at Athlone, where he milked 260 cows (20).

 
Glen Avis, Yannathan, in 1979
Image: Shire of Buln Buln by Graeme Butler (Shire of Buln Buln, 1979)


Footnotes
(1) Godbold, Norman Victoria: Cream of the Country – a history of Victorian Dairying (Dairy Industry Association of Australia, 1989). p. 18.
(2) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968), p. 195.
(3) Nest, Denise Call of the Bunyip: History of Bunyip, Iona and Tonimbuk 1847-1990 (Bunyip History Committee, 1990), p. 17
(4) Ibid.
(5) Godbold, op. cit., p. 58.
(6) Godbold, op. cit., p. 75.
(7) The Argus, June 26, 1908, see here.
(8) Godbold, op. cit., p. 142.
(9) Opening - https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2013/01/cora-lynn-cheese-factory.html; The Argus, September 29, 1932, see here.
(10) Godbold, op. cit., p. 144.
(11) Gunson, op. cit. p. 146.
(12) The Age, August 18, 1930, see here.
(13) Dandenong Journal, September 6, 1934, see here.
(14) Protector's Plains: history of Lang Lang Primary School No.2899, 1888-1988 and district compiled by Barbara Coghlan (CBC Publishing, 1988), p. 12.
(15) Sale of Butter factory

Advertisement for the sale of the Lang Lang Butter factory
Dandenong Journal, August 14, 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216062604

(16) Dandenong Journal, March 20 1946, see here.
(17) Great Southern Advocate, April 25, 1929, see here.
(18) Gunson, op. cit. p. 196.
(19) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, written by Harry Gordon https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stedman-ivan-cuthbert-11754
(20) Butler, Graeme Buln Buln: a history of the Shire of Buln Buln (Shire of Buln Buln, 1979), p. 181-182.  
This book is now, unfortunately, out of print, but if you have an interest in the area it worth trying to track down a copy from a library or a second hand book dealer. Yannathan was part of the Shire of Buln Buln until 1893 when it was annexed by the Shire of Cranbourne. 

A version of this blog post, which I wrote and researched, also appears on my work blog - Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past and has appeared in the Koo Wee Rup Township newsletter, The Blackfish.

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Monday, December 6, 2021

Arcuarte Ridges

There are two arcuate ridges along Ballarto road, one at Cardinia and the other at Rythdale. An acruate ridge is a curved sand ridge or one shaped like a bow. The Victorian Resources online website, has descriptions of both these ridges, in their Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance section, which you can see here.

Cardinia Arcuate Ridge

This aerial photograph was also taken in 1980 and shows the town of Cardinia, built on the arcuate ridge. Starting at the bottom of the photograph, is the Cardinia Recreation Reserve. Ballarto Road runs along the right of the Reserve to the top of the picture. The town is bi-sected by Dalmore Road to the left of the picture, and Cardinia Road to the right. The curve of the sand ridge can be clearly seen.

From the Victorian Resources on-line website - Cardinia township is built on a low sandy ridge that rises five to eight metres above the drained wetlands of the former Dalmore Swamp, part of the Koo-Wee-Rup or Great Swamp. The elevation of the ridge is partly due to depression of the adjacent drained area, as a result of shrinkage and compaction of the peats, but it is also clearly a distinct depositional feature related to sedimentation of the Cardinia Creek. The ridge is composed of coarse and often gravelly and clayey sand and has a well defined concave western margin which resembles an abandoned shoreline. In contrast the eastern edge is less regular with small lobes of sand surrounded by peaty swamp deposits.

These lobes may represent old flood crevasse breaches of the ridge. The ridge has the general appearance of a lunette although it was explained by Jenkin (1974)* as a former levee deposit of the Cardinia Creek.


Sketch map of the Cardinia Arcuate Ridge

Rythdale Arcuate Ridge

The Rythdale Arcuate ridge can clearly be seen in this 1980 aerial. Ballarto Road cuts across the centre of the photograph, above the oval trotting track. Hobsons Road runs towards the top of the photograph and the curved object is the arcuate sand ridge. On the left of the photograph are man made drains to carry the water from the Deep Creek and Toomuc Creek to the Bay, part of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp drainage works.

From the Victorian Resources on-line website - The narrow ridge traversed by Hobson Road is similar in form and composition to that described at Cardinia. It extends for three kilometres south of the Deep Creek Drain but is seldom more than 100 metres in width. The convex (eastern) side lacks the irregularities and depressions that are present at Cardinia, and the Rythdale ridge describes a more gentle curve.


Sketch map of the Rythdale Arcuate Ridge

Significance Statement
These ridges are considered to be of State Significance -
Cardinia: This is one of the two broadly arcuate sand ridges that rise above the drained swamplands. They are morphologically and sedimentologically unique in the study area, and are unusual landforms on a state-wide comparison. Their exact mode of origin has no been investigated in detail.

Rythdale: This ridge is an unusual feature and its precise mode of Cardinia above, the only comparable features in Victoria appear to be on the East Sale Plain near Lake Wellington.


*The references the websites used are
Jenkin, J.J. (1962). The geology and underground water resources of the Tooradin area. Dept. of Mines Vict. Underground Water Investigation Report. No. 4
Jenkin, J.J. (1974). The geology of the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport. Geol. Surv. Report. No. 1974/3.

Another version of this blog post, which I wrote and researched, also appears on my work blog - Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past.

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Monday, October 18, 2021

Christopher Moody (1833-1920)

Moody’s Inlet, which runs into Western Port Bay near Tooradin, and Moody Street in Koo Wee Rup are both named after Christopher Moody. Who was Christopher Moody?


Christopher Moody
Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

Christopher Moody was born in Shepton Mallett in Somerset on February 7, 1833 to Austin Moody and his wife Jane (nee Perrett) (1). His father is listed in the 1851 English Census as 'a farmer of 180 acres employing 5 labourers,' thus, Christopher had a middle class upbringing. However, not being the eldest son and having, I believe, fourteen siblings (2), Christopher had to make his own way in the world and he immigrated to Victoria, arriving on the Morning Star in August 1854 (3). 

He went to Commeralgyp Station (4)  at Rokewood, south of Ballarat to work and remained there until 1860 when he established the Barclay Flour Mills at Rokewood Junction (5).  It was described in the Geelong Advertiser in March 1867 - 
A visit to Moody's flour mill, or more properly called Barclay's mill, situated three miles from Rokewood, will show colonial enterprise. The building has only been erected nine months. It is built of wood, forty-five by twenty-five feet, in six flats. At the present time two stones are in operation, driven by a fourteen horse-power engine, producing above five hundred bushels of pulse per week, but the proprietor is so much pressed that two additional stones will be added shortly. The grain is received principally from the Ondit district (6). 

Christopher married Jane Halbert Hyslop on October 6, 1863 in a Presbyterian ceremony at Junction Diggings, in the Rokewood District. They were both 30 years old and their address was Roseneath Farm (7). They had eight children, all born at Rokewood -  Clara (1864-1906), John Austin (1865-1867), Isabella Mary (1868-1940), Edith (1869-1927), Jessie (1870-1960), Jane (b. & d.1872), Christopher John (1873-1943) and Celia (1874-1958) (8). 

Christopher purchased 1,686 acres of the Great Swamp Run at the land sales held on March 25, 1875 for the amount of £2,451 (9). Moody and the other land owners had to clear and drain their land. The family lived on their property called Invermead, on the South Gippsland Highway, east of the Inlets. The homestead had a dairy, workshops, slaughter house, poultry pens, pigstyes and kitchen garden (10). 

Moody was elected as a Cranbourne Shire Councillor in 1884 and served until his resignation in January 1894 (11).  His obituary in the Koo Wee Rup Sun of November 18, 1920 said that in all municipal matters, especially on roads, his sound and practical knowledge made his services of value. Moody was one of the strong personalities on the Council and Niel Gunson, in his book The Good Country, describes him as an astute councillor and man of inflexible principle (12).

In 1890, Moody who owned what was to become the site of the Koo Wee Rup township sub-divided the land between Rossiter Road and the Main Drain and Denham’s Road and the Highway. Very little of the land was sold due to the 1890s depression. The sub-division set out Moody, Gardner (called Koo Wee Rup Street by Moody), Henry (called Christopher Street by Moody) and Salmon Streets (13).

Christopher Moody was a public spirited man who exercised influence for the advancement of the district (14). Moody donated the land for the Presbyterian Church and the Public Hall in Koo Wee Rup (15) and he was a Vice President of the Tooradin Mechanics’ Institute which opened Boxing Day 1882 and a member of the Tooradin State School Board, which had opened in 1875 (16). 

Jane Moody died on December 8, 1885 at the age of 51, and is buried at Cranbourne cemetery. Of Christopher and Jane Moody’s children it would appear that only one of them married – Jessie married Edward Percy Walker in 1898. Edward and his father operated the Tooradin store for a while and after his marriage, Edward had a store at Lang Lang and later at Dandenong (17). Jessie and Edward  had seven children - Jean, Christopher, George, Marion, Edward, Keith and Lachlan. The five sons all enlisted in the Army in the Second World War. Their eldest son, Christopher, was the chief sub-editor and assistant editor of the Melbourne Sun when he enlisted. A report at the time of his death said that he preferred to fight as a Private rather than accept a commission as official broadcaster. He was killed fighting in Syria in June 1941 (18).

Christopher Moody moved to his house, Shepton, in Rossiter Road in Koo Wee Rup when it was built in 1902. He died on November 17, 1920. A report in The Argus in January 1921 said that his Estate was worth £51,862 of which £3,910 was real estate and the £47,952 other assets (19). In this Will dated April 7, 1910 Moody left the Shepton estate of 586 acres, together with all the rest of his real estate to his son, Christopher. The residual of the Estate was to be sold and  divided into five equal shares for his son and daughters Isabella, Jessie and Celia. His other daughter, Edith, was to receive the income from her share to support her, and if this was not enough, then part of the principle. After Edith’s death the Will stated that the remaining part of her share was to be divided equally between the Melbourne, the Alfred, the Austin and St Vincent’s Hospitals. This suggests that she was unwell or in need of support, even in 1910 when the Will was written (20). After Edith died on October 24, 1927 her share of the Estate was distributed to the four Hospitals. In 1927 this amounted to £7,200, and in 1929 another £1,147 was distributed (20). 

Christopher Moody is buried at Lang Lang, for some reason not at Cranbourne with his wife. The head stone also has the incorrect date on it and says he died in 1921. It seems a bit of a sad end for a man who contributed so much to the Community.

Koo Wee Rup Sun obituary
Some of this information was taken from his Obituary published in the Koo Wee Rup Sun, Thursday, November 18, 1920. It is transcribed here -
A link binding the present with the past has been severed on the death of Mr Christopher Moody, sen., which sad event took place at his residence, "Shepton," Kooweerup, early on Wednesday morning. The deceased, who was 88 years of age, had been ailing for some time, and despite the best medical attention and tender nursing he passed away as above stated. The late Mr Moody was born on February 7, 1833 at Shepton Mallett, Somerset, England. He left Liverpool on June 5, 1854, when 21 years of age, in the Morning Star, arriving at Hobson's Bay on August 20. Immediately after landing he went to Commeralgyp Station, Rokewood. After experiencing several years of station life, he established Barkley flour mills at Rokewood Junction, in the Ballarat district, in 1860. In 1870 he came to the Gippsland district and bought 2000 acres on the Kooweerup Swamp, part of which the township is now on. While here he built "Invermead," which is now occupied by Mr. R. Preston. These were stirring days, and only those associated with the hardship and struggles of the pioneers have any conception of what had to be faced. While living here many pioneers when passing through found in deceased a hospitable friend and guide. He later built a place near the Monomeith station, and later still erected "Shepton," where he has since resided. Deceased was a public-spirited man and exercised his influence for the advancement of the district. He served in the Leigh Shire Council for nine years, and was a member of the Cranbourne Council for a similar period. In all municipal matters, especially on roads, his sound and practical knowledge made his services of value. He was the first to advocate the use of swamp gravel on the roads in these parts, and in other respects he earned the appreciation of both councillors and ratepayers as a sterling worker. His wife pre-deceased him 35 years ago. He leaves one son and four daughters to mourn the loss of an upright and devoted father, and the district will be bereft of a good and honest citizen. The remains will be privately interred in the Lang Lang Cemetery to-day (Thursday) in the Anglican portion of the cemetery.

Trove list - I have created a short list of newspaper articles on Trove, on Christopher Moody and his extended family. All articles referenced here are on the list, which you can access here.

Footnotes
(1) Birth date from obituary - Koo Wee Rup Sun Thursday November 18, 1920 -  and parents from marriage certificate. There are some sources which list his mother's surname as Berkley, but the marriage certificate says Perrett. 
(2) Various family trees on Ancestry list the 15 children of Austin and Jane  Moody. Christopher's younger brother Charles also migrated to Victoria and lived locally. Charles Moody died at his property Milford, in Pakenham on May 18, 1926, at the age of 91.
(3) Obituary - Koo Wee Rup Sun Thursday November 18, 1920
(4) Commeralgyp Station  - listed as Commeralghip in Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip by R. V. Billis & A.S. Kenyon (Stockland Press, 1974). It had 25, 574 acres and was first taken up in 1838. It was leased by John Cullen from March 1875 until August 1857; then Richard Lewis had the lease until January 1862, so these would be the two men who Moody worked for.
(5) Listed on obituary as Barkley flour mill.
(6) Geelong Advertiser, March 25, 1867, see here.
(7) Information from marriage certificate. Her parents are listed as John Hyslop and Mary Brownrig. The witnesses were Thomas Hyslop and the second signature looks like Bridget Bettina Hawkins. A Thomas Hyslop is listed as holding the licence of Hyslop's Hotel, Rokewood Junction in 1872 (Geelong Advertiser, December 19, 1872, see here) He died May 2, 1877 at Rokewood Junction, aged 60 (Ballarat Courier, May 4, 1877, see here) His parents were John Hyslop and Jane Halbert, so I presume he was Jane Moody's cousin. I have no information about Bridget Hawkins, assuming that  was the name of the second witness. Roseneath Farm - Edward Johns had a Roseneath Farm in the 1860s in the Carngham Roads Board District - see below. Carngham is north of Rokewood, but still in the Ballarat area, so this is possibly the place where the couple were living and working (?) at the time of their marriage.


Ballarat Star, November 9, 1861 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66343348

(8) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.
(9) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire  (Cheshire, 1968), p. 125
(10) Gunson. op. cit., p. 127
(11) Gunson, op. cit. 
(12) Gunson,op. cit.,  p. 93
(13) Mickle, David  Mickle Memories of Koo Wee Rup - for young and old  (The Author, 1983), p. 18.
(14) Obituary - Koo Wee Rup Sun Thursday November 18, 1920
(15) Gunson, op. cit., p. 166.
(16) Tooradin : 125 years of coastal history - Blind Bight, Cannons Creek, Dalmore, Sherwood, Tooradin North and Warneet. Published by the Tooradin celebrates together 125 years Education Committee in 2000. 
(17) Gunson, op. cit., p. 167.  See articles in my Trove list regarding the various locations where the Walkers operated.
(18) Dandenong Journal, October 1, 1941, see here.
(19) The Argus, January 28, 1921, see here.
(20) Christopher Moody's will is on-line at www.prov.vic.gov.au
(21) The Argus, December 23, 1927, see here; The Herald September 25, 1929, see  here.
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Saturday, October 9, 2021

Mr Nutting 'invents' a new type of Ute

The Argus of October 13, 1936 published the following article

A NEW TYPE OF COUPE UTILITY Victorian's Invention
An interesting variation of the coupe utility type of coachwork has been invented in Victoria. It gives all the goods carrying facilities of the usual type, but the tray can be converted to a lorry type in

a few seconds, or can be folded so that the vehicle is indistinguishable from an ordinary private coupe car. Last week Mr. A. C. Nutting, the proprietor of general stores at Garfield and Catani, who was largely responsible for the design, demonstrated a vehicle built to his specifications to General Motors-Holden's Ltd., who have expressed considerable interest in it.

Mr. Nutting has used the vehicle for some time in his business, and claims that it has several advantages over the usual coupe utility. For example, it can protect bulky loads from the weather; it can be adjusted to take long articles which extend over the rear of the vehicle; and when folded down does not possess the appearance of a commercial vehicle, and, consequently, does not look out of place for social use.

The construction is simple. The boot cover, which is substantially built, is hinged in two places, so that when unfolded half of it forms an extension to the floor of the boot and the other half forms the rear flap of the goods tray. On this rear flap the two side pieces are hinged. Mr. Nutting's car is a Ford Ten, and the floor space for goods obtained with his patented coachwork is about 5ft. 3in. by 4ft. It is believed that a rather similar type of coachwork has been developed with considerable success in America (1).

This is the image which accompanied the article. The caption reads - Above, as a coupe. In the centre, opened for carrying goods which may extend over the rear platform. Below, as a utility with bows in place for covering in wet weather.

I don't believe Mr Nutting's design went into full production, but it was an innovative solution which allowed him to carry out deliveries in a motor car, rather than having to purchase a truck, and this was the same rationale behind the invention of the standard Utility. There are various versions on the Internet as to how and why the Ford utility was invented - the story goes that  in 1932 or 1933  a 'farmers wife' from Gippsland wrote to Ford Australia asking if they could produce a vehicle which could be used for 'going to church on Sunday and to  take the pigs to market on Monday'. I have read somewhere that the farmer's wife was actually from Bunyip.  The Managing Director of Ford, Hubert French, passed the letter onto Louis Thornet Bandt of the design team and the first Ford coupe utility was built at Ford's Geelong Plant in 1934 (2). The Ford Utility thus predates Mr Nutting's 'invention' by two years, but the benefit of his design was that goods could be carried in the standard boot, or the space could be extended to take longer items and a cover could also be fitted for protection from rain. 

Who was Mr Nutting?  Arthur Clive Nutting was born in Carlton on February 19, 1896 to George and Emilie (nee Sears) Nutting. George was a tinsmith and the family lived at 70 McIlwraith Street in North Carlton (3).  On April 27, 1916 Arthur enlisted in the A.I.F. His occupation was listed as a Clerk and he was 20 years old. Arthur embarked on May 20 and after serving overseas he Returned to Australia July 23, 1919. Arthur also served in the Volunteer Defence Corps in the Second World War (4).  In April 1920, Arthur was admitted as a Licentiate of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants (5).  During the early 1920s he was employed in the Commonwealth Public Service War Service Home Commission until his resignation in November 1922 (6).

In 1923, Arthur married Connie Eunice Grace Smith (known as Eunice) the daughter Andrew and Emily (nee Wildman) Smith. They had three children that I can trace - Donald George, Robert Arthur and Heather Elizabeth (7). The family lived  at 292 Riversdale Road in Auburn until 1926 when they moved to Catani to operate the General Store (8). The store had been established by Robert Bush in 1922 (9) in the newly created town on the Koo Wee Rup to Strzelecki Railway line. In November 1927, Arthur successfully applied to the Cranbourne Shire to install a petrol pump in front of the shop (10). He also applied at the same time to the Licensing Court for a Spirit's Merchant's and Grocer's Licence (11). Whilst living at Catani the family took part in the social life of the community - in February 1927 Arthur was the Secretary of the Yannathan and Catani Picnic Race Club and the next year he was the President of the Catani Tennis Club (12).


Catani State School 1931.
Arthur and Connie's son, Don, is fourth from left in the front row (13).
Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society.

In January 1929, the family had a narrow escape from a fire, an unusual fire, except if you are living in a town on a reclaimed Swamp, like Catani was - this is the report from The Age -  The store of Mr. Nutting, of Catani, narrowly escaped destruction by fire yesterday. The peat near the store had been burning for some days, and yesterday's high wind caused the fire to spread rapidly. Owing to the peat burning some distance under the surface, a trench had to be dug on three sides of the buildings. A large number of neighboring farmers gave valuable assistance in saving the premises. The railway buildings were also threatened at one stage (14).

In 1930, the Nuttings, who had been renting the Catani store from Robert Bush, purchased a store in Garfield, however he still continued to operate the Catani store until 1936, as far as I can tell from the Cranbourne Shire Rate books. They moved to Garfield around March 1932 (15).

Arthur was a man who saw a future in motor cars, because in 1934 he applied to the Berwick Shire to have  a petrol pump installed in front of his store and this was granted (16). Once again, the family involved themselves with the community - in 1933 Arthur was elected as President of the Garfield Golf Club and he was later the Secretary. In 1940, Arthur was elected as the inaugural President of the Garfield branch of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association. In 1933, Eunice was elected as the secretary of the Garfield Country Women's Association and in  1935 she was the Secretary of the newly formed Baby Health Care Centre in Garfield and she was also the Vice President of the Mothers Club (17). 

It was in October 1936 when Arthur demonstrated a vehicle built to his specifications to General Motors-Holden's Ltd. (18) The Nuttings, as well as operating the store at Garfield also had a farm as  there are a numerous references of sales of his merino sheep in the Newmarket sales reports (19). The farm was sold in 1945 and the store was sold in 1950, but the Nuttings had already left Garfield for Black Rock in 1943, where they lived at 32 Ebden Avenue (20). Eunice was the inaugural President of the Black Rock branch of the Country Women's Association, established in February 1946. At its first anniversary celebration it had 150 members. (21)


The Nuttings home after Garfield, Black Rock House.
Black Rock House. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.
State Library of Victoria Image H32492/5101

The Nuttings moved (22) to the original house in Black Rock, Black Rock House, which had been built in 1856 for Charles Ebden - the house gave the suburb its name (23).  In August 1973, Arthur Nutting applied to the Sandringham Council for permission to demolish the house to build flats. The application to demolish the house was refused, after some involvement from the National Trust and other interested parties. The Age newspaper of August 14, 1973, also published an interesting article, written by Peter Smark, about the building, under the head line - Time to  stop developer - If the hammer falls the council and people of the area will have proved they care nothing about the origins of their place and Melbourne as a whole will have shown it has learned nothing (24).


The garden walls of Black Rock House, Black Rock, the property 
the Nuttings moved to when they left Garfield.
Black Rock House and Fortifications, c. 1905.
Image is cropped from a postcard. State Library of Victoria Image H90.140/55

Further in the article Peter Smark wrote about the significance of the building Black Rock House was built of timber and sandstone quarried from nearby Quiet Corner area in 1856-57. It was designed by Clauscen and Becker for Mr Charles H. Ebden, and the superb stonework on the garden walls is by John and Patrick Barrow, two of the best stone craftsmen then working in the Port Phillip Bay area.  Mr Ebden was a man of some importance. Before separation he was the Port Phillip District's member in the NSW Legislative Council. He later served as Auditor-General to Lieutenant-Governor LaTrobe and was Treasurer and member of the first Victorian Legislative Council (25).

In 1974, Black Rock House was purchased by the City of Sandringham Council for $66,000, with two thirds of the money being a State Government grant. (26). The property has been restored and renovated and is now open to the public,   https://www.blackrockhouse.org.au/

Arthur Nutting, World War One veteran, Accountant, Storekeeper and the inventor of a new type of Ute, died November 13, 1978, aged 82 and his wife, Eunice, died April 10,  1983, aged 81. They were cremated and their ashes at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery (27).


Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Arthur Nutting and his family, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Argus, October 13, 1936, see here.
(2) Two versions of the story https://web.archive.org/web/20100412152629/http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/First_ute.htm
and https://hidrive.com.au/a-brief-history-of-the-ute/
(3) Date of birth from his listing on the Springvale Botanical Cemetery website, here. Address and father's occupation from the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(4) World War One record https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7991299
World War Two https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2
(5) The Herald, April 22, 1920, see here.
(6) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette December 28, 1922, see here and resignation Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, March 22, 1923, see here.
(7) Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Index; children listed with them in the Electoral Rolls and Donald served in World War Two https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2 He was born August 2, 1924.
(8) Date of arrival in Catani from the Electoral Rolls - in 1927 they were listed at Riversdale Road, and in 1928 Arthur was listed as a Merchant at Catani. As he became the Secretary of the Yannathan and Catani Pony Races in February 1927, I believe they must have been in the town in 1926, in spite of what the Electoral Roll says.
(9) https://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-town-of-catani.html
(10) Dandenong Journal, December 10, 1927, see here.
(11) The Argus, November 22, 1927, see here.
(12) The Argus, February 24 1927, see here; The Argus, April 3, 1928, see here.
(13) The Photo was labelled with most of the names when it was donated to the Koo Wee Rup Historical Society in 2020.
(14) The Age, January 19, 1929, see here.
(15) Shire of Berwick and Shire of Cranbourne Rate Books. The Koo Wee Rup Sun of March 3, 1932 on page 1, reported that Mr A.C Nutting has taken up his residence at Garfield. 
(16) Dandenong Journal, August 23, 1934, see here.
(17) The Age, April 25, 1933, see here; https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/08/garfield-hospital.html;  The Age, November 29, 1933, see here; The Argus, July 25, 1935, see here; The Argus, July 15, 1936, see here.
(18) The Argus, October 13, 1936, see here.
(19) See my Trove list.
(20) Shire of Berwick Rate books, various articles in my Trove list and the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com.
(21) The Age, January 10, 1947, see here; Black Rock House: built for Charles Ebden in 1852, Sandringham Historical Series, No.2, published by City of Sandringham, March 1983.
(22) A Colonial Beau Brummell built Black Rock House by John Hetherington, The Age, October 19, 1963. p. 22. The article said the Nuttings purchased the property in 1943 and lived in part of the old house for a while but now lived in a modern house on the property. The Age article was accessed on Newspapers.com, an Ancestry.com add-on.
(23) The house has a Friends Group - https://www.blackrockhouse.org.au/
(24) Time to Stop Developer by Peter Smark, The Age, August 14, 1973, p. 2. Accessed on Newspapers.com, an Ancestry.com add-on.
(25) Time to Stop Developer by Peter Smark, The Age, August 14, 1973, p. 2. Accessed on Newspapers.com, an Ancestry.com add-on.
(26) Black Rock House: built for Charles Ebden in 1852, Sandringham Historical Series, No.2, published by City of Sandringham, March 1983.
(27) Springvale Botanical Cemetery website, here.


This article, which I researched and wrote, was first posted on my work blog Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past blog.
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Monday, September 6, 2021

Bill Parish's History of Garfield 1951 - 1960

The Souvenir booklet for the Back to Garfield celebrations held in June 1962 included a history of Garfield for each decade, written by Bill Parish (1915-1994). This is the chapter from 1941 - 1950.
I have added the footnotes. Heather Arnold

Garfield 1951-1960 by Bill Parish

This period was marked by a wave of prosperity which followed immediately after the effects of war had been obliterated.

Many old properties were cleared and made into farms, particularly in the Garfield North-Tonimbuk area. Many new homes were erected in Garfield at the east and west ends of the main street, and also on the hill in Archer Road and Campbell Street. Television also made its appearance, with the result the picture theatre closed down (1).

Sporting facilities were greatly increased, with new tennis courts, a bowling green and a T.Q. Midget Car race track (2). There were now two cricket clubs, three tennis teams, and three football teams.



Garfield Main Street, 1952

The Cannibal Creek Reserve was developed by a committee of Management with Mr F.C. Cox as president, Mr C. W. Parish as secretary, and Mr G. Fry as Resident Warden. A committee was also formed in Garfield to build a swimming pool (3),  with Mr C.G. Simcocks as its President.

There were many changes amongst the businessmen of the town, and some of these were: Cation & Warren, P.T. Wharington, J. Dunkley, J. Greening, J. Laurie and B.C. Robert (storekeepers); A. Rose, Little, V. Quinton and J. Dunkley (café proprietors); W. Gilmore (hairdresser); L. Marsh and J. Fawkner (butchers); Maud, Umlauft and Badstone (bakers).


Garfield Post Office Staff - Mr & Mrs A.F. Tanner, Miss K. Kitchen and Miss I. Marshall.
Weekly Times June 18, 1952 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224019417

Doctors were Dr Martin, Dr Laidlaw and Dr Gild (4). Chemists: Messrs Sarah and Taylor. Post Masters: Tanner, Coleman and Jarvis; Bank Managers: Macrae, Marshall and Wallace; Police: Pringle and Smith; Publicans: Smith, Fuller, Bevan and Hurley.

By the end of the decade, inflation had become a problem, but a slight “squeeze” organised by the government had only slight effect on this area.

The Boy Scouts made great progress, with the 1st Garfield Troop reaching the highest possible standard in camping proficiency in Victoria under the leadership of SM F. Cox and ASM J. Marsh. By the end of this period Scout groups were established in all local centres.


Garfield Scout Group
Weekly Times June 18, 1952 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224019417

The electrification and duplication of the Gippsland railway line (5) gave Garfield a rail service comparable with suburban areas, and electricity was now being supplied to almost every house in the district. 

Roads were improved, and a long term sealing programme was made by the Shire to cope with the ever-increasing road traffic.

So, after 120 years, the district has reached a very high standard of progress and achievement which, let us not forget, has been laid on the cornerstone of foresight provided by our early pioneers.

Footnotes
(1) The Garfield Theatre re-opened at weekends from 1970 to 1971. I have written about the Picture Theatre here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/03/garfield-picture-theatre.html
(2) T.Q. Midget Car Track - see page 15 of the April 2020 Spectator http://www.garfieldspectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Garfield-Spectator-April-2020-website-.pdf 
There are also four videos of Midget Car Racing at Garfield on You Tube filmed c. 1959/1960 by Geoff Blackwell and posted by Cee Jones  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHlhxodT484  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20m0NyX98Rs
(3) The Swimming Pool was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Rohan Delacombe, on Saturday February 11, 1967.

From the Vice Regal Column - notice of the Pool's opening.
The Age, Monday February 13, 1967 from Newspapers.com

(5) Electrification of Railway line - July 21, 1954. Duplication of line between Tynong and Bunyip - August 19, 1956. Source:  https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Garfield  More on the Garfield Railway Station here  http://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/garfield-railway-station.html


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Sunday, September 5, 2021

Bill Parish's History of Garfield 1941 - 1950

The Souvenir booklet for the Back to Garfield celebrations held in June 1962 included a history of Garfield for each decade, written by Bill Parish (1915-1994). This is the chapter from 1941 - 1950.
I have added the notes about Garfield’s World War Two service people.  Heather Arnold.

Garfield 1941-1950 by Bill Parish

The World War took many young men from the district in this period, and rationing was introduced for most commodities. The fruit industry was controlled by a Board, which gave growers approximately double the pre-war price.   

The Red Cross and Comforts Fund did much valuable work under the presidency of Mr. J Kierce.  


Some Garfield Red Cross Members, 1945
Weekly Times August 22, 1945 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24110267

After the War, business began to improve, and by the end of the decade, prosperity had put all people firmly on their feet. Many new residents and businessmen came to the district, and the old properties, selected 70 years previously, were developed further. In fact, so much land was cleared that it affected the physical geography of the locality to such a degree that many streams became non-perennial and water catchment and conservation was affected.


Garfield Country Women's Association, 1945  -  Miss A. Doherty, Mesdames L. Chappell,
 F. Rigg, L. Haigh, N. Sturzaker,  C. Simcocks.
Weekly Times August 22, 1945 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24110267


Townspeople at this stage: A. Mauger, B. Robert, J. Scott, and Cation and Warren (storekeepers); V. Maud (baker); R. Petty, W. Walker, G. Minton, C. Breman, J. Jessop and J. Fawkner (butchers); K. Sarah (chemist); N. O’Halloran and C. Pringle (police); C. Jackson, G. Hosking, W. Johnson and C. Webber (bank managers); C. Chapple and G. Fischer (school teachers); N. Graham (Station master); Doctor Martin; G. Hamm, F. Dean and J. Brenchley (garage proprietors).

The Boy Scout Troop was reformed under the leadership of C. W. Parish, F. C. Cox and F. R. Rigg.


Garfield Progress Association, 1945 - Messrs C.A. Chappell, F.A. Rigg, First Constable N.A. O'Halloran, Messrs H.A. Hourigan, D. Simcocks, C.G. Simcocks, T.K. Sarah.
Weekly Times August 22, 1945 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24110267


Garfield’s World War Two Service people
The World War Two Nominal Rolls https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ are divided into three lists - people who were born in a locality; people who lived in a locality at the time of their enlistment and people who enlisted in a locality. The figures for Garfield are - 86 people who were born in Garfield enlisted; 86 people lived in Garfield at the time of their enlistment and 77 people enlisted in Garfield. Of course, some people are in more than one of these categories, but overall, 205 different people who enlisted had a connection to Garfield. 

We won’t look at all these people, but we will look at the nine women who served who had a connection to Garfield. The National Archives of Australia are in the process of digitising all WW2 Service Records. Of the women listed here, only the records of Florence and Bertha Green are digitised and they are both only two pages, so I have limited information about everyone’s service.

Crouch, Doreen Mina (SN 96389). Doreen was born in Garfield on June 6, 1924. She was living in Glenhuntly when she enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in August 1942 and was discharged in April 1946. Doreen is the daughter of William and Marjory Crouch, they are listed in the Electoral Rolls of 1925 through to 1936 at Garfield, and his occupation was a storekeeper. Doreen married William Henry Walker in 1947. He was a teacher and they lived in the Geelong area. 

Dawes, Dulcie May (SN 174202). Dulcie was born in Garfield on April 11, 1926, the daughter of Alfred and Gertrude (nee North) Dawes. She was living in Springvale when she enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in May 1944 and was discharged in February 1946. Dulcie married Ernest James McNab in 1946, and sadly was only 47 when she died in 1973. 

Dore, Eileen Greta (SN VF396618). Eileen was born in Garfield on January 6, 1924. She was also living in Garfield when she enlisted in the Army in December 1942 and she was discharged in April 1944. Eileen was the daughter of Patrick and Greta (nee Monaghan) Fawkner; he was the butcher in Garfield. Eileen married Robert James Dore in 1944. I presume she left the Army to get married, so I was surprised that her records are under her married name, not Fawkner, which would have been her name on enlistment.
 
Green, Bertha Alice Amy (SN WR3051) Bertha, born on August 15,1925, enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service in June 1945, and served until July 1946.
Green, Florence May (SN WR/1995) Florence was born on May 6,1920 and enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service in March 1944. She was discharged in June 1946.
Florence and Bertha were both born in Garfield to Daniel and Eliza (nee James) Green. They are listed in the Electoral Rolls of 1912 through to 1931 at Garfield. Daniel’s occupation was a farmer. I have no other information about the two sisters.

Griffin, Elsie Blanche (SN VF346647) Elsie was born in Garfield on April 30, 1921. She enlisted in the Army in February 1942 and was discharged in October 1943. Elsie married Maxwell Henry Griffin in 1943. Elsie is the daughter of William Herbert and Blanche Harriet (nee Moore) Shreeve. They lived on the Eleven Mile Road, at Tynong. As with Eileen Dore, Elsie’s official records are listed under her married name, not Shreeve, the name she would have enlisted under.

Jack, Elizabeth (SN 90028) Born in Garfield on October 28, 1921, Elizabeth enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in April 1941 and was discharged only a month later in the May. Perhaps she was medically unfit. Her parents, Richard and Ruby Jack are listed in the Electoral Rolls at Garfield from 1921 to 1926; he was a Baker.

Jolley, Ida Lillian (SN VF516239) Ida was born in Garfield on December 5,1924 and she was living in Garfield when she enlisted in the Army in August 1944.  Ruby was discharged in May 1946 and married Geoffrey Charles Gribble in 1948. Ida is the daughter of Alexander and Ruby (nee Johnson) Jolley. 

Lewis, Muriel Anna (SN VFX114955 / V145392) Muriel was born in Korumburra on February 24,1919 to James and Elsie May (nee Cox) Attrill. She was living at Garfield when she enlisted in the Army in November 1942 at Bonegilla. Muriel was discharged in December 1943, and she married Stephen Leslie Lewis the same year. Stephen was also in the Army; he was from New South Wales and they lived there after the War. Muriel is another woman who enlisted under her maiden name, but all her records are in her married name. James and Elsie Atrill had moved to Garfield from Korumburra sometime after 1924. Sadly, their fifth child died at Bunyip in 1929 at only one day old, and then on April 18,1930 James also died. He was 35 years old. Elsie remarried in 1935 to Ernest John Watts and continued to live in Garfield.


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