Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Who lived in Garfield in 1903?

The 1903 Commonwealth Electoral Rolls are listed by Polling Place and the Bunyip Polling Place covers Garfield, Bunyip and Tynong. What the list tells you is the name of the person enrolled and their occupation. I have extracted the Garfield information from this roll (which is available on Ancestry database) and there were 174 people enrolled with Garfield as their address of which 76 are women and 98 are men. You had to be 21 to enrol at that time. So, who did live in Garfield in 1903?

As you would expect, most of the men were engaged in farming activities - there were 48 farmers. Some of these farming families are now remembered in the names of local roads such as Brownbill, Campbell, Archer and Brew. According to the Shire of Berwick Rate Books the farms ranged in size from 15 acres to over 400 acres with John Lamble having 454 acres and William Shreeve 434 acres. Other occupations listed included two farm hands, four orchardists - William Ellis, John James, Robert Weir Smith (Junior) and William Weir Smith. Albert and George Marshall are listed as being a Station Manager and a Grazier. The Shire of Berwick Rate Books show the Marshalls owned 318 acres which doesn’t seem large enough to qualify as a Station.


The female pupils at Garfield State School, c. 1900-1910.
State Library of Victoria Image H2008.13/15

The occupations also give us some idea of the commercial structure of Garfield in 1903. There were three bakers - George Bird, Thomas Farrington and Charles Magnus; two blacksmiths - George Park and William Ritchie; two butchers - Charles Routley and William Walker. Charles Lobb is listed as a draper, George Archer, Russell Perl and Alfred Wild are storekeepers and William Campbell is listed as a grocers assistant. George and Thomas Ellis were produce merchants, Charles Regester was a driver; Joseph Rutledge was a saddler, Phillip Knight was an agent and James Towt was a contractor.


Advertisement for George and Thomas Ellis, Produce Merchants
South Bourke & Mornington Journal August 12, 1903 

Reflecting the growth in the area at the time there was one builder, Robert Weir Smith (Senior) and three carpenters – Ingebert Gunnulson, Samuel Harvey and Phillip Leeson. Joseph Jefferson is listed as a brick maker and John Jefferson as a wood merchant. To satisfy the grooming needs of Garfield, Percy Malcolm was the hairdresser and John Daly, the school teacher, took care of educational needs.

School teacher, John Daly, was also the Registrar of Births and Deaths in Garfield. 
He was appointed September 1899.
Victoria Government Gazette, September 15, 1899. p. 3537.


There were several unusual occupations – Thomas Chippindall is listed as Crown Lands Bailiff; he was employed by the Department of Lands and Survey. Joseph Walker is described as being of Independent means, William Hewitt was an old age pensioner and David Brunt is described as a maltster, which is a beer maker. There were two railway employees - Robert Brewer and Charles Mason.


Appointment of Thomas Chippindall, and others,  as Crown Lands Bailiff
Victoria Government Gazette, August 30 1902, p 3486. 


What about the women? Of the 76 women all had home duties listed as their occupation, except for Florence Mason, the wife of Charles, who is listed as the Post Mistress. This all purpose description of "Home Duties" would not reflect the real role women played in helping to run the family farm or business. Elizabeth Williamson, listed on the Roll, owned 299 acres so was a major landowner in the area, but her occupation was still listed as "home duties". 

The first Federal election in Australia took place in March 1901, and was conducted according to the voting legislation in each State. This Parliament enacted the Commonwealth Franchise Act of 1902, which gave the vote to most adults - both males and females - who were British subjects over the age of 21. The first election under this Act took place on Wednesday, December 16, 1903.  We should appreciate the fact that women, including the 76 Garfield women listed on the 1903 roll, were eligible to enrol to vote and stand as candidates. This didn't happen in England until 1918, when women over 30 got the right to vote (women over 21 got the right to vote in 1929). In the United States women couldn't vote until 1920 and there are still countries in the world where women cannot vote. As a matter of interest, women in Victoria could not vote in a State election until 1908, and Victoria was the last State to give them this right – South Australia was 1894, Western Australia 1899, New South Wales 1902, Tasmania 1903 and Queensland 1905.*  


Here is the list of of the 174 people with a Garfield address in the 1903 Electoral Roll

Adamson,  Jessie Home Duties
Ahearn,  Patrick Farmer
Ahearn,  Bridget Home Duties
Alyward,  Margaret Home Duties
Archer,  Joseph Farmer
Archer,  Susan Home Duties
Archer,  George Storekeeper
Aspinall,  Elizabeth Home Duties
Barber,  Joseph Farmer
Barber,  Catherine Home Duties
Bird,  George Baker
Bird,   Grace Home Duties
Body,  John Farmer
Body,  Elizabeth Home Duties
Brew,  Robert Farmer
Brew,  William Arthur Farmer
Brew,  Margaret Home Duties
Brewer,  Janet Allen Home Duties
Brewer,  Margaret Ann Home Duties
Brewer,  Robert Railway employee
Brownbill,  George William Farmer
Brownbill,  Mary Home Duties
Brunt,  Alice Home Duties
Brunt,  David Maltster
Burrows,  James Farmer
Burrows,  Mary Home Duties
Campbell,  William Mortimer Grocers Assistant
Campbell,  Henrietta Home Duties
Campbell,  John Labourer
Cantieni,   Alice Allen Home Duties
Chippindall,  Thomas Edward Crown Lands Bailiff
Daly,  John Joseph School Teacher
Edis,  Frederick Herbert Farmer
Edis,  Annie Home Duties
Edis,  Charles De Linea Farmer
Edmiston,  Annie Home Duties
Ellis,  Helen   Home Duties
Ellis,  Helen Jane Home Duties
Ellis ,  Theresa Ann Home Duties
Ellis,  William Orchardist
Ellis,  George William Produce Merchant
Ellis,  Thomas John Produce Merchant
Farrell,  Patrick Farmer
Farrell,  Julia Home Duties
Farrington,  Thomas Baker
Fentrill,  Samuel Thomas Labourer
Fox,  John Farmer
Fox,  Ellen Home Duties
Gaghin,  Michael Farmer
Gaghin,  Annie Home Duties
Gullick,  John Farmer
Gullick,  Lilian Home Duties
Gunnulson,  Ingebert Carpenter
Gunnulson,  Mary Home Duties
Hardwick,  David Farmer
Hardwick,  Janet Allen Home Duties
Hardwick,  David Oudgtrig Labourer
Hardwick,  John William Labourer
Hardwick,  Robert Watson Labourer
Harvey,  Samuel Francis Carpenter
Harvey,  Laura Home Duties
Heagney,  Thomas Farmer
Heagney,  Elizabeth Home Duties
Hewitt,  Martha Jane Home Duties
Hewitt,  William Old-age Pensioner
Hogan,  John Joseph Farmer
Hourigan,  Henry Arthur Farmer
Hourigan,  Valentine John Farmer
Hourigan,  Catherine Home Duties
Hourigan,  Mary Home Duties
James,  John Orchardist
Jefferson,  Joseph Brick maker
Jefferson,  Marion Ethel Home Duties
Jefferson,  John Henry Wood Merchant
Johnson,  Thomas William Farmer
Johnson,  Matilda Home Duties
Jolley,  Joshua Farmer
Jolley,  Harriet Home Duties
Keppel,  Jeremiah Farmer
Keppel,  Mary Home Duties
Knight,  Philip Sidney Agent
Lamble,  John Farmer
Lamble,   Amelia Jane Home Duties
Leeson,  Phillip Carpenter
Leeson,  Amelia Home Duties
Leeson,  Catherine Home Duties
Lewitzka,  Mary Home Duties
Lobb,  Charles Guerney Draper
Magnus,  Charles Edward Baker
Malcolm,  Percy Hairdresser
Marshall,  George Grazier
Marshall,  Albert Edgar James Station Manager
Mason,  Florence Clara Post Mistress
Mason,  Charles Dexter Railway employee
Mathews,  James Farmer
Mathews,  Elizabeth Home Duties
Maybury,  William Martin Farmer
Maybury,  Louise Olive Home Duties
McLean,  Julia Home Duties
Middenway,  Stephen Cox Farmer
Middenway,  Emma Home Duties
Middenway,  Gerritt Henderick Labourer
Miller,  Luke Farmer
Miller,  Fannie Home Duties
Murphy,  John Farmer
Murphy,  Eleanor Home Duties
Olsson,  John Emil Farmer
Park,  George Blacksmith
Park,  Annie Home Duties
Perl,  Florence Home Duties
Perl,  Russell Alfred Storekeeper
Pettman,  Ellen Home Duties
Pettman,  Frederick Labourer
Pettman,  Isaac William Labourer
Petty ,  William Michael Farmer
Pfau,  Jane Home Duties
Pitt,  Charles Farmer
Pitt,  Lily Home Duties
Quin,  Martin Farmer
Quin,  Ellen Home Duties
Quin,  Julia Home Duties
Regerster,  Charles Lee Driver
Ritchie,  William Blacksmith
Ritchie,  Mary Ann Home Duties
Routley,  Charles Thomas Butcher
Rutledge,  Margaret Home Duties
Rutledge,  Joseph James Saddler
Shipton,  Emma Sophia Home Duties
Shipton,  Jane Home Duties
Shipton,  Thomas Henry Labourer
Shreeve,  James Farmer
Shreeve,  William Farmer
Shreeve,  Alice Sarah Home Duties
Shreeve,  Emma Home Duties
Smith,  Robert Weir Senior Builder
Smith,  Jessie Home Duties
Smith,  Margaret Home Duties
Smith,  Sarah Jane Home Duties
Smith,  Robert Weir Junior Orchardist
Smith,  William Weir Orchardist
Snider,  Henry Carl Farmer
Stevens,  William Farm hand
Storen,  John Farmer
Sullivan, Patrick Labourer
Thompson,  Henry Farmer
Thompson,  Ellen Home Duties
Towt,  James Allett Contractor
Towt,  Edward Arthur Farmer
Towt,  James Farmer
Towt,  Sarah Jane Home Duties
Tully,  Lawrence Farmer
Tully,  Margaret Home Duties
Turner,  Henry Edwin Farmer
Vaughan,  Thomas Farmer
Vaughan,  Caroline Home Duties
Walker,  William Stanley Butcher
Walker,  Charlotte Home Duties
Walker,  Florence Home Duties
Walker,  Joseph Henry Independent means
Watson,  Joseph Farmer
Watson,  Sarah Jane Home Duties
Watts,  Ernest John Farmer
Watts,  Emmie Elizabeth Home Duties
Watts,  Rose Matilda Home Duties
White,  Mary Home Duties
Wild,  Alfred Storekeeper
Williams,  John M. Farm hand
Williams,  Edward Farmer
Williams,  Mary Jane Home Duties
Williamson,  Thomas George Farmer
Williamson,  Elizabeth Home Duties
Willing,  Adolph Christoph Farmer
Wilson,  Edwin Farmer
Wilson,  Sarah Home Duties


To see who lived in Koo Wee Rup in 1903, click here.

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