The Tooradin State School Honor Board is displayed at the Fishermans Cottage Museum, on the foreshore at Tooradin. The Museum is operated by the Cranbourne Shire Historical Society. They also have the Cranbourne Presbyterian Church Honour Board, I have written about this here.
The Tooradin State School, No. 1503, was opened in 1875. The Honor Board was unveiled on April 27, 1922 by Inspector Henderson of the Education Department.
The Honor Board lists the names of men from Tooradin who served in the Great War who had an association with the Tooradin State School. Here are the soldiers, who are listed on the Board. I have listed their Service Numbers (SN) so you can look up their full record on the National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au
I have used the book Tooradin: 125 years of coastal history - Blind Bight, Cannon's Creek, Sherwood, Tooradin North, Warneet 1875-2000 State school No. 1503 (1) which has a list of students who attended the school, for some of the family information.
Alford, J There was a Joe Alford was at the Tooradin school around 1908 - 1910, so you would have to assume that this is J. Alford listed on the Honour Board. The 1908, 1909 Electoral Roll has a William Alford listed at Tooradin, so that fits in with Joe's commencement date at the School. There is a funeral notice in The Argus on March 23, 1909 for Annie Alford, 'late of Tooradin' this was most likely Ann Eliza Alford (nee Rogers) whose death was registered at Cranbourne - she was 72 years old. She was married to a William Alford, but at that age clearly was not the mother of a school age Joe, but possibly the grandmother. There are a number of Joseph Alfords who enlisted but none that I can find with a connection to Tooradin. Even allowing for the fact that the Joe Alford listed as a pupil in the book is a red herring, I still cannot find a J. Alford with a local connection.
Amos, Victor Anthony (SN 2868) Victor and his siblings, Cyril and Daisy enrolled at the school in 1893. Their brother, Eric, started in 1900. Victor enlisted on June 13, 1916 at the age of 32. He was a farmer and his next of kin was his wife, Margaret, and they were living at Leongatha. Victor Returned to Australia May 6, 1919. Victor was granted a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read his file, here, on the Battle to farm website.
Cole, William Preston (SN 3629) William, a clerk, enlisted on July 19, 1915 at the age of 25. William Returned to Australia May 8, 1919. William was the son of William and Charlotte Catherine Cole. His father was a Police Constable. Constable Cole was stationed at Tooradin from 1890 until 1910, when he was transferred to the newly established Police Station at Lang Lang (2). William was granted a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read his file, here, on the Battle to Farm website.
Denham, George Dunlop. George was a stoker in the Royal Navy, he enlisted on April 1, 1908 at the age of 20.
Denham, Robert Alexander (SN 392) Robert was born in Koo Wee Rup and was living in Carlton and he was a fireman when he enlisted at the age of 28 on February 17, 1915 (that's the date according to the Embarkation roll and July 17, 1915 is the date according to the Enlistment papers). His next of kin was his friend Annie Ritchie. Robert Returned to Australia July 10 1916 and was discharged on medical grounds due to a form of rheumatism.
George and Robert were the sons of John and Janet Denham. John Denham was the Cranbourne Shire Secretary from 1909 to 1911 and the Rate collector for nine years, he also had a store at Yallock and a dairy farm at Koo Wee Rup. Janet's father, Alexander Dunlop, had the Harewood Mains property at Tooradin and had a successful cheese making business (3).
Duff, T - I can't find a T. Duff with a connection to Tooradin. Charles' brother, William Vere Hobart Duff (SN 860) enlisted on January 6, 1916 aged 23. His next of kin was his wife, Brenda, of East Malvern. William Returned to Australia on January 10, 1918.
Cardinia State School established a tree plantation in honour of local soldiers in July 1917 and both Charles and William were honoured with a tree, so he is a likely candidate to also be on the Tooradin Honor Roll. You can read about the Cardinia plantation and the Reverend Duff, here.
Hardy, Horace Robert (SN 19995) Horace enlisted on June 20, 1917 at the age of 21. He was born at Clyde and was a farmer. He Returned to Australia July 13, 1919. Horace was the son of William John Hardy (c. 1855 - 1940) and Sophia Wells Cadd (1856 - 1919) of Dalmore. His paternal grandparents, Emling and Emily (nee Gregory) Hardy took up land at Clyde North in 1856 - Hardy Road is named after the family. His maternal grandparents were Thomas and Sarah (nee Wells) Cadd who took up land at Clyde in 1862 (4). Horace also has a tree planted in his honour in the Memorial Grove at Cardinia State School, see here.
Henderson, Leslie Rupert (SN 369) I presume that as this man is listed as R. L Henderson that he was known as Rupert, so I will call him that. Rupert enlisted on September 15, 1914. He was a 27 year old tram conductor. His was born in Tooradin and his next of kin was his mother, Mrs D.M Henderson (Mrs David Metcalf Henderson, nee Christina McKay) of Tooradin. Rupert Returned to Australia November 15, 1918.
Irvine, H.R You would think this would be easy to find but I cannot find a H.R Irvine or H.R Irving who enlisted; there are no Irvines/Irvings listed in Tooradin: 125 years of Coastal History and I can't find an Irvine/Irving in the Electoral Rolls, so I am not sure who this is.
Lewitzka, Herbert John (SN 28415) Herbert was 18, a student, when he enlisted on May 11, 1916. He was born in Beulah and his mother, Mary Schneider of Murrayville, was his next of kin. Herbert Returned to Australia July 1, 1919. What was his connection to Tooradin? There are only two Lewitzkas who enlisted in the War, the other is his brother, Frederick James (SN 32297) who was a 24 year old farmer when he enlisted in September 1916. Mary Schneider was born Mary Jane Jeffrey and married Frederick Lewitzka in 1891, they were divorced in 1903 on the grounds of his 'habitual drunkedness' and she then married Johann August Schneider also in 1903. Mary and Johann (or John as he was listed) are in the 1909 Electoral Roll at Tooradin, with his occupation as storekeeper (5).
McCulloch, David Stuart (SN 2107) David, who was born in Melbourne, was a 22 year old farmer from Parkes in New South Wales when he enlisted on June 26, 1917. His next of kin was his father, David, of Tralee, Parkes. David Returned to Australia May 11, 1919. David McCulloch senior purchased the Tooradin Estate in 1880 and built the existing brick house, he was married to Janet Margaret McDonald Craik, the daughter of Mr George Craik, owner of Kincraik in Beaconsfield Upper. Kincraik, opened in 1888, was a 32 room guest house, which had views to Western Port and the Morningon Peninsula. The name was changed to Salisbury House in 1896 and after various changes of ownership it became a nursing home in 1989 (6). You can read an account of their wedding in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of August 13, 1890, here.
Milburn, John (SN 966) John was born in Tooradin and his next of kin was his mother, Emily, whose address was State School, Tooradin. John's father, William, was the Head Teacher at Tooradin from 1886 to 1917. John enlisted on May 6, 1915. He was a 23 year old sleeper hewer. John suffered a severe bullet wound to the right arm in September 1918, recuperated in hospital in England and Returned to Australia March 31, 1919.
Moore, C Not sure who this is. There was a Cornelius and a Richard Moore at the school in 1893, but I cannot find a Cornelius who enlisted. There is a Thomas and Mary Moore listed in the Electoral Rolls at Sherwood (which is in the region of where the Tooradin-Baxter Road intersects with the South Gippsland Highway and along to Fisheries Road) in 1905 and 1906, so this person may be connected to them.
Mundy, William James (SN 1637) William was a 21 year old carpenter when he enlisted on May 8, 1916. His next of kin was his wife, Jessie, of Dandenong. William was wounded in action - gun shot wound to the neck - in September 1918 and after a period of time in hospital in England he Returned to Australia April 19, 1919. William was born in Hastings and he was the son of Henry and Amelia (nee Kernot) Mundy. Henry Mundy was a professional fisherman at Tooradin as were members of the Kernot family. You can read more about the Kernot family, here.
Porter, J.C. Another mystery - I cannot find a J.C Porter who enlisted with any local connections, they are not in Tooradin: 125 years of Coastal History and no local Porters on the Electoral Roll.
Robins, Arthur Welsley Underwood (SN 35 and 2271) Arthur was a 19 year old sawmiller when he enlisted on October 5, 1914. He fought at Gallipoli, was shot in the left arm and sent back to Australia and was discharged on medical grounds on April 28, 1916. Arthur then enlisted again on May 31, 1917, serving with the Flying Corps and Returned to Australia January 24, 1919.Robins, Rufus Roy (SN 64558) Roy, is what he seems to have been known as, enlisted on June 25, 1918. He was 20 years old and an orchardist. He was sent overseas in September 1918 and Returned to Australia July 10, 1919.
Arthur and Roy were the sons of Edwin and Alice (nee Underwood) Robins. Edwin was the licensee of the Bridge Hotel at Tooradin from 1909 to 1917. When Roy enlisted in 1918 the family were living in Glen Waverley. The Robins' had another son who went to war, Henry Albert (SN 5185), he was 28, an engine driver, when he enlisted in January 1916, so too old to have attended the Tooradin State School in the time frame the family was there. Henry was wounded in action - gun shot wounds to left arm and left thigh and Returned to Australia August 1917 and was medically discharged. Bit of family history: Edwin and Alice had sixteen children between 1879 and 1905. Arthur and Roy were born in Barramunga, in the Otway Ranges, south of Forrest, and Henry was born in Sale, so the family shifted around a fair bit. Another son, Charles, married Molly Milburn in 1912, the sister of John Milburn, listed above (7).
Stredwick, Ralph Edmund (SN 35910) Ralph was 22 when he enlisted on September 25, 1916. He was a labourer. Ralph Returned to Australia February 28, 1919. You can read a letter that Ralph sent back to his parents in 1918, published in the Benalla Independent on March 29, 1918, here.
Stredwick, Roger Charles (SN 218) Roger was a 21 year old dentist when he enlisted on August 19, 1914. Roger Returned to Australia July 7, 1916 and was discharged on medical grounds in February 1917 (Malaria). It appears that becoming a dentist at that time was done as an apprenticeship as Roger was listed as an apprentice to Dr Vandenberg of Benalla.
Roger and Ralph, both born at Beechworth, were the sons of William Stredwick and Ada Mary Walter, who operated the Tooradin Store from 1906 to 1909, but were living in Benalla when the boys enlisted. Roger was born in 1893 so was his stated age of 21 when he enlisted, however Ralph was born in 1898, so was actually only 18 when he enlisted, not 22 like he claimed.
Strudwicke, George Poole (SN 7305) Surname is listed as Stredwick on the Honor Board. George was a 29 year old farmer when he enlisted on October 7, 1916. He was born in Tooradin and his next of kin was his mother, Catherine Strudwicke, of Lang Lang. George was wounded in action and had his left leg amputated and was in hospital in England for over a year before he Returned to Australia December 13, 1918. George was the son of Mary Catherine Strudwicke (nee George) and her 'partner' George Poole. George Poole was the licensee of the Sherwood Hotel, just north of Tooradin, until 1906. You can read more about the Pooles and the Sherwood Hotel, here.
Is there a connection between the Stredwick boys and George Strudwicke? They are both unusual surnames and perhaps one branch of the family changed the spelling.
Warnes, William Edward (SN 505) William enlisted at the age of 24 on September 14, 1914. His next of kin was his mother, Elizabeth, of Cranbourne. William enrolled at Tooradin State School in 1900. William Died of Wounds, whilst a Prisoner of War, on the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 8, 1915.
William Warnes was the adopted son of Elizabeth Warnes. She wrote this letter to the Army in August 1920 and she said, in part, the Neglected Childrens Department at Royal Park handed him to my care at the age of about sight months and when he was seven years old I adopted him and he lived me with me and my family until he enlisted and went to the War.
A touching letter written by William's friend James Pasmore to Mrs Warnes about William's death. James Pasmore (SN 486) enlisted on September 14, 1914 and Returned to Australia in February 1919.
Footnotes
