The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth took place on May 12, 1937. This was celebrated all over the Commonwealth including in Pakenham where more than 1000 people competed in or witnessed a procession or gymkhana which had been arranged to mark the occasion. The streets were gay with bunting, and a spirit of carnival prevailed. The report in the Pakenham Gazette continued with a list of the activities from the day including the best decorated vehicle competition, a colourful display by the men of the 52nd Battalion, foot races and, in the evening, a Ball which was held at the Pakenham Theatre (1).
The next week on May 21, 1937 the Pakenham Gazette had the following report - Amongst the hundreds of interested spectators who saw the Coronation procession at Pakenham last week was Mr A. E. Hillman, of Pakenham, a member of the Australian Contingent which went to England in 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII. Mr Hillman was in the Garrison Artillery and served in the Boer War from 1899 to 1901 under Major (afterwards General) Monash and was awarded the South African medal with six clasps. The Australian Coronation Contingent in 1902 comprised 150 officers and men, 42 of whom were selected from Victoria. The troops were away from Australia for about six months, and in addition to taking part on the Coronation festivities in London toured England and Scotland. Mr Hillman recalls many pleasant memories associated with the trip (2). As we can see from the short article, Alfred Ernest Hillman, not only witnessed the coronation of Edward VII but also served in the Boer War (also known as the South African War).
Alfred was born in Drysdale in 1869 and had come to Pakenham with his parents, Edward and Eliza (nee Hopkins) Hillman in 1885 (3). His obituary in the Pakenham Gazette said that he had the distinction of being the first man to enlist from Pakenham for war service (4).
Alfred enlisted in the 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles (5). He was awarded the South Africa medal with six clasps. This medal was officially called the Queen's South Africa medal and was awarded to all those who served. You can see the clasps on the photograph, at left. Each clasp represented a location (presumably where a battle took place?) such as Transvaal, Modder River, Johannesburg. The Defence Department, where this photograph comes from, has an explanation and description of the badge as well as a list of the twenty six clasps, here.
The other interesting thing the Pakenham Gazette article notes was that Alfred served in the Boer War from 1899 to 1901 under Major (afterwards General) Monash. This is, of course, Sir John Monash, World War One General and later the General Manager of the State Electricity Commission. However, Monash's Australian Dictionary of Biography entry (see here) written by Geoffrey Searle, said that although Monash was a member of the North Melbourne Battery of the Metropolitan Brigade of the Garrison Artillery, he did not volunteer for and was not invited to take part in the South African War. Possibly, Alfred may have served under Monash in the Garrison Artillery before he went to South Africa.
William came home from South Africa on the Tongariro; he and his fellow Victorians disembarked in Sydney and arrived by train at Spencer Street Station on May 2, 1901 (6). Alfred's obituary notes that after his War service, he resided in Melbourne, then he came back to this district [Pakenham], remaining here ever since (7). On June 29, 1904, Alfred married Eva Murcutt at St Ignatius' Church in Richmond. They had two daughters, Eva Florence, born in 1905 and Winifred Mary, born in 1906, both in Richmond (8).
In the Boer War nominal rolls (9) Alfred is listed with the service number of 252 the man with the service number of 253 is Joseph Murcutt, Eva's brother (10). Did Alfred and Joseph know each other before they enlisted or did they met in the recruiting office, become friends and then Joseph later introduced Alfred to his sister? Joseph also arrived home on the Tongariro, so perhaps Eva was part of the large crowd that met the returning soldiers at Spencer Street, and that is how Alfred and Eva first met. (11).
Sadly, Alfred and Eva's marriage was short-lived as Eva died on July 25, 1906 at only 24 years of age.
In 1909, Alfred married Cecilia Elizabeth Smith (12). They had one son Alfred George, known as Fred, born in Pakenham in 1912 (13). Alfred was very community minded and actively associated himself with many organisations in Pakenham - the Horticultural Society, where he was a foundation member; the Mechanics' Hall, Recreation Reserve, Cemetery Trust, St James Church, Racing Club and the Farmers' Union and the Country Party (14). Alfred was a farmer and in the last twenty three years of his life, his obituary noted that he operated a poultry farm in Main Street, near the railway station (15).
Alfred died on October 15, 1947, aged 78. He was survived by his wife Cecilia; daughter Eva; daughter and son-in-law, Winnie and Ted Law and their daughter Enid; and son Fred. Cecilia died on November 5, 1978. Alfred and Cecilia were cremated and they are interred at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery (16).
Footnotes:
(1) Pakenham Gazette, May 14 1937, p. 3
(2) Alfred's obituary in the Pakenham Gazette, October 17, 1947, p. 6 lists his place of birth and date of arrival in Pakenham. Edward Hillman and Eliza Hopkins had the following children, the first two were born in England and the rest on the Bellarine Peninsula (information from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages).
Albert Edward (1861-1907)
Francis John (1863 - 1949)
Adeline Mary (1865 - 1956, married William Ferguson in 1898)
Julia Anne (1867 - 1934, married Martin John Hitchins in 1892)
Alfred Ernest (1869 - 1947)
Edward Hopkins (1871 - 1931)
Florence Emily (1871 - 1954, married Robert Francis Lovibond in 1906)
Edith Augusta (1876 - 1876)
Maud Alice (1877 - 1947, married John Charles Whitmore in 1908)
Ida May (1882 - 1909, married James Luke Rees in 1908)
Edward died March 21, 1920, aged 86; Eliza died in 1930, aged 93. They are buried at Pakenham Cemetery.
By his death Pakenham has lost one of its oldest and most highly esteemed residents.
He was born at Drysdale, and coming to Pakenham with his parents 62 years ago, he spent the greater part of his life in this district and won the high regard of all who knew him.
He had the distinction of being the first man to enlist from Pakenham for war service. He served with the Australian contingent in the South African War at the beginning of this century, and shortly afterwards was selected as one of the soldiers to represent Australia at the Coronation celebrations in London.
For some time after his return from England he resided in Melbourne, then he came back to this district, remaining here ever since.
Although in recent years Mr Hillman has confined his public activities mainly to various producers’ organisations, in his younger days he actively associated himself with practically every public body in Pakenham. With his death Pakenham loses one o f the few surviving members of the Horticultural Society’s first committee. The Mechanics’ Institute, Recreation Reserve, Cemetery Trust, St. James’ Church of England, and the Racing Club were other bodies which had claimed his keen interest and help, and he was also prominently connected with the Farmers’ Union and the Country Party.
For the past 23 years he had engaged very successfully in poultry farming.
Kindly and helpful by nature, Mr Hillman had a host of friends throughout the district, and the news of his death was received with widespread and deep regret.
The sympathy of the whole community goes out to his wife, son and two daughters in the great loss they have sustained.
The funeral, which was largely attended, took place at Springvale yesterday, Rev. W.P. Daunt officiating at the Crematorium Chapel. Messrs W.J. Garnar and Son had charge of the funeral arrangements.
(8) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.
(9) Boer War Nominal Rolls, see here.
(10) Eva was the daughter of William John and Eva Susannah (nee Ratcliffe) Murcutt. They had thirteen children between 1881 and 1908 - Joseph who enlisted with Alfred was the first child, born in 1881 and Eva was the second oldest, born in 1882 (information from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages)
(12) Cecilia (1887 - 1978) was born in Pakenham, the daughter of Oscar and Elizabeth (nee Flower) Smith. Oscar was a blacksmith in Pakenham, he died in 1935 aged 77, you can read his obituary in the Dandenong Journal of October 10, 1935, here. Elizabeth died in 1955, aged 91 and is buried at Pakenham Cemetery with her husband.
(14) Obituary - Pakenham Gazette, October 17, 1947, p. 6
(15) Obituary - Pakenham Gazette, October 17, 1947, p. 6; There was also a short obituary in the Dandenong Journal of October 29, 1947, see here.
