Walter and Veda Thewlis and their happy time at Middle Park

My grandfather, Walter Herbert Thewlis, was born on December 15, 1900 at Monea North. He was the youngest child of Frederick and Catherine Maria (nee Roberts) Thewlis, and had four older brothers.  The family later moved to Locksley and then to Euroa, where on leaving school after completing Grade 8, Wally started work at Burton's Store. When he was 20, he came down to Melbourne to work in hardware/ironmongery stores and learn the business. Wally worked at Alfred Tharratt, P/L at 373-385 High Street, Northcote and J. E Thomson, 223 High Street, Preston. (1) He boarded with Mary Murray at 63 Waterloo Road in Northcote and whilst he was there he met Mary's niece, Veda Read, his future wife and my grandmother. 

In 1925, he opened his own business at 712 Sydney Road, Brunswick in the recently completed Whiteway buildings and called his business Whiteway Hardware shop. Wally and Veda were married on May 4, 1929 at the Church of the Epiphany, Northcote by Mr James Hughes. Veda was a teacher and had taught at Thornbury State School and Mr Hughes was the Head Master. He then retired and became an Anglican clergyman. After they were married they boarded at a house near the Moreland Railway Station but then decided it would be nice to live near the beach, so they moved to Middle Park.

Life by the beach at Middle Park - Wendy, Wally and Veda's daughter, at 15 months, 

with her cousin George. Taken around December 1935. 

The buildings on the right, originally a terrace of four, are on the corner of Harold Street and Beaconsfield Parade (2). The building on the left is 197 Beaconsfield Parade, a double storey terrace. The block to the right of this,  is where the flats at 199 were built, which Wally and Veda moved to at the end of 1936. 

Photo: Veda Thewlis

They moved firstly to 174 Canterbury Road, and then around 1932 they moved again to 328 Danks Street. This was a large house owned by Mrs Agnes Collis, a widow. She had no children of her own, but her husband had three children from his first marriage - they were grown up with families.  One of them was a Mrs Dixon, who lived in Wright Street, and whose back gate opened onto the lane which ran beside Mrs Collis' house. Mrs Collis was apparently known as Collie, but asked Wally and Veda to call her Billie (for some unknown reason).

Wendy, on her first birthday, in her pram, at 328 Danks Street, Middle Park

Photo: Veda Thewlis

Wally and Veda rented three unconnected rooms in this house - a bedroom, lounge room and kitchen/ dining room. Mrs Collis also had three rooms and another family, the Mansfield's rented three rooms. There were two bungalows out the back where two single men boarded. There was one bathroom and one laundry and each of the ladies had their own washing day.

Wally and Veda's daughter, Wendy was born in September 1934, when they were at Danks Street and this made their three rooms a bit crowded, so they decided to move. However, because Mrs Collis' was furnished, they had to save to buy their own furniture, thus it was towards the end of 1936, that they moved to 199 Beaconsfield Parade, right across the road from the beach. It was a flat with 2 bedrooms, a lounge, a breakfast room, a kitchen/laundry and  a back verandah. The building was erected around 1935/ 1936and the block next to them was a vacant allotment and not built on until after the War. The benefit of this was that three of the rooms all had windows facing the side-way, so they received a lot of light. 

199 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park. Wally and Veda had the flat downstairs on the right.

Photo: Veda Thewlis

They were living at 199 Beaconsfield Parade when their second daughter, Marli, was born in January 1938. In December 1939 they moved back north to a house in Bell Street, Coburg, to be closer to the shop and then in December 1941 moved again to 4 Butler Grove, East Coburg, where they lived for the next 25 years. 

Wendy, four years old, at 199 Beaconsfield Parade.

Photo: Veda Thewlis

Whilst at Middle Park Wally joined the Middle Park Surf Club. The Club, based at the end of Nimmo Street, was established in 1917.   A report in The Herald in February 1917 said that objects of the Club are to promote swimming and life saving, and help to maintain order on the beach at Middle Park. An energetic secretary and enthusiastic committee have been elected, and have already met with great success, more than 140 financial members having been enrolled. A diving board is in use, and a floating raft is being constructed (3).

Fast forward to 1931 where in the November it was reported that the Club was financially strong, with funds of £250, one of the soundest in Victoria, as well as having club-rooms and equipment such as the diving platform valued at £500. There was a new President Arthur Russell, one of the foundation members of the club, a prominent business man in the city, who has been engaged in moving picture presentation from the business for years, and who has numerous other business interests. He was also well known in swimming, world for his successes, took the quarter-mile championship of the State, and had many other wins. It was Mr Russell who coached Ian Macintyre, the winner of the Yarra three-mile swim. He has now formed a staff of expert swimmers at Middle Park Surf Club, and these have taken over many of both sexes whom they are teaching to swim. Arthur Russell guarantees to teach any non-swimmer in half an hour, and judging by his successes, this is no idle boast (4). The Club received  a lot of publicity, not surprising as it was noted for the number of journalists it has among its members. These are combining to produce a small, bright surf club paper, which gives all the M.P.S.C. news each week (5).

It was this very successful Club which Wally joined, he was in 'good' company some of the new members who joined in 1931 included  Frank Winslow, who won the championship of Scotch College; Fred and Will Findlay, the sons of the well-known golf professional, who were other old Scotch collegians; Billy Buck, the old Geelong Collegian; Clive and Rus Niall, old Melburians (6). Another swimmer who has appeared prominently in various club events to date was Wal Thewlis (7). This is the first connection I can find between Wally and the Club. Interestingly the newspaper did not report on his education pedigree - eight years of schooling at Locksley and Euroa State Schools.

At the Annual General Meeting in November 1932, Arthur Russell was re-elected President and there were six Vice-Presidents elected - Messrs. H. Sholl, W. Thewlis, J. Buck, E. Buck, J. Meisenhelter, J. Saunders, by then there were 271 members (8). The Emerald Hill Record reported that Club provided swimming classes for children and adults were opened, and there are now numerous trained instructors at the beach daily ready and willing to teach any child or adult the art of swimming. Lessons are free, and thus there is no excuse for anyone not securing knowledge of this valuable art (9).

In October 1933, the Sporting Globe reported that due to the good work of Messrs J. Ludlow, Frank Russell, A.F. Russell, F. Findlay, W.H. Thewlis and others, the Middle Park Surf Club are in the remarkable position of having a credit balance of £275 9 7. The loyalty of the members and their enthusiasm for the club is responsible for such a excellent position, and members can indeed praise their executive when the annual meeting is held at St Anselm's Hall, Langridge Street, on October 26 (10).

Veda (right) and her sister Merle, sitting on the sea-wall at Middle Park, early 1934.

The Middle Park Baths are in the background.

Photo: Wally Thewlis

The Club members were obviously impressed by Wally's good work because at the Annual General Meeting held in 1934 he was elected President. Wally had a dramatic start to his Presidency as at the end of November a huge storm hit Melbourne and their Club rooms were destroyed - The Herald of December 1, had an extensive report on the storm, beginning with - After two days and a night of buffeting, Melbourne today took stock of its storm destruction. It revealed a toll of eight lives, tremendous damage along the foreshore, over the watershed of the River Yarra, in the flooded areas of Kensington and Elwood, and in public parks and gardens...At least 6000 people were forced to leave their homes...Postal Department reports the greatest damage on record, 3500 suburban and 150 trunk lines being affected. This has cut off communication from many in the city and country (11).   

The damage to the Clubs along the Bay was extensive - it is worth reporting the article from The Age of December 4, 1934 in full -
Tens of thousands of pounds and years of tireless efforts by swimming and life-saving clubs were wiped out by the storm, and has resulted in clubs both along the foreshore and the Yarra being homeless and in a serious financial position. On the eve of what promised to be a busy season the effect on clubs' operations will undoubtedly be most severe, as both on the seafront and along the River Yarra clubs have lost their all.

A typical case is Middle Park Surf Club, which has had its dressing sheds and equipment, built at a cost of £500, demolished. From Williamstown to Mentone and all along the Yarra the scene of desolation beggars description. Baths battered beyond recognition, club houses and dressing sheds swept away or submerged ten and fifteen feet, and banks and concreted pools battered down, all provide a disheartening sight. The Williamstown baths, the home of the local swimming club, are practically demolished, but the new club house of the life-saving club, built at a cost of £1000, escaped lightly. The South Melbourne ladies' baths are another almost complete wreck, while at Albert Park the club's premises suffered a severe battering and the loss of the life-saving reel. Further east along the foreshore Wright-street club has lost its dressing shed and all equipment, as did clubs in Middle Park proper. 

The premises of Middle Park Surf Club, Middle Park club and Middle Park Baths club, the latter with its head quarters in the local council baths, were completely demolished, while club equipment, wireless sets, &c were swept away. The premises of the three clubs were reduced to matchwood, excepting the front portion of the baths. By an irony of fate the baths club's opening day was scheduled for the week end, and instead a special meeting was held amidst the debris of what was once the baths, and £10 10/ was voted to Mrs. Lamb, the lessee, who with her children was compelled to leave the baths during the height of Friday night's storm, losing most of their belongings. West St. Kilda lost its diving platform, which was driven ashore, but its neighbors, Melbourne club, whose head quarters were in St. Kilda baths, lost every thing except their club records, the club-rooms in the old wooden portion of the baths being swept away. Middle Brighton baths and Brighton baths also suffered severely, but further around the Bay at Mentone, the baths, the home of the new Mentonian club, were practically demolished with the exception of the front kiosk (12)  

The Middle Park Surf Club banded together and by December 15, had made a temporary shelter, which will serve until it is decided what will be done to provide a permanent structure. An effort may be made to replace the demolished club premises with a structure capable of withstanding the worst storms known on the beach (13). By May 1935, the plans of the Club room and Dressing shed were completed (14)  and the Annual General Meeting in  October was held in the the new Club rooms, built at a cost of £326. A further £76 had been spent of diving boards, springboards and the like (15).

During the 1930s the Middle Park Surf Club continued to take part in Victorian Amateur Swimming Association Carnivals, their Water Polo team was still strong and they also participated in inter-club events such as the "Ray Nuzum" junior teams' challenge shield, in 1936. Cr Ray Nuzum represented  Canterbury Ward in the South Melbourne Council from 1930 until 1949 and was Mayor in 1935/1936 (16)  The Shield that year was won by Wright Street over the Langridge Street Club and the Middle Park Surf Club (17).  

The Sun Swimming Cup being presented to the President of the 

Middle Park Surf Club Team, Walter Thewlis. 

Undated clipping - but from the 1930s, from our family collection.

Another inter-club event took place in February 1937, when the Middle Park Surf Club competed for the Sol Green Trophy against other Foreshore Clubs.  The competition was discussed at a meeting held at the Middle Park Baths on Monday, representatives from Middle Park, Middle Park Surf, Middle Park Baths, West St. Kilda, Langridge Street, Wright Street and Albert Park were present, and conditions were discussed for a competition for the "Sol" Green trophy.  Mr. W. Thewlis (Middle Park Surf) was elected chairman, and Mr. J. Graham (secretary). It was agreed to hold the surf competition at Middle Park Baths on Sunday, February 7 (18). Once again the Wright Street Club was successful and they took home the Sol Green Shield (19).  Sol Green was a bookmaker, racehorse breeder and philanthropist who had what The Age described as a picturesque career. He died in 1948, aged 79 and left many charities in Melbourne a substantial legacy (20). 

In May 1936,  a Ladies Section of the Middle Park Surf club was formed with Miss D. Armistead as the inaugural President, and Miss P. McDowell as the secretary and treasurer (21). A table tennis Club was also established at the Club, perhaps to provide activity during the colder months. The Club also held an annual Cabaret Ball during the 1930s - venues being Leonard's Cafe, St Kilda and Earl's Court. These Balls were well reported in the newspapers and often included the names of the guests (22).  It was not surprising that the Balls were held or table tennis was on offer as it was reported in 1936 that the Middle Park Surf Club had made substantial progress, in its chief objective - swimming, and in its secondary objective - sociability (23).   

Wally resigned as President of the Middle Park Surf Club at the Annual General Meeting in November 1939, after five years at the helm. At the meeting  Cr. Nuzum, in presenting a smoker's stand to Mr. Thewlis, said his chief reward would he the remembrance of his services, which had placed the club in such a sound position, for the benefit of swimming and life-saving. He moved that a record of those services be placed in the minutes, This was supported by Mr. J. P. Barry, Mr. J. W. Chapple and Mr. Findlay, and was carried by acclamation. Mr. Thewlis said he had not severed his connection with the club, which was so full of happy memories; and where he had made many friendships (24).

Wally and Wendy, on the pier at Port Melbourne, April 1938. 

They often walked down to see the ships.

Image: taken by a street photographer.

Wally was also involved in another Middle Park organization - the Old Buffers Club. The Old Buffers were a sporting body, with no politics, and benevolence the one creed (25).  It was established in 1908 with a football match to determine whether the south side of Armstrong Street could beat a team from the north side. A match  was then held yearly on the King's Birthday holiday to raise money for charity, and by the 1930s the Old Buffers held a street parade up Armstrong Street, a carnival and football match. In 1937 it was reported that in the last three years, for Prince Henry's Hospital, the Mayor's Relief Fund, and local charities, the sum of nearly £800 had been raised (26). Interesting group, which deserves more research one day.

In 1939, the family, as I said before, moved from Middle Park to be closer to Wally's shop in Sydney Road, Brunswick to which he was travelling to everyday by public transport as the family did not have  a car, and so their time of living by the beach was over. The house in Butler Grove was still near the water, it actually backed onto the Merri Creek, not quite the same though as having the Bay at your front door step. 

Sadly, Wally's life was cut short - he was killed in a hit and run accident at the age of 49. He was riding his bike home from the shop and was nearly home, but he was struck by a car on the corner of Nicholson Street and The Grove, East Coburg on September 6, 1950. He died the next day. We still have all the Condolence cards, letters and cards that arrived with the wreaths that were sent including the one from the Middle Park Surf Club. There was also this letter, below, from the Victorian Amateur Swimming Association.

The letter to Veda from the Victorian Amateur Swimming Association, after Wally's death,

This is not of course, a comprehensive history of the Middle Park Surf Club, or a comprehensive history of Wally and Veda's life, but it is a look at the happy years that they spent by the beach at Middle Park.

Acknowledgement - Much of this is  based on the memories of my mother, Wendy Rouse. Ironically, given how involved Wally was with the Middle Park Surf Club, neither Mum or her sister Marli ever learnt to swim! I also received valuable help from the Middle Park History Group in identifying the buildings in the background of two photographs - see Footnote 2.

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Wally and the Middle Park Surf Club, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) High Street has been renumbered at some time in the past. The 1920 Sands & McDougall Directory lists Alfred Tharratt, P/L at 373-385 High Street, Northcote, corner of Arthurton Road. The building is still there and is now a Chemist Warehouse. The 1925 Sands & McDougall Directory lists J. E Thomson at 223 High Street, Preston. This was on the Bell Street side of the Rechabite Hall, which is still there and now numbered 251 High Street. The J.E. Thomson building still appears to be there behind some later add-ons.

(2) I am indebted to members of the Middle Park History Group, Max Nankervis, Sonya Cameron and Meyer Eidelson for identifying the buildings on this photo. Max wrote - I'm  quite a bit more certain it is the terrace block on corner of  Harold St. Google Street view shows two different houses near the corner,  but those sites were originally terrace houses as part of a set of four. Only one (the far right) is intact, the adjoining one is almost intact, the next to the left has had the verandah section bricked-in, and the corner is completely new. They also confirmed that the building in the background of  the photo of Veda and Merle, was the Middle Park Baths.

The buildings on the corner of Beaconsfield Parade and Harold Street, Middle Park, 

from Google Street view.

(3) The Herald, February 23, 1917, see here.
(4) Sporting Globe, November 21, 1931, see here.
(5) Sporting Globe, November 21, 1931, see here.
(6) Sporting Globe, December 12, 1931, see here.
(7) Sporting Globe, December 12, 1931, see here.
(8) Emerald Hill Record, November 5, 1932, see here.
(9) Emerald Hill Record, December 10, 1932, see here.
(10) Sporting Globe, October 18, 1933, see here.
(11) The Herald, December 1, 1934, see here.
(12) The Age, December 4, 1934, see here.
(13) Emerald Hill Record, December 15, 1934, see here.
(14) Emerald Hill Record, May 25, 1935, see here.
(15) Emerald Hill Record, November 2, 1935, see here.
(16) Cr Nazum - Elected - Emerald Hill Record, August 30, 1930, see here; defeat - Emerald Hill Record, August 27, 1949, see here.
(17) Report of the participants in the Ray Nazum Challenge - Emerald Hill Record, March 7, 1936, see here.
(18) Emerald Hill Record, January 23, 1937, see here.
(19) Report of the result of the Sol Green Cup - Emerald Hill Record, February 13, 1937, see here.
(20) Sol Green - Obituary Australian Jewish News, May 14, 1948, see here; Obituary The Age May 12, 1948, see here; Report of his Will - The Age, May 21, 1948, see here.
(21) Emerald Hill Record, May 2, 1936, see here.
(22) See my Trove list  for reports of the Balls.
(23) Emerald Hill Record, October 10, 1936, see here.
(24) Emerald Hill Record, November 4, 1939, see here.
(25) Emerald Hill Record, February 13, 1937, see here.
(26) Emerald Hill Record, February 13, 1937, see here.