Some years ago I read Dr Gweneth Wisewould's book, Outpost: a Doctor on the Divide (1) about her life as a doctor at Trentham. It is a great book, written in 1971 and republished in 2019, well worth tracking down. Dr Wisewould had sold her practice in Melbourne as she felt that the changing nature of city practices meant doctors were becoming clearing houses for the specialists, and anything more serious than cut fingers and gravel rash were referred on. Dr Wisewould's first love was for the patient as a whole individual in a general practice (2) and she found this in her practice at Trentham, where she lived from September 1938 until her death in 1972.
Her work in Trentham and the surrounding district involved the usual duties for a country doctor such as operations, treating accident victims and illnesses and delivering babies; initially at a time when there were none of the modern aids to recovery, for it was before the discovery of penicillin, before the establishment of the 'Blood Bank' or modern laboratory aids (3). Dr Wisewould's less usual duties included Post Mortems, amputations, treating dogs in the absence of a veterinarian and baptising fragile new-born babies, if it looked like they might not survive. She was assisted by the local nurse who operated a 6-bed hospital in the town, Dr Wisewould described her as an elderly sister with long experience of bush nursing and game for anything nursing called for and who had war-time experience (4).
Gweneth, born in Brighton, August 30, 1884, was the only child of Frank and Isabel Wisewould. The family were at 27 Cromwell Street, Toorak in the 1903 Electoral Rolls, and from 1906 to 1919 at Ellematta, Seymour Road, Elsternwick, and they also had land at Pakenham Upper, more of which later. Gweneth, was educated at home, then studied at Melbourne University, graduating in 1915.
After a few years working at various hospital she set up in private practice and holding a number of honorary posts, she performed ear, nose and throat work and general surgery (1918-36) at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital for Women and Children; she also instructed medical students in anaesthetics (1918-29) at the Alfred Hospital (5). During the First World War, Dr Wisewould was involved with the Young Women's Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) and gave classes on Home Nursing and was involved in First Aid classes, and in 1919, at the Y.W.C.A. she gave a practical demonstration on how to treat influenza patients (6). She clearly understood the role women played in providing the primary health care to their families at that time.
Dr Wisewould was also involved with the Free Kindergarten Union. For instance, in 1918, she gave six lectures on hygiene to women on their behalf. One of her more light-hearted associations with the Free Kindergarten Union was playing Father Christmas at their annual Christmas party held for the children. In 1931 it was reported that she had undertaken this task every year, except one, for over twenty years. (7). She was also the Honorary Medical Officer at the Yoralla Free Kindergarten for Crippled Children. At their annual general meeting in 1920 it was reported that Dr Wisewould spoke eulogistically of the work done at the school in cramped quarters, and with small funds. Much was said about tubercular children but she thought that more should be done to assist children who though crippled in limb, were mentally sound and capable of being educated (8).
I was trying to work out where her medical practices were - in the 1919 Electoral Roll Gweneth is at 31 Mitford Street, Elwood; 1922 to 1926 Electoral Rolls at 52 Broadway, Elwood; then in the 1934 to 1937 Electoral Rolls she is listed at at 3 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick. I presume, like most doctors at this time, her consulting rooms were part of her house.
One of her more pleasant duties, before she moved to Trentham was judging a Baby Show a the St Kilda Town Hall, held to raise money for the Children's Hospital (9). I feel this shows how well respected and involved she was in the local community.
Dr Wisewould died in Trentham on January 20, 1972, where she is buried. In June 1968, four years before she died, she gave $20,000 to Melbourne University to establish a Trust fund to send Aboriginal students to University, it was called the Truganini Trust. There was enough money for three scholarships for three students to enrol in full-time courses. Dr Wisewould said that the foundation was set up on the principle that they should have equal chances...the opportunity for higher education will place some Aborigines on a par with other leaders, giving them a better chance of leading their own people (10). The first scholarship was to be awarded for the 1969 Academic year. She was a remarkable woman
This is the story of Frank Wisewould and we can get an overview of his life from his obituary, which was published in The Argus on November 29, 1926 (12).
The many friends of Mr Frank Wisewould, who was for years one of the leading figure in legal circles in Melbourne, will learn with regret of his death, which took place in a private hospital on Saturday. Mr Wisewould became suddenly ill at his residence at Pakenham Upper early in the week, and was removed to Melbourne for treatment. He showed some improvement after an operation, and the fatal ending of his illness was not expected. Mr Frank Wisewould was the son of Mr James Wisewould, an English solicitor who came to Melbourne in 1853, and a year or two latter founded the legal firm of Wisewould and Gibbs which is now known as Wisewould, Duncan and Wisewould. Mr Frank Wisewould was born at Brighton in 1858 and was educated at Scotch College, being one of Dr. Morrison's early pupils. He entered his father's office at the age of 15 years and subsequently became a partner in the firm. He retired in 1922, after having been connected with the firm for 49 years. He then purchased a property at Pakenham Upper, where he engaged in country pursuits until his death. Mr Wisewould was an ardent nature student and was one of the original founders of the Field Naturalists' Society, of which he was made a life member in recognition of his services. He was instrumental in inaugurating the wildflower show which has now become an annual fixture and was always one of its leading exhibitors. A keen interest was taken by Mr Wisewould in the Royal Society of Victoria of which he had been president, and at the time of his death he was a member of the council. While in practice he acted as honorary solicitor for the Melbourne Athenaeum and the Eye and Ear Hospital. He leaves a widow and one daughter, Dr. Gweneth Wisewould.
The obituary mentions that Frank Wisewould purchased his property at Pakenham Upper, after his retirement. However, the Shire of Berwick Rate books show that he purchased his property of 317 acres in 1894/1895. It was Allotment 17h, Parish of Nar Nar Goon, his land is bordered to the south by Army Settlement Road and Gordon Road to the west. The property was called Mona and I wonder if Frank kept all his specimens at the Pakenham Upper house or his house in Melbourne. It is likely that many of the wildflowers that Frank exhibited at the annual wildflower show came from his Pakenham Upper property.
Mr Wisewould took an active role in community life at Pakenham Upper - he was the legal advisor to the Pakenham Upper Fruit Company (18). He was a member of the Progress Association where at one meeting in 1914 he spoke of the advantages of forming a debating society (19). He was also the chair of various functions such as the Pakenham Upper Red Cross concert (20). Perhaps his greatest honour was that he was selected to unveil the Pakenham Upper Roll of Honour at a Red Cross concert on September 22, 1917, due to the absence of the local member, Mr Keast (21). His speech was reported in the Pakenham Gazette (22)
Mr Wisewould spoke of the bravery and unselfishness of the men who had gone. They did not go for gain, and if it was to be that they might not be spared to come back they gave their lives, counting it nothing more than their duty to die for their country. The imperishable bravery of our lads at the landing on Gallipoli had been re-enacted on the bloody fields of Pozieres and Ypres. They were sons worthy of the fathers who had begotten them and the mothers who had nurtured them and their names and gallant deeds would be handed down to their children and their children's children to posterity.
You can read about the Pakenham Upper Honor Board on Patrick Ferry's website A Century After the Guns Fell Silent: Remembering the Pakenham District's WWI Diggers 1914- 1918 https://www.pakenhamww1.com/ Three of Frank's nephews (who are, of course, Gweneth's furst cousins) are listed in the website - Albert, Frank and Harold Wisewould. They are the sons of Edward and Elizabeth Wisewould and appear on the Pakenham State School Honor Board.
Frank, was the son of James and Sophia (nee Drewitt) Wisewould. He married Isabel Alice Field in Westbury in Tasmania on March 28, 1883. It was two years after his marriage that Frank presented his report on the Chudleigh Caves in Tasmania to the Field Naturalists Club. The caves are about 35 kilometres from Westbury - did Frank visit the caves when he was in Tasmania courting Isabel or did he take a trip to Tasmania to see the caves and when he was there he met Isabel, perhaps through mutual friends or was she on the cave expedition as well? I cannot tell you, but I rather like the idea that they met and fell in love amongst the stalactites at Chudleigh Caves. Isabel was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Lindsay) Field. Thomas was a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, you can read his obituary here. Frank died on November 27, 1926 at the age of 68 and Isabel on October 27, 1928, aged 69, and they are both buried at the Brighton Cemetery (23).
Footnotes
(2) Wisewould, op. cit., p. 1.
(3) Wisewould, op. cit., p. 98
(6) Home Nursing - The Herald, July 19 1916, see here; First Aid - Weekly Times, October 30, 1915, see here Influenza - The Argus July 18, 1919, see here.
(12) The Argus, November 29, 1926, see here.
(13) Field Naturalists' Club programme from 1910/1911, back page.
(14) The Age, April 27, 1882, see here.
(15) The Age, December 19, 1882, see here.
(16) The Age, July 14, 1885, see here.
(17) The Herald, January 24, 1887, see here.
(18) Pakenham Gazette, November 8, 1918, see here.
(19) Dandenong Advertiser, February 26, 1914, see here.
(20) Pakenham Gazette, August 30, 1918, see here.
(21) Willian Stephen Keast (1866-1927). Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1900 to 1917 https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/re-member/details/24/1328
(22) Pakenham Gazette, September 28, 1917, see here.
(23) Family information comes from the Victorian Index to the Births, Deaths and Marriages, see here; the Tasmanian Archives, see here; and Birth and Death notices in the newspapers on Trove.
