Sister Florence Vines - World War One Nurse

Florence Vines operated the Shepton Private Hospital in Berwick, served in the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War One and later became a Chiropodist.

Florence  was the twelfth and last child of Joshua and Mary (nee Nicholls) Vines and  was born in Geelong in 1885. Her own mother, Mary, died ten years later at the age of 51 and her father died at the age of 72 in 1906. Florence attended Clarendon College in Ballarat and later undertook her three years of nursing training at Ballarat Hospital, completing her exams in 1908, as we can see from the results list below.  (1).

Florence successfully completed the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association exams in 1908.

Ballarat Star, January 1 1909,  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article217274558

Two weeks after the results were published, the Ballarat Star reported that Florence and some of the other  nurses from the Ballarat Hospital were granted the Hospital seal on their certificates. Florence was later to work with Kathleen Duigan (2), who had also passed her examinations.

Granted the Hospital seal on their certificates.

Ballarat Star, January 14 1909 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/217275846

In December 1913, Florence and her fellow Ballarat Hospital nurse, Kathleen Duigan, took over the management of Shepton, a small private hospital in Station Street (now Gloucester Avenue) Berwick from Nurse Grace Mary Dunphy (3).

Advertisement for Shepton Private Hospital

Berwick Shire News March 4, 1914  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89083297

Florence joined the Australian Army Nursing Service at the age of 29 on June 25, 1915, leaving Kathleen to operate the hospital. Florence left Australia on July 17, 1915 on the HMAT Orsova (on the same day as Norah and Aileen Lehman, who I have written about, here.) Sister Vines was attached to the 2nd A.G.H at  Harefield Park in England but suffered from various illnesses including dysentery and attacks of rheumatic fever and returned to Australian in December 1916 to convalesce. Florence re-embarked on June 12, 1917 for Salonika (now Thessaloniki) in Greece but was finally invalided back to Australia in April 1918 suffering from debility and colitis. She arrived on May 1, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds in the August of that year (4).

Report of Nurse Vines leaving for the Front

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, July 8,1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66188026

Florence from a group photo of Nurses with our Expeditionary Reinforcements. 

Punch July 29, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138700459

Group portrait of members of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) most of whom embarked from Australia on the Orsova during July 1915, outside the Ivanhoe Hotel in London.

Florence Vines is second from left, middle row.

Australian War Memorial, see all the names here https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1003033

A report of the 11th annual reunion of Clarendon College, Ballarat, paid this tribute to old collegian, Florence Vines and her nursing colleagues.

Ballarat Star, October 30, 1917  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154754867

Florence did not return to the Shepton Private Hospital in Berwick after the War, although a visit was reported in the local paper, when her many friends were glad to welcome her. Kathleen Duigan, operated the hospital until 1920 (5).

Sister Vine visits Berwick after her return from the War.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal January 9,1919 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66195348

The Electoral Rolls give us some details of her life and career after serving her country. In 1919  Florence was at the Army Base Hospital in St Kilda Road and over the years they note other addresses in  Malvern, Armadale and the St Kilda area.  In 1924, the Electoral Rolls list a change of career, to that of a Chiropodist, a profession she continued with until her retirement. In the 1930s she practiced at the upmarket department store, Georges of Collins Street.

Florence returns from twelve months abroad. 

The Chappe Salon was based in Georges Department store in Collins Street.

The Herald January 12, 1938 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244945982

Florence died on September 11, 1979 at the age of 94, at the Repatriation Hospital and was cremated at Springvale. Florence was a single woman, of perennial cheerfulness (6) who had to make her own way in the world to support herself.   She was a well trained and hard working nursing sister, who along with her colleague, Kathleen Duigan, operated their hospital where they dealt with the whole range of medical issues from the birth of babies, nursing people back to health after operations and disease to the death of patients whose time had come. She served her country during World War One, nursing under tiring and trying conditions and on her return to Australia, Florence devoted herself to a  new career as a Chiropodist. 

Florence's death notice from The Age, September 13, 1979

Footnotes
(1) Indexes to the Victorian Births, deaths and marriages; Clarendon College connection - Ballarat Star, October 30, 1917, see here.  

(2) Kathleen Marie Lytton Duigan.  The daughter of Charles Beamish and Frances Elizabeth (nee Graham) Duigan. She died September 27, 1954 aged 69. This short report tells us that her father was a doctor,  as was her grandfather, so if is perhaps no surprise that Kathleen took up nursing as a profession.

Punch April 9, 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129698232

(3) Grace Mary Dunphy. Grace established Shepton Private Hospital in 1910, according to Shire of Berwick Rate Books. She died April 18, 1948 at the age of 67, and her informative death notice lists her husband, William, whom she married in 1912; her son, and parents. After she left Berwick she operated Kynaston Convalescent and Rest Home in Bambra Road, Caulfield with her sister, Sara Theresa Dunphy, who was also a nurse. A photograph of Kynaston is here. 

The Argus April 19, 1948  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22550036

(4) Attestation papers from the National Archives of Australia, see here.

(5) In September 1920 she sold her superior household furniture and effects, due to the fact she was leaving the district, see the advertisement in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of September 9, 1920, here.

(6) South Bourke and Mornington Journal, July 8,1915, see here.

This is a revised and expanded version of a post, which I wrote and researched, that appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years.

Sister Norah Lehman and Sister Aileen Lehman

The Cranbourne Avenue of Honour was officially opened on August 9, 1919 (1).  The Avenue represented 59 men and two women, Sister Norah Lehman and Sister Aileen Lehman. Norah and Aileen  both served in the Australian Army Nursing Service, during World War One.

They were the daughters of George John Lehman and Catherine 'Kate' Mary O'Connell who married in Adelaide in 1877. George and Kate had five children in Burra in South Australia - Stanley Hocking (born 1878), George Reginald (1879), Norah Blanche (1882), Ethel (1884) and Aileen (1886). The next daughter, Cathleen Kate, was born in 1888 in Queensland, then daughter Ada was born in 1892 in Dandenong and their last child, Sidney James was born in 1893 in Adelaide (2). 

George Lehman took over the licence of the  Bridge Hotel in Dandenong in February 1889 (3).  An article in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal in  May 1893 noted that the Lehmans had resigned their interest in the licence of the Bridge Hotel. Mrs. Lehman's name was synonymous with attention, civility and good liquor. It is not improbable that they may return to Dandenong (4). This was prophetic as the same paper reported on July 1, 1896 that the Lehmans had returned to the Bridge Hotel which had been thoroughly renovated (5).   I presume, as their last child. Sidney, had been born in Adelaide that they had returned to South Australia in the intervening three years. The Lehmans operated the Hotel until the end of 1901 (6).

The family were later living in Malvern East where John  was a stock dealer (he worked for a stock and station agent) and they were in  Dandenong Road, East Caulfield when Norah and Aileen enlisted in June 1915. In the 1917 Electoral Rolls  George and Kate were at Springmeadows in Cranbourne and his occupation was grazier. At some stage they went back to Malvern East and that's where George died on July 27, 1932 at the age of 77. Catherine died on January 1, 1941 at her son's house in Moonee Ponds; it was her youngest son's house, Sid, who was a Doctor (7).

Norah and Aileen both undertook three years of training at the Melbourne General Hospital and had also successfully undertaken the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association examinations. They remained at the Melbourne Hospital for some years after their training (8). In March 1911, Norah was appointed as Head Nurse at the Albury Hospital and Matron in the July.  She was joined in March 1912 by  Aileen, who was appointed as a nurse. In May 1913, they resigned from Albury Hospital (9).  The South Bourke and Mornington Journal reported on the function held for Norah and Aileen when they left Albury Hospital -
To show their appreciation of the matron (Miss Lehman) and her sister (Miss A. Lehman) a number of their friends assembled in the hall of the Albury Hospital recently. The gathering took the form of a "surprise party." Mr F. C. Blacklock presided at the function, which was very enjoyable....Mr Blacklock expressed regret at the departure of the Matron and Sister Lehman, they having at all times been most ready to do anything in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and the sick. He felt sure that everyone present was sorry to lose such a splendid matron. She had endeared herself to the patients and the nursing staff; and to show in some tangible form their good feelings towards the Misses Lehman, they had gathered together, and he would ask Mr F.B. Hunter, on behalf of the Misses Lehman's friends in Albury, to make the presentation. Mr Hunter, in a very happy speech; said it gave him great pleasure to present to Miss Lehman a well filled purse of sovereigns. Miss Lehman, who was greatly affected, thanked the friends for their kindness, and said it had always it given her pleasure to do what she could.

Mr Chubb also presented to the matron, on behalf of the nurses, a travelling rug, clock, and volume of poems, and to Sister Lehman an exquisite scarf and a copy of Shakespeare. Miss Lehman responded on behalf of herself and sister, and said she had been in many hospitals, and considered the Albury committee should feel proud of the nursing staff. Mr H. E. Noble then presented Miss A. Lehman on behalf of her lady friends, "The Bathers," with a valise. Mr F. B. Hunter responded on behalf of Miss A. Lehman. A dainty supper was provided by the ladies and served by the nurses. The gathering was brought to conclusion by the company singing "For They are Jolly Good Fellows," and "Auld Lang Syne." (10).

Whilst she was at the Albury Hospital, Norah wrote this interesting letter to The Argus in February 1912, in support of  a fellow nurse.

Norah's letter, transcribed below.

The Argus, February 20, 1912, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11654704

Norah's letter - 

Sir, Allow me to protest, through your valuable paper, at the treatment meted out to one of the nurses at the Melbourne Hospital recently one who was dismissed on account of participating in a harmless   practical joke. I am surprised at the narrow minded spirit of the committee in dismissing her for so trivial offence. Kindly allow me to state that whilst I was at the Melbourne Hospital a period of five years there was hardly a nurse who did not indulge in a similar joke (and the hospital, I make bold to add, has turned out many a fine nurse not withstanding). I think the nurse should be reinstated, Yours

NORAH LEHMAN, Albury, Feb 15  (11).

I am unsure what they did immediately after leaving Albury but in March 1915 they were in Tallangatta where they operated the small private hospital, the Tallangatta Cottage Hospital. When the Tallangatta Hospital was opened the local paper reported that -

The institution was opened last week by Sisters Lehman (2) and Slade; all of whom hold the Melbourne Hospital certificate. The Misses Lehman are well-known in this district, through their having acted as matron and sister respectively in Albury Hospital for two years. Miss Slade, who holds special certificates for midwifery work, is also known hereabouts through being a sister of the Rev. Frank Slade, who some years ago (before taking up divinity studentship) was manager of Dr. Thwaites's pharmacy at Tallangatta. The nurses are prepared to take medical, surgical and midwifery cases. Boasting a new and up-to-date building in healthy surroundings, and with such fully qualified nursing skill available, the Tallangatta Cottage Hospital will no doubt attract many patients who have been in the habit of going further afield for treatment. (12).

Norah and Aileen and their nursing colleagues, shortly leaving for the Front

The Age July 9, 1915 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155005197

Aileen (left) and Norah Lehman from a group photo of Nurses with our Expeditionary Reinforcements. 

Punch July 29, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138700459

Norah and Aileen left Tallangatta and enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service on June 24, 1915. Norah was 31 and  Aileen was 27. They embarked  on the Orsova, on July 7, 1915 (the same day as Florence Vines, who I have written about, here) Aileen served in France and suffered from pleurisy and was sent back to Australia on medical grounds, as exposure to cold made her condition worse; she Returned to Australia on July 17, 1917 (13). On November 17, 1917 Aileen married Cecil Paul Best at Kew. It was a short lived marriage, which produced a son, James, born in 1919 (14).  As you can see from the article, below, Aileen was a highly regarded nurse during her time on active service. 

This lovely tribute to Aileen appeared in 1918

Dandenong Advertiser October 17, 1918  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88816352

Norah served in France at the various Hospitals and in January 1917 was Mentioned in Despatches for her distinguished and gallant service and devotion to duty. Norah Returned to Australia on April 19, 1919 (15).

Norah Lehman's honour.

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Norah and her fellow nurses of 2nd Australian General Hospital (2AGH), France, 

 on  May 11, 1918. 

Norah is eighth from left in the back row.

Australian War Memorial - see all the names here https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C286514

Both Norah and Aileen are listed on the Electoral Roll in 1919 at Springmeadows, Cranbourne.  Norah had  new battle to fight - the influenza epidemic. The South Bourke and Mornington Journal reported in the July -

A wave of influenza has claimed many residents as victims, which has necessitated the shire council taking over the vicarage (by kind permission of the Church authorities) as an emergency hospital. Sister N. Lehman has been appointed in charge, and is being ably assisted by Nurses Rechie and King. The hospital at present is full and all patients are progressing nicely (16). 

A year later in June 1920, the Cranbourne Shire Health Inspector reported on the local response to the Influenza epidemic and noted that - 

at Cranbourne, an emergency hospital in the capable hands of Sister Lehman, lately returned from the war, was opened and was the means of saving more than one life (17). 

In the 1920s the sisters lived in East Malvern with their parents and other family members and both Norah and Aileen  continued to work as Norah was single and had to support herself and Aileen had her son to support.  Their occupations in the Electoral Rolls are a Nurse or a  Sister and from 1924, Norah has the occupation of an Inspectress; she was in fact a Health Inspector for the St Kilda Council. Aileen also worked for the same Council as a nurse at the Baby Health Centre. 

There were two articles in the newspapers which give us an indication of  the type of work Norah undertook in her role at the City of St Kilda and of the issues she faced including likely push-back from boarding house owners against rule enforcement and secondly the emotional toll of seeing people living in squalor. This is from The Age in February 1925 in  a report on the City of St Kilda annual health  report - 

The boarding-house regulations had been enforced very efficiently by Sister Lehman, who had many difficulties to contend with. Often a big sum had been paid for ingoing without the buyer having any idea of the large amount to be spent before buildings could be  registered as first-class boarding houses (18). 

From the The Argus in January 1930 -

The health inspectress (Sister N. Lehman) reported to the council as follows: - "I visited 6 Beaconsfield parade at 12 o'clock  on the afternoon of January 22, accompanied by Mr Irvine, and found a serious condition of over crowding, detrimental to the health, and against all regulations. I estimated 20 adults and 40 children who were all accommodated in a house registered for 20 persons. Nine children and one mother were in a room which should accommodate one person. Every available space had a bed, even the garage. The children were eating at a table - no chairs, and some sitting on the floor, which was in a filthy state. The whole condition of the premises was in a most undesirable state. The yard was in a very bad state. There were no dust bins and the one lavatory cistern was out of order. The people were in such numbers as to be a menace." (19).

In spite of her good work, Norah actually earnt only 60 percent of the salary of her male counterpart, as you can see from this article below. The annual salary of the male Health Inspector ranged from £382 to £400 and her annual salary from £228 to £240. Also as you can see her sister, Aileen Best,  worked for the Council, she was the Assistant Nurse at the Baby Health Centre (20). 

Salaries City of St Kilda staff in 1929 - both Norah and Aileen were employed by the Council.

Prahran Telegraph October 11 1929 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165009264

 Aileen died in December 12, 1953 aged 68. The death notice in The Argus listed her as  late first A.I.F and the mother of Dr Jim Best  and the grandmother of three. Norah Lehman died on May 24 1949 and this obituary, below,  appeared in the Dandenong Journal. (21).

Obituary of Norah Lehman.

Dandenong Journal June 8 1949 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222210880

Norah and Aileen Lehman were well trained and highly skilled nurses and health care professionals, who served their country during the First World War and were held in high regard by their colleagues and patients

Trove list -  I have created a list of newspaper articles on the Lehman family, click here for access.

Footnotes
(1) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, August 21 1919, see here

(2) Family details - Indexes to the Victorian and Queensland Birth, Deaths and Marriages; Genealogy SA https://www.genealogysa.org.au/
(3) The Argus, February 22, 1889, see here.
(4) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, May 10 1893, see here.
(5) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, July 1, 1896. see here.
(6) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, January 1 1902, see here.

(7) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry; Death notices - The Argus, January 28, 1932, see here; The Argus, January 2, 1941. see here.

(8) Training listed on their Attestation papers (see Footnote 13 for links). Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association - see formation of in The Argus July 6, 1901, here and Nursing entry in EMelbourne https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01071b.htm All nurses had to undertake and pass RVTNA examinations alongside their training in hospitals.

(9) Albury Banner, March 17, 1911, see here; Albury Banner, July 21, 1911, see here; Albury Banner, March 15, 1912, see here; South Bourke & Mornington Journal, May 8, 1913, see here.
(10)  South Bourke & Mornington Journal, May 8, 1913, see here.
(11) The Argus, February 20, 1912, see here.

(12) Upper Murray and Mitta Herald, March 11, 1915, see here.

(13) Attestation papers from the National Archives of Australia - Norah, see here; Aileen, see here.

(14) Marriage notice of Aileen Lehman

The Argus, December 24, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1671064

(15) Attestation papers - see footnote 12.

(16) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, July 31, 1919, see here.

(17) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, June 10, 1920, see here.

(18) The Age, February 18, 1925, see here.

(19) The Argus, January 29, 1930, see here.

(20) Prahran Telegraph, October 11, 1929, see here.

(21) Death notices - The Age, May 25, 1949, see here; The Argus, December 14, 1953, see here.

This is a revised and expanded version of a post, which I wrote and researched,  that appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years.

Eliza Fraser of Pakenham, Hotel-Keeper

Michael Kelly established a hotel in Pakenham, known as the Pakenham Hotel, on the west side of the Toomuc Creek in 1869 (1). From September 15, 1881, the hotel was operated by Eliza Fraser (2). 

We can find out something about the Frasers from a Licence renewal hearing which took place in December 1882 at the Berwick Court and was reported in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal.  Mrs Fraser had applied for the renewal of her licence for her hotel and billiard table. This was opposed by Sergeant McWilliams on the grounds that her house was so badly kept that it disturbed the quiet of the neighborhood, and that she had got a husband living with her, therefore was not a responsible person to hold a publicans' license, as she might be called away by her husband at any moment (3). She had also been fined for Sunday trading. Her hearing was postponed until January 5, 1883 and this was also reported in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal.   At this hearing, Sergeant McWilliams said that the problems at the hotel were getting worse and that two months ago there was a drunken man lying outside covered with blood, apparently having been in a fight. Mrs. Fraser interfered, when Mr Fraser kicked her and gave her a blow in the face (4). 

The Sergeant went on to give other evidence against Mrs Fraser -
Some time ago, about 17th May, 1882, he was on duty in Berwick about nine or ten o'clock, when he was met by Mrs. Fraser in a great state of excitement, who rushed into his arms, exclaiming that she had run away from her husband, as she thought he was going to kill her. At his persuasions, on that occasion, she, after some trouble, returned home. Shortly after that she telegraphed down for the witness to come up to her hotel for the purpose of protecting her against the cruelties of her husband, which witness did. Afterwards she took out a summons before Mr. F. Call in Melbourne, binding her husband over to keep the peace towards her. He also said the outside buildings were in a very dilapidated condition, and what with its being surrounded by pigs and geese and other animals, it was in a most disgusting and beastly state (5).

 
Mrs Fraser's lawyer, Mr Gillott, appeared on her behalf and answered some of the allegations and said that she was dependent on the profits of the hotel for the support of herself and three children. Other information presented about Mrs Fraser included the following-
She had held a publican's licence for thirteen years; eleven years in Melbourne at the Inverness, Royal George, and Kirks Bazaar Hotels. There were twelve rooms in the Pakenham Hotel - Michael Kelly, the owner of the hotel, sworn, stated that if the license was granted he was prepared to put the hotel in proper order. The house had been continually licensed for the last fourteen years. The present applicant had been in it since 15th September 1881 (6). 

Mr. Gillott made an able address, and after joining issue on all of the objections that had been raised, said the only tenable one was her unsatisfactory marital relations with her husband which was not misconduct on her part but her misfortune for which she should not be deprived of her only source of livelihood and thrown upon the world with only a few sticks of furniture to sell to enable her to commence life afresh (7). The Court granted her licence to keep the hotel for another year on the condition that it was better conducted and the building put in order. For some reason the licence for the billiard table was not granted. 

Eliza Fraser has her licence renewed at a Licensing hearing in Berwick in December 1883.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, December 12 1883 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70042299

The next few years the licence was renewed without an issue in her name, however at a hearing in June 1886, the licence was formally transferred from Alexander's name to Eliza's name (8). I am unsure how it could have previously renewed in Eliza's name if Alexander was the licensee. 

Fraser's Hotel was part of allotment 1 & 2, Section 2, to the left (or west) of the Toomuc Creek. You can see Bourke's La Trobe Inn (also called Bourke's Hotel) on the other side of the creek.

The Township of Pakenham, County of Mornington. H. Permein, Assist. Surveyor ; lithographed at the Public Lands Office, Melbourne, April 22nd, 1858 by T. Ham. Victoria. Public Lands Office

State Library of Victoria - see the full map here - http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/100195

Eliza was the daughter of Phillip and Hannah Mulcahy, she was born in County Cork in Ireland, in c. 1846. On September 12, 1869 she married Arthur Ward in the Catholic Church at  Clunes. The marriage certificate noted that he was  30 year old hotel keeper, born in Hertfordshire, England. Her age was listed as 24. They had three children - Anna Maria, born in Clunes in 1870 and died aged 9 months; and two sons both born in  Ballarat -  John James in 1872 and Arthur born in 1874 (9). Her husband Arthur died May 26, 1874, from a coach accident whilst descending Anthony's Cutting, just out of Bacchus Marsh. At the time of his death he was a Cobb & Co. coach driver and was actually driving at the time. Eliza came to Bacchus Marsh from Ballarat to see her husband, who died twenty six hours after the accident. The Bacchus Marsh Express reported that - 

The distress of Mrs. Ward during the time her husband was lying speechless and dying in a strange hotel among strangers was most pitiful, and on the arrival of her father and mother from Melbourne on Wednesday a few days after her husband breathed his last they finally persuaded her to return home to Ballarat (10). John was two years old and little Arthur was only three months old at the time of their father's death. The inquest found the accident was caused by brake failure,  due to the inferior quality of the wood the coach was made from. (11).  

Eliza then married Alexander Fraser on January 23, 1878, in the Catholic Church in West Melbourne. Interestingly, she married under her maiden name of Mulcahy and said that she was a spinster, not  a widow. Her age is stated as 31  and her occupation as a hotel keeper. Alexander is listed as being 22 (thus born c. 1856), having been born in Aberdeen in Scotland. His occupation was an engineer and his usual place of residence was 'at sea.'  They had one son, Alexander, born in 1879. (12).

In Memoriam notice for Eliza, inserted by her sons John and Arthur Ward. I wonder why Alexander was not listed; he was 10 or 11 when his mother died. 

The Age November 17, 1891 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190624713

Eliza died August 16, 1890 at the age of 44 (13). Her Probate papers list her property as - 

that piece of land at Pakenham being part of allotment 1& 2, Section 2, Parish of Pakenham on which is erected a weather-board house containing seven rooms, and kitchen and bedrooms detached containing 3 rooms and the said land containing one acre. Also all that piece or parcel of land situate at Pakenham containing half acre or thereabouts. The value of the land was £890 and the total estate including personal property was valued at £915 (14). There was a debt of £330 pounds to a wine and spirt merchant, which left an estate of  £585.   Even though her probate papers are digitised at the Public Records Office of Victoria, her will is not, but I presume her estate was left to her three sons - John James Ward, Arthur Ward and Alexander Fraser. Her executors were John Dwyer; her son, John James Ward and Patrick Kennedy (15). 

John Dwyer took over as licensee of the hotel after Eliza’s death, according to a Berwick Licensing Court hearing, held on December 5, 1890 (16).  The 1889/1890 Shire of Berwick Rate books list Eliza as the owner of the hotel, for some reasons in the previous three years she is not listed and in 1885/1886 she listed as renting the building from Michael Kelly, which means it was sometime in that date range that she purchased the building from Mr Kelly.  I am unsure what happened after that - a property was listed in Eliza Fraser's name (either as Estate of or Executors of) up to the 1894/1895 Rate books, the address being Lot 1 Staughtons sub-division.  I did not find John Dwyer listed in the Rate Books, so I have no information about other owners of the hotel property or the fate of the building.

The headstone for Eliza and her son, John, at the Pakenham Cemetery

Photographer: Elaine J. 

http://www.ozgenonline.com/~vic_cem/cardinia/pakenham_hs_images/0648.jpg

Before we finish up we will have a look at  Eliza's children - her first son, John James Ward, was born 1872 in Ballarat. He married Ellen Gertrude Rice in 1891 and, sadly, died  April 12 1893 in his 21st year. John is buried in the same grave as his mother at the Pakenham Cemetery.  Ellen applied for Probate on July 21, 1893 and  the following information was listed - he was a grocer from Pakenham and they had two children - Bernard - 18 months old and John James - 2 months old. Ellen was living in Cowwar at the time. In 1897 she married Edgar Hawes. (17). 

John's death notice

The Age April 13, 1893 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article193441926

Eliza's middle son, Arthur Ward, was born in 1874 in Ballarat. Arthur enlisted in the First World War, on November 19, 1915 at the age of 42 (Service number 20154).  His address was a miner and he lived at Donnybrook in Western Australia. Arthur Died of Wounds on April 17, 1918. His Next of Kin was his sister-in-law, Ellen Hawes of Cowwarr (18). 

 Arthur is listed on the Honour Board at St Patrick's Catholic School in Pakenham, so he obviously went to school there.  There is more information on the St Patrick's Honour Board and other Great War Memorials in the Pakenham District on Patrick Ferry's website - A Century After the Guns Fell Silent Remembering the Pakenham District's WWI Diggers 1914-1918 http://www.pakenhamww1.com

Reference to Arthur Ward's death - 'native of Pakenham' - buried at Vignacourt in France Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London, United Kingdom; The War Graves Of The British Empire, Hem Farm, Hem-Monacu Suzanne Communal, Suzanne Military, Herbecourt British, Frise Communal, France. 

Eliza's last son, Alexander Fraser,  was born in  Pakenham in 1879. This means that the Frasers were in Pakenham at least two years before they took over the licence of the Hotel in 1881, so I did some more research and found an article in The Herald about an Insolvency case brought against Alexander Fraser, farmer, of Pakenham. The article tell us that Alexander and Eliza had purchased 165 acres each in June 1878 and that my wife was possessed of and carried on business in the Royal George Hotel, Elizabeth street (19) - so this confirms that this couple are the same ones that held the hotel licence.  It is likely that Alexander being declared bankrupt was the catalyst for Eliza Fraser going back into the hotel business.

 I am unsure what happened to Alexander, there is an Alexander Fraser, an orchardist, listed in the Shire of Berwick Rate Books from 1910 to 1920 - he owned 85 acres at Gembrook South, later called Pakenham Upper. In 1915 he was the President of the Pakenham Fruitgrower's Association (17). His wife was listed in the Electoral Rolls at the time as Annie South Fraser, but I can't trace them after 1919 in the Electoral Roll. If this is him why didn't Arthur list him as his next of kin in his World War One Attestation papers? Also Alexander was not listed in the In Memoriam notice inserted by John and Arthur in 1891 for their mother. Did Alexander live with his father and they lost touch or became estranged? I don't know and also don't know what happened to Alexander Senior, either. 

Eliza Fraser was a  hard working woman, who had to cope with the death of her little girl and the tragic and unexpected death of her first husband which left her a widow with two young boys to look after. She had the misfortune that her second husband was a violent man. Eliza is a woman who should be admired for overcoming adversity and  doing all she could to make a secure life for her three sons. 

Trove list - I have created a list of newspaper articles on Trove on Eliza Fraser and her hotel and family, you can access it here.

Footnotes
(1) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, January 10, 1883, see here. In the Licensing Board hearing, Michael Kelly, the owner of the Hotel said that the house had been continually licensed for the last fourteen years. 

(2) Ibid - Michael Kelly stated that the present applicant had been in it since 15th September 1881. 

(3) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, December 13, 1882, see here.

(4) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, January 10, 1883, see here.

(5) Ibid

(6) Ibid

(7) Ibid

(8) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, June 9, 1886, see here.

(9) Marriage certificate and Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(10) Bacchus Marsh Express, May 30 1874, see here.

(11) Bacchus March Express, June 13, 1874, see here.

(12) Marriage certificate and Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(13) Her date of death on her Probate Papers is listed as July 31, 1890. 

(14) Probate Papers at the Public Records Office of Victoria can be found here and here.

(15) Ibid

(16) South Bourke and Mornington Journal, December 18, 1890, see here.

(17) Death notice; Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages;  Grant of Administration papers at the Public Records Office of Victoria, see here and here.

(18) View his record at the National Archives of Australia, here.

(19  The Herald, June 9, 1880, see here.

(20) Various articles in my Trove list,  see here.


This is an expanded and updated version of  a post, which I wrote and researched, which appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past

Mrs Gertrude Kilroy of the Motor Club Hotel, Cranbourne

At a hearing of the Dandenong Licensing Court held on March 17, 1914 Gertrude Emily Kilroy applied to have the license of the Motor Club Hotel, Cranbourne transferred from Julia O'Brien to herself. The application was granted (1).

Notice of  Mrs Kilroy's licence application

The Age, March 7, 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189398219

The Motor Club Hotel was established in 1860s by Thomas and Eliza Gooch (2) as the Mornington Hotel, There were various owners and licensees after the Goochs and on December 14, 1911 the Dandenong Licensing Court approved an application from John Taylor to renew his license of the Hotel and also for the Hotel to be renamed the Motor Club Hotel (3). 

Application to change the name of the Hotel approved

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, December 21, 1911 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66179793

This name change to the Motor Club Hotel, may have been related to the birth of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria in Tooradin (4) or may have reflected the fact that Cranbourne was a popular destination for early motor car excursions. John Taylor still owned the hotel during the time Gertrude was the licensee (5).

The Mornington Hotel, when it was owned by Thomas and Eliza Gooch. 

It was later renamed the Motor Club Hotel; the current building was erected around 1924.

Image: The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson (Cheshire, 1968)

Gertrude (also referred to as Emily or Emeline) was born in Parramatta in New South Wales in 1865 or 1869 (depending on sources), to William and Emma (nee O'Toole) Tasker. Her father was a Military Officer (6). Gertrude married Nicholas Keam on August 24, 1887 in North Sydney. Sadly, for Gertrude, this was a disastrous marriage. About a year after they were married they moved to Victoria, to Bendigo, where they lived with Nicholas' father. Nicholas was out of work, so Emily took a position in a Hotel and some time after that he went away and she did not hear from him for seven years. Around mid 1902 Gertrude discovered that Nicholas was living with another woman, Annie Lewis, by whom he had a number of children. In February 1904, Gertrude instituted divorce proceedings. The Judge granted her the divorce and described Nicholas Keam as a cold blooded scoundrel (7).

Gertrude's (or Emie as she called herself) sentimental In Memoriam notice for her parents.

Bendigo Advertiser January 29, 1892 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89013671

On May 31, 1906 Gertrude married William John Kilroy - he was listed on the marriage certificate as a 35 year old commercial traveller, born in Maryborough, Victoria. The service was conducted at 24 Brunswick Street Fitzroy, by Albert James Abbott, a clergyman of the Free Christian Church (8). Gertrude's occupation was a housekeeper, she was 37 years old and their address was 396 Albert Street, East Melbourne (9). The couple had been together since at least 1903 as they are both in the Electoral Roll at 49 Clark Street, Prahran, and she was using the surname Kilroy (10).

In 1909, the couple were living in Bendigo and in April 1910, Gertrude took over the licence of the Camp Hotel, in Hargreaves Street in Bendigo, which she held until March 1912 (11). After Bendigo they moved to Oaklands and the Inverness Hotel at Oaklands Junction, where once again Gertrude was the licensee (12). They moved to Oaklands Junction to the Motor Club Hotel.

The first advertisement for Kilroy's Motor Club Hotel

Dandenong Advertiser, April 9, 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/8487694

Once in Cranbourne they joined in with the community life. In July 1914 a dinner to celebrate the achievements of Anthony Facey, Cranbourne Shire Secretary and later Shire Engineer (13),  was held at the Motor Club Hotel where a sumptuous poultry dinner was in waiting, prepared by the deft fingers of Mrs Kilroy. The table decorations were in giant violets and wattle blossom, and the effect of the purple and gold (the Royal colors) was very pleasing. The viands were excellent, and full justice was done to a five course dinner (14).

In June 1916 Mrs Kilroy's catering was praised again when she catered for a function given by the Cranbourne Turf Club - The tables were laden with edibles to satisfy the wishes of any epicure, and full justice was done to the inner man, which reflects great credit on Mrs Kilroy, licensee of the Motor Club hotel, who had charge of the catering (15).

Whilst in Cranbourne the Kilroys donated prizes for fund raisers, William was an official of the Cranbourne Turf Club; Gertrude played the piano at a Red Cross function and William sung a solo at a farewell function for local soldiers amongst other activities (16). They also carried out Extensive alterations and improvement are now in progress at the Motor Club hotel, Cranbourne, which when completed will add greatly to the appearance of the building and increase the comfort of the interior. Enterprise is displayed by the proprietress and Mr Kilroy, who have now a motor garage, at which the general public can hire cars (17).

There were two other significant contributions made by the Kilroys at Cranbourne. Firstly it was reported in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal in March 1917 that Mrs Kilroy, of the Motor Club hotel, Cranbourne, has at considerable expense obtained, a most unique collection of photos of local volunteers, which have been nicely arranged on the walls of the parlor of the hotel mentioned, and are well worth a visit of inspection. It is also an indication that Cranbourne has responded well to the call for volunteers (18). What an amazing collection of photographs they would have been, a lovely tribute to the local boys who enlisted and if only we could go back in time to see them.

Mrs Kilroy's Unique collection

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, March 22, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66191708

The other significant thing was that William enlisted to serve in the Army on May 11, 1916. He was 41 years old. The local paper reported that he has passed his initial examination. The late boniface of the Club is a good solid-looking man, and should stop a bullet with the best of them if he gets through his finals (19). It seems age was against him as he was discharged as being medically unfit on August 28, 1916 due to Rheumatoid Arthritis (20).

Part of William Kilroy's enlistment papers

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

In May 1918, four years after they arrived, the Kilroys left Cranbourne and the Motor Club Hotel for the Royal Mail Hotel in Whittlesea. They were not there long and they moved to the Racecourse Hotel in Keilor in October 1919. By 1921 they were at the Tatong Hotel and in September that year, Gertrude took over the licence of the Railway Hotel in Goorambat and April 1922, she took up the licence of the Redesdale Hotel and by August 1923 that licence was transferred (21). Five Hotels in five years, a very quick succession and Redesdale appears to have been their last Hotel. I wonder why they kept moving, but it seemed to be the pattern of their life after that.

In 1926 they were at 20 Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda, where Mrs Kilroy rented out rooms and William was a traveller or salesman (22). They were innocently connected to a murder while they were there as one of Mrs Kilroy's boarders was charged with murder. He was 65 year old Henry Tacke, who was infatuated by 34 year old Rachel Currell, a married woman with one child. She had already complained to her husband about his stalking her. Tacke came around to their house at 4 Mary Street, St Kilda on December 15, 1925 fought with her husband and then shot her five times - he claimed he just fired down the passage way to frighten her. He then calmly walked home to Mrs Kilroy's as if nothing had happened. At his trial he was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a mere seven years. Tacke died in gaol in September 1927 (23).

The Electoral Rolls list the Kilroys at two other addresses in St Kilda in the late 1920s - 241 Barkly Street and 114 Acland Street. In 1934 they were at 182 Williams Road in Toorak; 1936 at 165 Point Nepean Road in Carrum and 1937 at 127 Disraeli Street in Kew (24). William died May 15, 1939 at the age of 64, and their address listed in the death notice was 39 Alma Road, St Kilda. He was the son of William John and Margaret (nee Hughes) Kilroy and he had five sisters, Annie, Rose, Emily, Sarah and Mary and one brother, Thomas. He was also the devoted uncle of Madge, Bill and Bernie and one notice and one notice said he was loved by all and sadly missed (25). 

After William died, the next I can trace of Gertrude is that she was at 30 Hodgkinson Street, Clifton Hill and in 1954 she was at St Josephs Home, Northcote (26). She died in April 1956, at the age of 91 and is buried with William in the Catholic section at the Fawkner Cemetery (27). I cannot find a death notice for Gertrude or a Will. Gertrude was a hard working woman, essentially supporting herself all her adult life as a housekeeper, hotel keeper and even after she retired from the Hotel business, she took in boarders to help make ends meet. Gertrude Emily Kilroy - enterprising, a sumptuous and expert caterer, sentimental and community minded.

Trove list - I have created a list of newspaper articles on Gertrude Kilroy, William Kilroy and their life and work, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Age, March 7, 1914, see here.

(2) In The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire, Niel Gunson writes that Thomas Gooch was chief mate on the Sacramento. Elizabeth (nee Minister) had also been on the same ship, which was wrecked near the Heads, Port Phillip Bay. They both lost all of their possessions, but found true love and married each other in 1853. Elizabeth gave birth to nine children between 1855 and 1867. They were Thomas (1855), Alfred (1857), Susan Ellen (1859), Arthur (1860), Charlotte (1861), Walter Edward (1863), Harriet Beumont (1864), Frank Frederick (1865), Fanny Elizabeth (1867).
(3) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, December 21, 1911, see here.

(4) https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2022/02/tooradin-short-history.html
(5) John Taylor was licensee of the Hotel in 1911 and in January 1912 had purchased the freehold of the Hotel. Julia O'Brien took over the licence of the Motor Club Hotel in February 1913, until March 1914. In May 1918, it was reported that William James Taylor had taken over the licence and the lease of the business from Gertrude Taylor. In May 1919, Sarah Kelly took over the licence from William Taylor. Members of the Kelly family also operated the Cranbourne Hotel, also in High Street. John Taylor is listed in the Cranbourne Shire Rate books as owning the Hotel until 1921/1922 Rate Year. In 1922/1923, Arthur Kelly is listed as the owner. I feel that William James Taylor is probably the son of John Taylor, but have no evidence.  

The existing Motor Club Hotel, was built around 1924. I am basing this on the valuation in the Cranbourne Shire Rate Books - in 1923/24 and 1924/25 the Net Annual Value was 240 pounds, in 1925/26 -it had leaped to 420 pounds and the next two years it was 400 pounds, so I believe the increase in rates was due to the erection of the new building. As the Local Government year used to run from October 1 to September 30 then the new building would have been erected between October 1924 and September 1925 to appear at the higher valuation in the 1925/26 year.  

(6) Information from her Marriage certificate to William Kilroy. Her mother is listed as Mary O'Toole on Gertrude's marriage certificate. Her marriage certificate said she (Gertrude) was 37 in 1906, hence born 1869. The Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages says she was 91 when she died in 1956, hence born 1865. I cannot find a birth record in the New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(7) Information about Gertrude's marriage and divorce comes from the reports of her Divorce hearing in Bendigo Independent, February 13, 1904, see here;  Bendigo Advertiser, February 13, 1904, see here and The Age, February 13, 1904, see here.
(8) Albert James Abbott, a clergyman of the Free Christian Church - an interesting, slightly dodgy character. These two articles tell you something about him - The Age, December 1, 1892, see here and The Age November 9, 1909, see here. 
(9) I bought their Marriage certificate.
(10) Electoral Roll on Ancestry.com
(11) The Argus, April 5, 1910, see here.
(12) Cannot find a licence application for Gertrude for the Inverness Hotel at Oaklands Junction, but she is listed there in the 1913 Electoral Roll as a Licenced Victualler.
(13) Anthony Northey Facey - Cranbourne Shire Councillor 1876-1881; Cranbourne Shire Acting Secretary from 1884, Secretary from 1887 until 1909; Cranbourne Shire Clerk of Works 1884-1909 and Cranbourne Shire Engineer 1909-1912 (Information from Niel Gunson's The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968)) Mr Facey died in 1916, aged 67, read his obituary in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal of August 12, 1915, here.
(14) Dandenong Advertiser, July 9, 1914, see here.
(15) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, June 15, 1916, see here.
(16) See my Trove list, here, for accounts.
(17) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, December 9, 1915, see here.
(18) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, March 22, 1917, see here.
(19) Dandenong Advertiser, May 4, 1916, see here. The term Boniface for a hotel keeper comes from Boniface, the innkeeper in The Beaux' Stratagem written in 1707, by George Farquhar.
(20) View William's file at the National Archives of Australia https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7372476
(21) You can see all the advertisements for applications and transferences for the Hotel licences in my Trove list, here.
(22) I assume he was a traveller as that was his occupation in 1928 according to the Electoral Rolls.
(23) Report of Tacke's committal trial was in The Argus, January 9, 1926, see here. Report of his death was in The Argus, September 10, 1927, see here.
(24) Their addresses are from the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(25) Death notices in The Age, May 16, 1939, see here. The names of his parents come from the Victorian Index to Births, Deaths and Marriages.
(26) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com. St Josephs Home in Northcote was operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, read about it here https://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/article/342
(27) See footnote (6) regarding her date of birth. Fawkner Cemetery records https://www.gmct.com.au/our-locations/fawkner-memorial-park

A version of this post, which I wrote and researched, appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past