Harry Conway from “Penrith”, Christmas Hills died of wounds at Rouen, France on 28 April, 1918. Conway had certainly the most remarkable background of any serviceman from the-then Shire of Eltham to die in the Great War – born in the Singapore states, educated in India and having served four months Nigiri Volunteer Rifles before […]
Author: ozsportshistory
Brian Membrey ; Local historian for Darebin area and sports of all sorts
Crispe Park
(The author’s thanks are extended to Bob Harris and Bob Chandler (Reservoir Football Club) and Dick Norris (Preston Cricket Club) for some of the material supplied within this chapter). ORIGINS Preston Oval has been a spiritual home for thousands, of senior players over the years since it was acquired in 1875, but for practical purposes, Crispe Park has been the […]
The Great War – State Schools
An Education Department 1920 publication commemorating teachers and staff that had served in the First World War had appendices showing how much each school had raised for the Department’s War Relief Fund. This was Metropolitan District Area 4; the complete list is given as an indication of the schools and their approximate size during the […]
Preston and Gowerville Park : A Timeline
(The featured image is from a 1906 postcard, taken from the Bruce Street end of the Park and believed to have been hand-colored and printed in Germany) Preston and the Park : A Time Line 1838-39 : The lands that were to become Preston are sold off at public auction – 12 lots rangingfrom 312 […]
Darebin’s Boer War
The Preston Contingent ”Three Musketeers” in the persons of Messrs Chas. Patterson, Steve Prowse and Fred Michell – all Preston boys – called at this office in a high state of jubilation on Thursday, having been picked the day before to go with the Victorian contingent and fight for the liberties of their fellow Britishers […]
Preston District Junior Football Assocation
(Image (1958 Atlantic Picture Pageant Card) : Don Furness, 136 games with Fitzroy from 1949, previously with Preston Swimmers and just one of over 100 VFL players who started their footy careers in the PDJFA) Prior to the Second World War, there were a few “junior” football clubs (in terms of class, but not age-wise) […]
World War 1 Casualty : William Michael McDonald (Preston)
From 12 Regent-street, Preston, McDonald was alternatively listed as an agricultural student and a cheese-maker on embarkation. Somewhat unique in our archives in that he served in Egypt and Palestine with the Camel Corps rather than a Light Horse unit, McDonald died in the 14 General Hospital, Cairo on 8 May, 1917 from a septic haemorrhage […]
World War 1 Casualty : Nurse Amy Vera O’Grady
Nurse Amy Vera O’Grady (Roman Catholic Presbytery, Clifton Grove, Preston) Nurse Amy O’Grady was one of around a dozen women from Darebin that served in the Medical Corps, and the first of just two that died, in her case of cholera in the Sisters Isolation Hospital, Calaba, Bombay There were around a dozen local nurses […]
World War 1 Casualty : William George Vincent Williams (Australia’s First Fatality)
Few will be aware that the first Australian casualty of the Great War on 1914 was William George Vincent Williams from 36 Beavers Road, Northcote. Williams had spent five years in the Naval Reserve and had just a week left to serve out his time when war was declared and he was commanded into full […]
World War 1 Casualty : William Wailes (Preston and Epping)
William Wailes served as 3952, Private, 23rd Infantry and was 23 years of age when killed in action at Lagnicourt, France on 20 March, 1917. His military career was unexceptional – perhaps one or two more run-ins with officialdom than the norm – but he was unusual in that he was one of five brothers […]