Information for the following article from local historian Danielle Clode with permission.
In 2008 the World War 1 Honour Board located at Panton Hill Primary School was refurbished. (From grant funding received under the Restoring Community War Memorials Grants Program 2006-7). Part of this project was a research project into the names on the board. Some of these names are also recorded at the Kangaroo Ground Memorial Tower in the Shire of Nillumbik.
The Honour Board was erected in 1917 by the School Committee to recognise local men who enlisted to fight in World War One. Teachers, fruit-growers and miners signed up. Some were as young as eighteen, others over forty. Most Australian troops were deployed in the Dardanelles (Gallipoli) and on the Western Front in France and Belgium. Many were wounded or became ill. Four local men died in battle.
Lt. Charles Callan
Pte. Jack O’Day
Pte. Robert Harris
LCpl. Samuel Giles
They are commemorated on the War Memorial outside the St. Matthews Church next door.
Volunteers
The volunteers listed on the board (full names and details where known listed in brackets) are:
Bert Allan
William Apted (William Ernest Apted of Panton Hill)
John Belot (John Alfred Matthew Belot of Hurstbridge)
Antonio Basto
William Broussard (First cousin of the Howards, nephew of Percy Glennon)
Fred Charman
William Clarke
Albert Close
Frank Currie
Eric Coutie (Eric Edwin Coutie of Panton Hill)
Raymond Dousset (Raymond Leon Dousset of Panton Hill)
William Gathercole (William Robert Gathercole of Panton Hill)
Percy Glennon (of Panton Hill, uncle of the Howards)
Robert Harris (Robert Jubilee Harris of Kangaroo Ground, brother of Charles, died in action)
Charles Harris (Charles Thomas Harris of Kangaroo Ground)
Harry Howard (Henry Valentine Howard of Panton Hill, brother of Arthur and William)
Arthur Howard (Arthur Michael Howard of Panton Hill, brother of Harry and William)
William Howard (of Panton Hill, brother of Harry and Arthur)
Percy Howard (Percy George Howard of Panton Hill, brother of Herbert, cousin of Harry, et al.)
Herbert Howard (Herbert Frederick Howard of Panton Hill, brother of Percy, cousin of Harry, et al.)
Herbert Jones
Alex Miller (Alexander Miller of Heidelberg, brother of James and Henry)
James Miller (James Hatton Miller of Melbourne, brother of Henry and Alex)
Henry Miller (Henry Wood Miller of Panton Hill, brother of Alex and James)
John O’Dea (William John O’Day known as Jack of Panton Hill, died in action)
Patrick Plunkett (Patrick Francis Plunkett of Panton Hill)
Tom Prior (Thomas Edward Prior of Panton Hill)
George Purcell (George Albert Purcell of Panton Hill)
Allan Russell
Edward Shanhun (Edward William Alexander Shanhun of Hurstbridge)
Devereaux Shanhun (Arthur Alfred Devereux Shanhun of Hurstbridge)
George Smith (George John Smith of Panton Hill)
Donald Spicer (Donald McMillan Spicer of St Andrews, died in service)
William Arthur Spicer (William Arthur Spicer of St Andrews, brother of Donald)
Harold Tame (Harold Thomas Tame of Nutfield)
Shanhun Family
Edward and Dev Shanhun grew up in Gosfield Road in an old log house with dirt floors, like many families in the area. The Shanhun’s grandfather Cheong Shin Hun emigrated from China in 1892 in the goldrush. He had twelve children with his wife Ellen before some of the family moved to Western Australia. Edward and Dev stayed in the area after returning from the war, but their uncle Alfred was killed in action aged 43. The Shanhun family still lives in the area.
Gathercole
William Gathercole’s family lived in Alma Road and many of the Gathercoles went to Panton Hill State School. William enlisted in 1916 at the age of 26 and served in the 32nd Battalion. He was promoted to Sergeant and was awarded a Military Cross for bravery under fire at the Somme. He was wounded in both hands. William returned to his wife May (Mabel) in 1919 and they lived in West Melbourne where William worked as a carrier.
Howard
When Elizabeth Hilling married Henry Howard, a fruit-grower from Panton Hill, she couldn’t have known she would send one son and five grandsons to war. Harry, William and Arthur were brothers who served in the first world war. Their cousins Herbert (pictured) and Percy also signed up as did their uncle Percy Glennon, who was a few years older. After being wounded in battle, Herbert became quite ill, suffering from influenza, bronchitis and trench fever. His cousin William was also badly wounded. The Howard boys didn’t always agree with their commanding officers, but they all came home safely.
Percy Howard volunteered for service twice, but an old injury to his arm, caused by jumping a fence, prevented him from serving overseas. After the war, Percy met and married a Scottish girl, Nancy, and they had one son, George. Percy built their first house in Carnegie and they later moved to Kooyong. He loved fishing and was always in search of a giant Murray cod. One bite put up a massive struggle and quite a crowd gathered to watch Percy reel in the monster—which turned out to be a disappointingly small turtle. Percy’s son George moved back to Eltham North to raise his own family.
O’Day
Jack O’Day (or O’Dea) was only nineteen when he was sent into the battle of Fromelle in northern France. This battle was one of the greatest disasters of the First World War and thousands of young men like Jack died here. Their bodies were never recovered and they were buried in a mass grave. Jack’s sweetheart kept his photo all her life and when she died, her family sent it back to Jack’s family in Panton Hill. Jack was a student of Panton Hill Primary School, just like many other O’Days before and after him.
Smith
George John Smith grew up on Manuka Road. When he married, he built the house at 125 Cherrytree Road and ran an orchard, like most of his family. He enlisted at the age of thirty two, leaving his wife Barbara at home with their three young children.
George served in the artillery as a gunner before being promoted to Bombardier (or Corporal). He returned home safely in 1919. There have been several generations of Smiths at Panton Hill Primary School including George.
Spicer
The three Spicer boys were from Queenstown where Donald and Edwin were labourers and William was a woodworker. Donald’s father Alexander ran the Allwood Nurseries at Kinglake.
While Donald was in England, preparing to go to war, he contracted measles and became dangerously ill. Within a few days he had developed bronchial pneumonia and died. He was buried in an English cemetery. Many young men became ill during the war and either died or were sent home to recover.
Tame
Harold Tame was born in Balwyn but moved to Panton Hill with his parents. He enlisted in 1916 at the age of eighteen. His mother wrote a letter giving him permission to embark with his mates, instead of having to wait until he was nineteen. After serving in action, Harold returned home where he met, and married Grace Herbert. They moved to a property on Doctor’s Gully Road in Nutfield, which is still home to Harold’s great-grandson.
Harris
Robert J. Harris was head teacher at Panton Hill State School from 1884-1887. His son, Robert C. Harris ran the local newspaper in Kangaroo Ground and sent his sons to school in Panton Hill. Robert was on the school committee which organised the Honor Board. His sons, Robert and Charles, enlisted together on the same day in 1915. Within a year, Robert Jubilee Harris had died on the battlefield of Fleurbaix alongside Jack O’Day. His younger brother Charles suffered a bomb wound to his leg, which left him with chronic arthritis.
Miller
James and Henry Miller were bank clerks who signed up together on the 5th of January 1916. Their older brother Alex signed up a few months later but was unable to serve because of poor eyesight. James became a qualified bomb thrower and was promoted to Sergeant before being wounded and returned home. Henry was promoted to Lieutenant but was injured in a flying accident and discharged. On his return he married Daphne and they moved to Elsternwick.
Link
HONOUR BOARD AT PANTON HILL STATE SCHOOL. (1916, November 3). Evelyn Observer and Bourke East Record (Vic. : 1902 – 1917), p. 2 (MORNING.). Retrieved March 17, 2022
Updated March 2022
