It was a still night; cold and dark. From the distance, the orange glow of the fire barrels could be seen. Sparks shot up and danced as high as ten metres in the air. The crowds gathered round, absorbing the radiant heat to keep out the chill. A voice over the loudspeaker attracted attention. The masses […]
Tag: World War One
The Shire of Whittlesea: the Outbreak of War
According to the Municipal Directory of 1918, the Shire of Whittlesea comprised Arthur’s Creek, Bruce’s Creek, Bundoora, Doreen, Eden Park, Epping (population 625), Mernda, South Yan Yean (700), Merriang, Morang (South, 725), Nutfield, Scrubby Creek, Tanck’s Corner, Thomastown (283), Whittlesea (800), Woollert, Woodstock (275) and Yan Yean. All of the place names today remain with […]
A Gift from Egypt
In 1917, a young soldier on leave took a day trip down Port Phillip Bay in the excursion steamer Reliance. On the return trip, while there was a “sing-song” around the piano, he was joined where he was sitting apart, by a young girl to whom he’d been introduced earlier, “and we talked.” Sam continued, […]
Writing the War Exhibition
Throughout August 2016 Yarra Plenty Regional Library hosted the Writing the War travelling exhibition from State Library Victoria at Eltham Library. The exhibition traces WWI through personal accounts from seven Australians. Nurse, bank clerk, farmer, sports master, journalist, artist, and activist and included archived diaries, letters, artefacts and visual materials relating to World War One. […]
Adeline’s World War One Story
My grandmother’s ring was very large indeed, so big it hung loosely on my mother’s thumb when she wore it to the jewelers to have it resized. The jeweler was intrigued but didn’t ask questions. My grandmother told me the story in her tiny, crowded kitchen many, many years ago when I innocently asked her why her left ring finger was always bent […]
Whittlesea War Memorial
BROWN, Donald – Pte 6971 14 Bn.AIF ` Died: 26 September 1917 – Belgium BUTLER, Henry – Pte 2941 8 Reinforcements, 22 Bn. AIF Died: 14 July 1915 CHETTLE, Thomas – Pte 1581 14 Bn. AIF Died: 7 August 1915 – Dardenelles COOK, Phillip Edward – Cpl 4470 46 Bn. […]
The Great European War Eltham Honour Roll at Saint Margaret’s Anglican Church Eltham
Introduction On the south wall of the 1861 Church of Saint Margaret at Eltham is an Honour Roll of those men and women from the Eltham district who served in the Great European War from 1914 to 1918. Many were directly connected to Saint Margaret’s. It is inscribed Eltham Honour Roll 1914 Great European War […]
World War 1 : Sister Isabel Russell Ross
“ABOUT PEOPLE. Our Christmas Hills correspondent records the death of Miss Isabel Russell Ross, a well-known war nurse, on 12th inst. She went to the Great War on April 14, 1915, with the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve, and gave continuous service throughout the war. Nurse Ross was a daughter of the late John […]
World War 1 : Nurse Harriet Mary Hazel Bain
Harriet Mary Hazel Bain Address : 13 Darebin Street, Northcote Next of kin : father, Mr John Bain (mother, Winifred Louisa,nee Jones) Although Hazel Bain was the last of the nurses connected to Darebin to be uncovered, hers was a significant tale to tell in that she was the only one of the Darebin group that was forced to resign due to her […]
Whittlesea’s Great War (L to Z)
(See also A – K) The two entries comprise a list of all known volunteers for World War One service from the Shire of Whittlesea (as per 1918 boundaries) compiled from local newspaper reports, honour boards erected around the district and an exhaustive search of records held in National Archives and the Australian War Memorial. […]