People of East Melbourne

This is a list of biographies of residents of East Melbourne.

This project started to commemorate the soldiers and nurses who went to Europe to serve in World War 1. But it has grown from there to cover biographies of any and all residents of note.

Along with many of their fellow Australians people from East Melbourne flocked to enlist. Many were heroes. Many lost their lives or suffered horrific physical or mental injuries. At home family and friends worked, endured and suffered consequences that were sometimes terrible and persisted long after the war.

Major-General Michael O'Brien gave us a starting point with a list of East Melbourne people who served in WW1. He spoke to the Society in April 2013 to give us some context to the period and to help the EMHS prepare for its own commemorations of this most devastating period in our history.

Everyone can participate by gathering or documenting information:

  • Photos, memorabilia and family records
  • Stories in books, newspapers and on-line
  • Memorial plaques in churches and public places
  • War memorial, church, national and state archives

You can refine the list by applying the various filter criteria and go to a particular detailed biography by click on the title.

SMITH, Winifred Jane

Date of birth: 
1876
Biographical notes: 

Winifred Jane Smith and her younger sister Elsie Dora Smith joined the Australian Army Nursing Service together and sailed from Australia on active service together on 7 July 1915.

Winifred Jane Smith (nurses.ww1anzac.com)
AANS England 1915 (WJSmith front far right; EDSmith behind her) AWM PO3968.002
Massage ward 1AAH Harefield (AWM HO3583)
Nursing sisters' mess 1AAH Harefield (AWM HO3605)
Nursing sisters' sitting room 1AAH Harefield (AWM HO3064)
Grave of Winifred Watson nee Smith) and husband William Abbott Watson
  • 3232 reads

QUARTERMAN, Rosa Elizabeth Kate

Date of birth: 
1872
Biographical notes: 

Rosa Elizabeth Kate Quarterman (1872–1940) served in the Australian Army Nursing Service from 1914 to 1920.

Martha Quarterman (Guy Quarterman)
Rosa Quarterman jewellery box (Guy Quarterman)
Rosa Quarterman (front left) at Melbourne Hospital (Punch 5.02.1903)
Rosa Quarterman (Table Talk, 10.12.1914, p22)
Quarterman was matron at Helouan Convalescent Hospital (AWM P00156.019)
Nurses on transport duty (AWM A0343)
Rosa Quarterman commemorated at St Peter's Church Eastern Hill, Melbourne
  • 2993 reads

ROSS, Clara Louisa

Date of birth: 
1874
Biographical notes: 

Clara Louisa Ross

Clara Ross (Table Talk, 10.12.1914 p22)
Matron Clara Ross and staff 1AAH, London 1918 (AWM D00037)
Clara Ross, Honour Board, St Peter's Church, Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 1953 reads

LAWRENCE, Helen Ruth

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

Helen Ruth Lawrence

(1883–1964)

2AGH in Gezirah Palace, Cairo 1915 (AWM A02725)
Lawrence nursed under fire (Extract 1ACCS War Diary (AWM))
Laurence Howie's depiction of 3AGH Abbeville (AWM ART93081)
Helen Lawrence commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2011 reads

MILLER, Edith Caroline Munckton

Date of birth: 
1879
Biographical notes: 

Edith Miller's connection with East Melbourne was as a parishioner of St Peter's Church, Eastern hill, East Melbourne.

Edith Miller's appointment to the AANS, 1915 (family collection)
Edith Miller commemorated at St Peter's Church, Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
Norman Griffiths (front, slouch hat)
Edith Miller (front 2nd right), ?ANZAC Day, New Zealand (nd) (family collection)
Fannie Munckton, Norman and Edith Miller, NZ, c1930 (family collection)
  • 2783 reads

RUNDELL, Ada Sophia

Date of birth: 
1876
Biographical notes: 

Ada Sophia Rundell was in the first contingent of masseuses (physiotherapists) sent overseas with the AIF. From 1915–1918, she worked in hospitals in England, France and England.

Ada Sophia Rundell (TableTalk, 16.9.1915, p26)
Rundell treated amputees at 2AAH (Southall) (AWM D00572)
Massage ward Rosemount Repatriation Hospital Brisbane c1918 (AWM H02258)
Ada Rundell, Honour Board, St Peter's Church Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2432 reads

EDGCUMBE, Erica Valletort

Date of birth: 
1889
Biographical notes: 

Erica Valletort Edgcumbe (1889-1955)

EVEdgcumbe at Repatriation Hospital Caulfield (Weekly Times 1.5.1946, p7)
Erica Edgcumbe commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2006 reads

OUSLEY, Marguerite

Date of birth: 
1881
Biographical notes: 

Marguerite Ousley 1881-1971

Marguerite Ousley commemorated by St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
Ousley reference 1913 (St Vincent's & Mercy Hospital Archives)
Royal Victoria Hospital Netley during WW1
Ousley's resignation (extract from Ousley, Service Record [National Archives])
Ousley headstone Aberdeen (BillionGraves)
  • 2130 reads

DILNOT, Emily

Date of birth: 
1887
Biographical notes: 

Emily Dilnot (1887­–1984) worked at Mena House Hospital, Simpson St, East Melbourne from 1912 until 1916 when she travelled to England and enlisted in the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing

Emily Dilnot: brought up Herne Bay South Parade (kenthistoryforum)
Emily Dilnot: Honour Board St Peter's Eastern Hill East Melbourne
  • 1846 reads

NEWTON, Eileen Catherine Kearney

Date of birth: 
1889
Biographical notes: 

Eileen Catherine Kearney Newton (1889-1937)

Deccan War Hospital Poona (pinterest)
Convalescents parading at Deccan War Hospital, Poona c1917 (AWM P00562.075)
ExtractCullenInquest (Argus, 1.12.1937).jpg
  • 2038 reads

GIDDINGS, Ethel May

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

Introduction

Ethel Giddings at Mena House, East Melbourne 1912 (family collection)
Cumballa War Hospital
Giddings nursed at 66 General Hospital ('x'), Salonika (AWM H15764)
Nurses on Salonika in in anti mosquito wear (AWM H15761)
Ethel Giddings obituary (?Sunraysia Daily, 1968) (family collection)
Giddings (billiongraves.com/grave/person/13421701)
Ethel Giddings on the Honour Board, St Peter's Eastern Hill East Melbourne
  • 3055 reads

ROBERTS, Annie Florence

Date of birth: 
1879
Biographical notes: 

Annie Florence Roberts (1879–1958)

Introduction

Roberts (back row, left) & Melb District Nurses (Weekly Times 20.7.1907, p25)
Roberts (back row, fourth) & Melb District Nurses (Punch 11.7.1907, p13)
Annie F Roberts (Punch, 29.7.1915, p21)
Roberts (2nd row, 2nd left) with AANS London 1915 (AWM A03989)
Annie Roberts commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2366 reads

CRAMER, Winifred Mary

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

Winifred Mary Cramer (1877–1965)

Winifred Cramer, WW1 Honour Board, St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 1760 reads

BONNIN, Irene Gertrude Hiller

Date of birth: 
1884
Biographical notes: 

Irene Gertrude Hiller Bonnin (1874–1971)

Extract from Irene Bonnin's diary (PRG 621/21, State Library of SA)
Irene Bonnin at 1AGH, Heliopolis, Egypt (PRG 621/23, State Library of SA)
Irene Bonnin commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2093 reads

MACARTNEY, Dora Lynette

Date of birth: 
1882
Biographical notes: 

Dora Lynette Macartney

Composite image of amputees at 2AAH (AWM_P10776_014_001)
Limb fitting at 2AAH where Dora Macartney nursed (AWM D00572)
Dora Macartney commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 1469 reads

DICKINSON, Ruby Droma

Date of birth: 
1878
Biographical notes: 

Ruby Droma Dickinson

21 General Hospital, Alexandria where Dickinson nursed
Sisters' quarters at 60 General Hospital in the vardar (AWM C04339)
Ruby Droma Dickinson's grave, Hobart (courtesy Faithe Jones)
Plaque commemorating Ruby Droma Dickinson (courtesy Faithe Jones)
Ruth Droma Dickinson commemorated at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 2571 reads

KEPPEL, Beatrice Emma

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Beatrice Emma Keppel (1890–1932)

Sister TW Keppel [sic] (second left), 2AAH, May 1919 (AWM D00549)
Beatrice Keppel commemorated at St Peter's Church, Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
  • 1673 reads

HORNSEY, Ruby Millie

Date of birth: 
1885
Biographical notes: 

Ruby Millie Hornsey

Ward at 2 Australian General Hospital, Cairo 1916 (AWM J06130)
Patients at 2 Australian General Hospital, Cairo 1916 (AWM J06829)
Limb fitting at 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital London (AWM D00545)
Ruby Hornsey commemorated at St Peter's Church Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
Ruby Connell (nee Hornsey) plaque (Faithe Jones)
  • 1862 reads

AINSLIE, Margaret

Biographical notes: 

The Ainslie family were natives of Gladsmuir, East Lothian, Scotland.

  • 488 reads

BROCKELBANK, Lilla

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

Lilla Brockebank, cricketer and architect, was the fifth of the six daughters of Duncan Brockelbank, actuary and accountant, and his wife Bessy Jemima, née Westmore .[1]  Lilla was born in Hac

Miss Lilla Brockelbank, the 'Wilfred Rhodes' among Melbourne's lady cricketers,
Group portrait of Coldstream Ladies Cricket Club, Mr Gooley on left.
  • 503 reads

CHILDERS, Emily

Biographical notes: 

Emily Childers (1827-1875), Diarist

  • 391 reads

BERMAN, Margaret

Date of birth: 
1923
Biographical notes: 

Margaret (Peggy) Berman (1923-2002)

Margaret Berman. The Age
  • 533 reads

DAVITT, Ellen

Biographical notes: 

Ellen Davitt is best remembered as a pioneer educationalist in her role as the first superintendent of the Model School, East Melbourne, which once stood on the island site now occupied by the Roya

  • 387 reads

MOUCHETTE, Berthe

Biographical notes: 

Berthe Mouchette, nee Lion, was born in 1846 at Forcalquier, Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur, France.  She studied painting, gained qualifications as an art teacher and developed into an admired a

  • 377 reads

MATHER, Esther

Biographical notes: 

Enid Esther Mather was born on 6 January 1910 in Queensland.  She was the daughter of William Mandeville Ellis L’Estrange and his wife, Mary Emmeline, nee Alder.  William was an electrica

  • 255 reads

MURPHY, Agnes

Date of birth: 
1869
Biographical notes: 

Agnes Gillian Murphy was born in Ireland but that is as much as we know about her early life.  She appears to have arrived in Melbourne about 1884 on a visit to her sister, Elizabeth (Lily), w

Agnes Murphy. Punch, 11 Mar 1909, p.19
Agnes Murphy and Aimee Moore. The Herald, 17 Jun 1929, p.22
  • 256 reads

BRAHE, May

Date of birth: 
1884
Biographical notes: 

Mary (May) Hannah Brahe (née Dickson) was born at 23 George Street, East Melbourne (now part of Georgian Court B & B) on 6 November 1884.  Her father was Richard Dickson, a Melbourne-born

  • 235 reads

CLARKE, Janet Marion

Biographical notes: 

Janet Marion Clarke was born on 4 June 1851 at Doogallook Station on the Goulburn River, Victoria, the eldest of nine children of the affluent landowner Peter Snodgrass and his wife Charlotte.

  • 270 reads

MAXWELL, May

Date of birth: 
1876
Biographical notes: 

From the time when Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India to the landing on Mars – this was the span of the interesting life of May Maxwell, who died at the age of 100 in 1977 at 157 Wellin

A youthful May Maxwell. Australian Media Hall of Fame
May Maxwell. Australian Media Hall of Fame
  • 254 reads

LA TROBE, Sophie

Biographical notes: 

Born Sophia de Montmollin, in Neuchâtel, a French speaking town in Switzerland, Sophie was the eighth of sixteen children. Sophie grew up in an imposing town house and M.

  • 318 reads