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.

TELFORD, William MacArthur

Biographical notes: 
  • William Telford was born in Liverpool, England and enlisted on the 16 March 1916 at 39 years and 8 months of age into the 23rd Battalion
  • William was single, being 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 137 lbs with tattoos on both forearms and chest and was a Stevedore
  • 2773 reads

THOMAS, Wilfred Speechely

Date of birth: 
1898
Biographical notes: 

born East Melbourne, MM & Bar

Served also in WW2.  Records have been amalgamated and WW1 record not available online.

  • 3456 reads

THOMPSON, Joseph

  • 2265 reads

THORP, William Gladstone

Date of birth: 
1870
Biographical notes: 

William Gladstone Thorp was the son of Thomas Thorp and his wife, Mary nee Burton.  He was born in London in 1870.  At the time of his enlistment on 31 July 1915 he said he was in the boot trade and had been apprenticed to C Gillespie of Goulburn, New South Wales.  He was married to Daisy Winifred Thorp, nee Carpenter, and was living at 56 Grey Street, East Melbourne.  He ha

  • 3063 reads

TOPE, William

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

William Tope was born c.1893 in Camberwell, Victoria.  He was the son of William Charles Tope and his wife, Alexandra Mary, nee Taylor.  The family moved to East Melbourne in 1909 when William snr bought the house at 110 Vale Street.

William Tope
  • 4574 reads

TORPEY, Henry Alphonsus

Date of birth: 
1884
Biographical notes: 

Henry Alphonsus Torpey was born in 1884 in Limerick, Ireland.  He was the youngest son of John and Catherine Torpey.  The family emigrated in 1897 and was living at 376 Albert Street, East Melbourne by 1902 when John died. Catherine died in 1907.

Henry Alphonsus Torpey 1915
  • 3231 reads

TRACEY, George

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

George Rosen Tracey was the fourth son of the eleven children of Patrick Edward and Charlotte Tracey.  He was born in 1892 in East Melbourne.

  • 4269 reads

TRACEY, Murray

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Private Murray Tracey was born in Rosebury, South Australia in 1894. At the time of his enlistment on 25 March, 1915, his father was deceased and mother Mary Tracey was residing at 1002 Hoddle Street, East Melbourne. Murray's occupation was listed as drover.

  • 2933 reads

TREWHITT, George Alfred

born East Melbourne, Wounded in action

Biographical notes: 

born East Melbourne, Wounded in action

TRICKETT, Arthur Thomas

Date of birth: 
1896
Biographical notes: 

Arthur Thomas (Tom) Trickett was born on 12 June 1896 at Albert Villa, 118 Albert Street, East Melbourne.  He was the son of Edward Arthur (known as Arthur) Trickett and his first wife, Harriett. Harriett was the daughter of Thomas Wright, a builder who constructed many houses in the East Melbourne area and was one of the contractors after whom Contractors' Lane is named.

  • 3894 reads

TRICKETT, David Edward

Date of birth: 
1899
Biographical notes: 

David Edward Trickett was born on 12 February 1899 at Albert Villa, 118 Albert Street, East Melbourne. He was the son of Edward Arthur (known as Arthur) Trickett and his second wife, Marion Elsie, the daughter of the Rev. D. Meadowcroft of the East Melbourne Congregational Church.

  • 3999 reads

TUCKER, Beryl May

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Beryl May Tucker was born in 1890 in the Melbourne suburb of Canterbury to Robert Octavius Tucker (1852–1937) and his wife Mary Eleanor (‘Ella’) (1859–1941).

Colaba War Hospital AWM P00562.013
Colaba Medical Staff 1917 AWM P04046.001
Beryl Tucker Grave, Mitcham Cemetery SA
  • 6389 reads

TYMMS, Edward Frederick Victor

Date of birth: 
1889
Biographical notes: 

Edward Frederick Victor Tymms was born in Melbourne in 1889. He was the son of Albert Edward (known as Edward) Tymms and Agnes Elizabeth Ohlenrott.  Edward Snr was a pastry cook, confectioner and caterer and he shared premises at the top end of Bourke Street with his brother-in-law, James Ohlenrott, who was in the same business.

  • 3592 reads

UNVERHAU, Hugo James

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

 Hugo James Unverhau was born in Auburn in 1897 to Joseph Hugo Unverhau and Catherine (nee Connolly). James was of German descent, his grandfather immigrating to the Western district of Victoria in the 1840's. James met and married his wife Catherine in Geelong in 1885.

  • 2779 reads