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.

BURLEY, Thomas Mathew

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

William Thomas Burley was born in Tasmania, but by 1914, his father had retired from farming and both parents were living in Warnambool, Victoria. William was nearby, working as a rabbiter in Dunkeld at the foot of the Grampians.

  • 4310 reads

BURN, Cecil George

Date of birth: 
1895
Biographical notes: 

The son of Richard George Burn and Eliza Jane Atkins, Cecil Burns was a 21 year old mechanic at the time he enlisted  on 21 January, 1916.

  • 4049 reads

BURNELL, Frederick Joseph

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

Frederick Burnell was a clerk, living in East Melbourne. He was 36 years old,  widowed, with two sons, Francis Joseph and Frederick Thomas Burnell, whom he left in the care of their maternal grandmother, Mrs. E. Hall. He enlisted on 17 August, 1914, and after training at Broadmeadows, was attached to G company, 6th Battalion, one of the first battalions raised in Victoria.

6th Battalion, photographed at Broadmeadows, AWM DAX0914
  • 4156 reads

BURNS, Stanley Henry

Date of birth: 
1889
Biographical notes: 

1697 Henry Malache (Denny) Carroll
2031A Stanley Henry Burns alias Henry Malache Carroll alias Dennis Martin Carroll

  • 4201 reads

BUSH, Hubert Sheppard

Date of birth: 
1876
Biographical notes: 

Hubert was born in Sandhurst, Bendigo on 6 July 1876 to Albert Bush and Jane Dalton. He was the second youngest of 11 children. His early life was spent in Sandhurst where he attended St. Andrew's College, Bendigo before entering Trinity College, University of Melbourne in 1898 to study Medicine. At Trinity College he was a member of  both the boat and football teams.

  • 5713 reads

CAMBRIDGE, Ernest George Henry

Date of birth: 
1898
Biographical notes: 

Ernest Cambridge enlisted in June, 1914. He was then just over 18 and an assistant in the Mail Branch of the Melbourne GPO. He had some previous experience, having served with the Senior Cadets 51 Battalion at Albert Park for two years. Following initial training, he embarked on 1 April, 1916, on board HMAT Suffolk A23.

  • 3952 reads

CAMERON, Henry Gervais Lovett

Date of birth: 
1880
Biographical notes: 

Henry Gervais Cameron was the son of Verney Lovett Cameron, a solicitor practising at 30 Collins St.East, Melbourne, and his wife, Margaret Elizabeth, nee Fraser. He was born in Kew and educated at Melbourne Grammar School. In 1915, when he enlisted, Henry Lovett Cameron was 35 years old and appears to have been a businessman.

Henry Gervais Lovett Cameron
Officers 60th Battalion H G Lovett Cameron, from row, third from right
  • 6981 reads

CAMERON, John

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

John Cameron was one of a family of eight boys and one girl, of whom three brothers had died before John Cameron.  He gave as his next of kin his sister, Violet May Cameron, living in Vale St. East Melbourne. He himself lived at 46 Hocking St. Footscray, while his elder brother, William, worked for the Footscray Boxing Company, at 360 Collins St., Melbourne.

Soldiers with Stokes Mortars, Western Front 1917
  • 4360 reads

CAMERON, Robert Ewen

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

ROBERT EWEN CAMERON

Born 27 October 1890 at Portarlington Victoria, the son of a Presbyterian Minister

Robert Ewen 'Stumpy' Cameron during his teaching years
Volume of Milton's poems purchased with inaugural R E Cameron Prize
  • 4822 reads

CAMPBELL, John

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

John Campbell's origins would have remained a mystery, were it not for his descendents. Although he claimed as his address C% James O'Grady at Grant St., East Melbourne, there is no Grant Street in East Melbourne.

  • 4002 reads

CAMPBELL, John McNeil

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

John Campbell was born in Melbourne in 1897. His father was the Victorian Manager of the London Bank,  based at 90 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and John lived at this address.

  • 5461 reads

CANTWELL, Philip Sylvester

Date of birth: 
1882
Biographical notes: 

Philip Sylvester Cantwell was born at Ballan in country Victoria on the 15th January 1882. His father was Philip Cantwell and his mother was Alice Leahey. Phillip Snr and Alice were married in 1880 and Phillip Jnr was the first child. HIs brother, John Patrick Cantwell was born in 1883.

  • 5006 reads

CARDWELL, James Pearson

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

James Cardwell was born at Blackpool on the 1st March 1877. He was living with his parents in Blackpool in 1891 according to the 1891 census.

He marries Elizabeth Hannah Duxbury at the Holy Trinity Church south Shore Blackpool in 1897

His first child Margaret Ellen Knoles Cardwell is born in 1898.

  • 5567 reads

CARINE, John William

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

John William Carnie embarked from Melbourne in October 1917, however there is no service record available.

  • 3674 reads

CARMODY, John Patrick

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

John Patrick Carmody was born on 19 January, 1890 in Carlton to John Joseph Carmody and Elizabeth Culhane who was born in Limerick Ireland. His sister Jane Marguerite was born in 1895 in Carlton.

  • 3893 reads

CARROLL, Alphonso Bertram

Biographical notes: 

Service record is not available.

  • 3566 reads

CARROLL, William Edward

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Mr William Carroll, 139 Simpson Street, East Melbourne (late of the Customs Department), has been notified that his only son, Sergeant William E. Carroll, who enlisted in Febuary, 1915,  and served in Gallipoli,  and France has been wounded in France. 

  • 5365 reads

CARSON, Henry

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

Henry Carson was a surgical bootmaker, aged 27 years old when he enlisted on 12 July, 1915. He was a married man and he and his wife, Susan, lived at 23 George Street, East Melbourne. He had some previous experience, having been in the Cadets at school. He was attached to the 6th Depot Battalion for training from 12 July to 16 Septemeber.

  • 3791 reads

CARTER, Eric Charles

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Eric Carter was born in Spotswood Victoria on the 15 March 1893. His father was Herbert James Carter and his mother was Louise Carter.

  • 4553 reads

CARVER, Henry Norman

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Henry Norman Carver was born in 1893 in Yea, Victoria to Henry Garret Carver, a grazier in Flowerdale, and Florence (nee Johnstone). His parents had moved to East Melbourne by 1902 where his father passed away at 79 Hotham Street. Little is known about Henry's early life apart form his involvement with  Senior Cadets for 12 years.

  • 3725 reads