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.

FAY, Francis William

Date of birth: 
1886

Mrs. Frances Marie Fay, who lived at various addresses in East Melbourne, 38 and 42 Albert St., 151 Hotham St.,and Brunswick St.

  • 1486 reads

FEGAN, Catherine Agnes

Catherine Agnes (Katie) Fegan was born in 1879, the second of Sergeant John and Mary Anne Fegan's two children and sister to Mary Sarah (b1875, later Sister Mary Xavier of the Religious Sisters

Katie Fegan (Punch, 2.12.1915, p20)
Enlistment Form for Staff Nurse Katie Fegan, born East Melbourne
Fegan (mid row, second right) at 2AGH Boulogne 1918 (AWM E02113)
Sister C.A. Fegan's retirement at Caulfield Military Hospital (Argus 4.4.1939)
  • 3333 reads

FENTON, Arthur William

born Jolimont, Discharged unfit

  • 1143 reads

FERGUSON, Ernest Oscar

Date of birth: 
1893

Ernest Oscar Ferguson was born in Richmond Victoria in January, 1893, the son of Albert Ernest Ferguson or Furguson and his wife, Eleanor Louisa, nee Green.

  • 1821 reads

FERGUSON, Harry

Date of birth: 
1879

Harry Ferguson was 39 years old, married to Edith, with two children and working as a clerk when he enlisted on 17 August, 1918.

  • 1394 reads

FIELD, Victor Henry

Date of birth: 
1896

Victor Henry Field wass eighteen years and ten months old when he enlisted on 1 July, 1915.

  • 1360 reads

FIELDING, George Arkwright

Date of birth: 
1875

Wife,   Mary Valantina Fielding

Profession,  Solicitor

Enlisted at Prahran on the 9th March 1916 at the age of 42

  • 2043 reads

FINDLAY, Stuart Barham (ANA)

Date of birth: 
1874

Stuart Barham Findlay was already a war veteran when he joined enlisted to fight in World War 1.

  • 1655 reads

FIRTH, Arthur

Date of birth: 
1892

Arthur Firth was 22 years old and a tailor by trade when he enlisted on 24 December 1915. He had already served a five year apprenticeship with tailors R.T. Lloyd of Bourke St.

  • 1805 reads

FISH, George Henry

Date of birth: 
1877

George Fish was the son of Robert Fish and his wife, Hannah, nee Taylor. One of eleven children, he was born in 1877 at Pleasant Creek, near Stawell, Victoria, and was by trade, a trapper.

  • 1505 reads

FISH, William Robert

Date of birth: 
1873

William Robert Fish was the older brother of George Henry Fish (see entry). He was one of eleven children of Robert Fish and his wife, Hannah, nee Taylor.

  • 1568 reads

FITZGERALD, John

Date of birth: 
1888

John Fitzgerald was unusually tall for his generation, just over 6' 1". He was the son of John Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Travers Fitzgerald, born in Lilydale, Victoria.

Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux
  • 1729 reads

FITZPATRICK, David John

Date of birth: 
1894

David Fitzpatrick was the son of Bartholomew Fitzpatrick and his wife and Mary Anne, nee O'Brien.

  • 1573 reads

FLACK, George Edward

Geoge Edward Flack

Born East Melbourne

Next of Kin: Mrs Flack, Lower Ferntree Gully, Victoria

  • 1549 reads

FLANAGAN, James

Date of birth: 
1885

James Flanagan was born in Ballarat c.1885.  On enlistment on 15 August 1914 he gave his occupation as salesman.  He was unmarried, and his address and that of his mother, Mrs.

  • 1800 reads

FLECK, Christian

Date of birth: 
1881

Christian Fleck was 38 years old when he enlisted. He had been born in Peckham, London, to Christian Fleck and his wife Emily, nee Reed.

  • 1463 reads

FORBES, Cyril

Date of birth: 
1898
Cyril Charles Albert Forbes was the son of James Forbes and his wife Mildred, nee McLean.  He was born in Brunswick in 1898.  He enlisted on 10 June 1915.
Cyril Forbes
  • 2032 reads

FORDEN-BELLGROVE, Bryan Westley

Date of birth: 
1897
Bryan Westley (sometimes Wesley) Fordon-Bellgrove’s background and pre-war life remain somewhat of a mystery.  He was born in East Melbourne in 1897.
  • 1737 reads

FRASER, Frank

Date of birth: 
1897

Born in Carlton Victoria in September, 1897, Frank Fraser was the son of Margaret, nee Walls, and Falconer Fraser, whom he cited as his next of kin, living at 42 Agnes St., Jolimont.

  • 1372 reads

FRAZER, Francis George

Date of birth: 
1889

Francis George Frazer was 25 years and nine months old when he enlisted on 14 January, 1915.

  • 1603 reads

FREY, Maud Josephine

Date of birth: 
1892

Maud Josephine Frey (1892-1967)

Maud Frey in AANS uniform c1915 (family collection)
Maud Frey (r), Menindie, c1923 (family collection)
Elson Varco Whyte and Maud Whyte (nee Frey) (family collection)
Grave of Maud Whyte (nee Frey), Wentworth Cemetery NSW
  • 3301 reads

FRITH, Herbert

Date of birth: 
1887

Herbert Frith was the second child of Sydney Silver Frith and his wife, Nora, nee Murray. He was born in 1884, according to the Birth Index, but is listed elsewhere as born in 1887.

  • 1549 reads

FROOMES, Harold William

Date of birth: 
1884

Harold William Froomes was born in 1884,  the eldest child of Arthur William Froomes and his wife, Rosalie Harriet, nee Parsons.

  • 1566 reads

FROST, Dudley Vye

Date of birth: 
1897

Dudley Vye or Vyer Frost was born in East Melbourne in May, 1897.

  • 1384 reads

FROWD, Hugh McGee

Date of birth: 
1895

Hugh Frowd was born in Kyabram in 1895, but by 1915, when he enlisted, was living at 51 Berry St., East Melbourne.

  • 1627 reads

FRYER, Albert Douglas

Date of birth: 
1892

Albert Douglas Fryer was born in 1892 th,e son of Robert Frye and his wife, Marianne or Maria Theresa Bird/Baird.

  • 1750 reads

FURPHEY, Ivan

Date of birth: 
1895

Herbert Ivan Furphey was born in 1895 to Thomas Furphey, a manufacturer, and his wife Elizabeth Mary, nee Wright. He was the eldest of six children and the only boy.

  • 1444 reads

GAGAN, Edward Alan

Date of birth: 
1890

Edward Gagan was 27 years and 8 months old when he enlisted  at Brunswick on 25 May, 1916.

  • 1357 reads

GAIN, Cyril Roy Frederick

Date of birth: 
1895

Cyril Gain was born in 1895 and was the eldest child of Frederick Gain and his wife, Martha, nee Bartholomew.

8 Field Artillery Brigade
  • 1384 reads

GALLAGHER, Thomas

Date of birth: 
1890

Thomas Gallagher was a single man, aged 23 and working as a labourer when he enlisted on 22 August, 1914. He was English by birth and gave as his next of kin his sister, Mrs.

  • 1328 reads

GALLIN, Eleanor

Date of birth: 
1873

Introduction: three Gallin sisters AANS

Eleanor Gallin 4th row, fifth from left. AWM E02112
Station Hospital, Trimulgherry, India (source: FIBIS)
Gallin grave, Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton (ancesty.com Find a Grave)
  • 2791 reads

GALLOP, Cyril

Date of birth: 
1895

Cyril Gallop was the son of Gilbert D'Arcy Gallop and Edith Margaret, nee Marfleet. He had one brother, Rollo D'Arcy Gallop, who enlisted using the name Robert.

  • 1548 reads

GARDNER, Thomas

Date of birth: 
1881

Thomas Gardner was 33 and two months old when he enlisted for World War 1 on 1 September, 1914.

  • 1905 reads

GARTON, Norman James

Date of birth: 
1895

Norman James Garton enlisted for overseas service on 28 July, 1916.

  • 1664 reads

GATEHOUSE, Thomas

Date of birth: 
1888

Thomas Gatehouse was born in Geelong in August 1888. He enlisted for overseas service on 14 July, 1915, when he was 26 years and 11 months old. He was a single man and worked as a groom.

  • 1559 reads

GEGGIE, William Henry

Date of birth: 
1894

William Geggie was born in East Melbourne, probably in May, 1888.

  • 1415 reads

GELLATY, Albert Francis

Date of birth: 
1894

Albert Francis Gellatly served in both World Wars and in the Citizens Military Service. His name appears on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Panel 91, Supplementary Panel 10.

  • 1480 reads

GEMMELL, Jessie Ross

Date of birth: 
1870

Jessie Ross Gemmell was one of nine children born to William Gemmell (1834–1903) and his wife Annie née Fenwick (c1839–1878).

Sister Gemmell (probably) on hospital train 1AAH 1916 (AWM P02402.004)
  • 2723 reads

GIBB, James Rankin

James Rankin Gibb was born in Avoca and grew up on a farm in Wycheproof.

  • 1386 reads

GIBSON, George Stormonth Henry

Date of birth: 
1887

The son of James Henry Gibson and his wife, Rosetta Priscilla Overan, George Stormonth Gibson was 27 years old when he enlisted on 17 August, 1914.

  • 1307 reads

GILBERT, John

Date of birth: 
1882

John Gilbert was born in October, 1882, and was a New Zealander by birth, the son of Thomas and Ellen Gilbert.

  • 1487 reads

GILBERT, William George

Date of birth: 
1891

William George Gilbert was born in East Melbourne and on enlisting, gave his address as 115 Erskine Street, Middle Park.

William George Gilbert
  • 1737 reads

GILES, Charles William

Charles William Giles was the son of William Henry Giles of Cassilis, near Omeo, Victoria and his wife, Elizabeth Jane, nee Fulton.

  • 1418 reads

GILLIMAN, George Patrick

Date of birth: 
1896

Born in East Melbourne December 7th, 1896 to George and Florence Maud Gilliman (nee Deane), George was educated at Christian Brother's College, East St.

  • 1671 reads

GILLIMAN, Joseph

Date of birth: 
1898

Born in East Melbourne May 22nd, 1898 to George and Florence Maud Gilliman (nee Deane), Joseoh was educated at Christian Brother's College, East St.

  • 1858 reads

GLASS, Norman Robert

Norman Robert Glass was born in 1893 at Albert Park Victoria. He was the eldest of two sons to Robert William Glass and his wife, Adelaide, nee Modral.

  • 1517 reads

GLEED, Henry George

Date of birth: 
1890

Henry George Gleed was 26 years old and working as a farmer when he enlisted at Hamilton Victoria on 18 August 1916.

  • 1537 reads

GODFREY, Richard Arthur

Date of birth: 
1891

Richrd Arthur Godfrey enlisted on 23 August, 1915. He was  26 years old, single and worked as a contractor, and gave his home address as 121 Powlett Street, East Melbourne.

  • 1524 reads

GOLDBERG, Harry

  • Born in Glasgow, Scotland and enlisted in the AIF on the 6th July 1917 being 21 years and 9 months old.  His sister Nancy Miller of Aldgate, London was nominated as his next of kin.
  • 1305 reads

GOLDSBURY, John Samuel

Date of birth: 
1897

John Samuel Goldsbury was twenty two and 8 months old when he enlisted on 17 January, 1916.

  • 1528 reads