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.

CASS, Frederick

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Frederick Cass was born in 1892 in Balmain, Sydney to Thomas and Harriet Cass. He had 2 brothers, George and Thomas, and a sister Ruth, all born in the Sydney area.

  • 3598 reads

CATHIE, Harry Lorraine

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Harry Cathie was born at Queenscliff in Victoria on the 15 Jan 1892. His mother was Kate and his father, John Cathie. John Cathie worked with the Postal Department and died in 1895.

Harry was working at the State Saving Bank of Victoria as a clerk when he signed up in 1915 and living with his mother, Kate, and his brother Harold at 74 Gipps Street in East Melbourne.

Probably Harry Lorraine Cathie standing. AWM has only L Cathie
  • 4864 reads

CATTANACH, Adam Smith

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

Adam Smith Cattanach was not named after the great economic thinker, but after his mother, Sarah Cattanach, nee Smith. He was the son of Henry James Goodriche Cattanach (b.18/9/1833), a land agent, who had migrated to Australia from Scotland. Adam Cattanach was the seventh child, following on from Christina (b.1864).

  • 4520 reads

CATTANACH, Harry

Date of birth: 
1875
Biographical notes: 

Harry Cattanach was the son of Henry James Goodrich Cattanach (1833-1911) and his wife, Sarah, nee Smith. He was one of nine children born to the couple: Christina (b.1864), Sarah (b.1865), Jane (b.1967), Harriet (b.1871), Victoria (b.1873), Harry (b.1875), Adam (b.1877), Anne (b.1879) and Maud (b.1882).

  • 4803 reads

CECIL, Edith Ruth

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

Edith Ruth Cecil was born in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton in 1888, second youngest in the large family of Thomas William Cecil (c1840-1912) and his wife Mary (nee Roach) (1849-1908). Thomas had come to Victoria in 1853 on the 'Great Britain' aged 13 with his father and younger brother (both William), his mother and remaining siblings arriving in 1857 on the 'Hotspur'.

Edith Cecil (Punch, 2.12.1915, p894)
Choubra Military Infectious Diseases Hospital c1916 (AWM1850.001)
Choubra Hospital: view from nurses' home (AWM PO1425.005)
Casino at Boulogne-sur-mer, site of 13 [British] General Hospital
Boulogne-sur-mer c1911
  • 6694 reads

CHAMBERS, Gordon Enoch John

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Gordon Chambers was the son of Ernest Enoch Chambers and his wife Alice Maud, nee Carter. He was 23 years old at the tmie he enlisted on 15 January, 1918, and working as a Commercial Traveller.

Plane used by No. 2 Squadron AFC
  • 4153 reads

CLARK, Leslie Henry Charles

Biographical notes: 

Leslie Henry Charles Clark was the second son of Samuel Clark, a railway employee, and his wife Charlotte.   He enlisted at age 18 years 6 months on 8 April 1916 at Melbourne, making his birth date around November, 1897.

  • 4069 reads

CLARK, Percy Victor

Date of birth: 
1896
Biographical notes: 

Percy Victor Clark was the eldest son of Charlotte and Samuel Clark and brother to Leslie Henry Charles Clark. Like his borther he was born in Balmain Street, Richmond, and went to school at Brighton St. State School, Richmond. He served in the Senior Cadets and had continued his training after leaving school.

  • 3673 reads

CLARK, William

Date of birth: 
1881
Biographical notes: 

William Clark was 34 years old when he enlisted on 28 July, 1915. He was born in Perthshire, Scotland, but living in Melbourne and was a draper by trade. He appears to have had only a sister,who was still living in Scotland, because he nominates her as his next of kin, Mrs Anne Thomson, living at 4 Fairyhill Rd., Kilmanock, Scotland.

  • 2980 reads

CLARKE, Herbert Clifford

Date of birth: 
1879
Biographical notes: 

Herbert Clifford Clarke was born on 23 May, 1879, to William Clarke and Jane Teresa Clarke, nee Jordan. He enlisted on 24 July, 1917, aged 38 years and two months. He was , at the time, a pastry cook and was to go on to become a master baker. He had married Daisy Rachel Gifford in 1902, and they were living at 26 Jolimont Rd., Jolimont, when he left for the war.

  • 3593 reads

CLEMENT, Sydney Reynold

Date of birth: 
1873
Biographical notes: 

Sydney Clement was born on the 4 March 1873 at Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. He was the second son of Reynold Clement of Snarestone Lodge in Snarestone, Leicestershire.

Sydney Reynold Clement effects returned to wife 15 September 1915
  • 5940 reads

CLEVERDON, Frederic Toon *

Biographical notes: 

Frederic Toon Cleverdon was born in Hawthorn, Victoria, but spent much of his life both before and after the war as a Methodist clergyman in Tasmania, first at Queenstown, then post-war  to Burnie, Hobart and Launceston. He did his clerical training at Queen's College, Melbourne and when he enlisted on 7 March, 1916, gave his postal address as 'Methodist Soldiers Camp, Broadmeadows'.

  • 4414 reads

COATE, Walter Hamilton

Biographical notes: 

Walter's biography is somewhat limited and difficult to detail due to the lack of precise detail, however, the following can be gleaned from the documents.

MILITARY NOTES:

  • 3326 reads

COBB, Alexander

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Alexander Cobb was the son of Alexander and Catherine Cobb, nee Buchanan. His father is described in the Electoral Rolls as a cook, while the son is a warehouseman, alnd later, a storeman. He had served an apprenticeship Needham, Carter and Pirrie Coy, Melbourne, and may have still beeen working there when he enlisted.

3rd Pioneer Battalion before departure
3rd Pioneer Battalion boarding the Wandilla
2nd Pioneer Battalion laying Duckboards 1917
  • 5085 reads

COCHRANE, Stanley

Date of birth: 
1880
Biographical notes: 

Stanley Warrender Cochrane was born in London in 1880, the second youngest of 6 sisters and 2 brothers. His father Robert was employed with Brooks, Robinson & Co, Melbourne based glass merchants. The family migrated to Melbourne in 1883, residing in the Hawthorn area.

  • 5326 reads

COLLINS, James Francis

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

James Collins as a 24 year old labourer when he enlisted in 1915, living at 192 George St., East Melbourne, probably a boarding house. He named Mrs. Slocombe of that address as his next of kin, so she may well have been his sister or other relative.

  • 4648 reads

COLLINS, Reginald Michael

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

Reginald Michael Collins had a fairly brief war. He enlisted on 1 March, 1915, and was returned to Australia on 12 February, 1916. A commercial traveller by trade, he lived at 73 Hotham St., East Melbourne with his mother, Mrs. Esther Collins. He was placed in the 23rd Battalion, D Company and on 10 May, 1915, on board HMAT Euripides A 14, bound for Egypt.

  • 3669 reads

CONLON, Peter David

Biographical notes: 

Peter David Conlon was the son of Denis Conlon, of 419 Canning St. Carlton and his wife, Bridget (nee Egan).  He was born on 25 September, 1896, in Jolimont, but did not otherwise live in East Melbourne, and was the eldest of four children, the others May, Edie and Jack. His desire to serve in the military was apparently strong, as he enlisted on three separate occasions from 1916-1919.

  • 3815 reads

CONNOR, Eden Dennis

Date of birth: 
1887
Biographical notes: 

Eden Dennis Connor was born in Woodville near Adelaide in August 1887, he was the youngest son of George Alexander Connor and Jessie Hall Simpson. 

He moved from South Australia and married Maria Elsie Conliffe in Victoria in 1911

  • 4171 reads

CONWAY, John

Date of birth: 
1882
Biographical notes: 

John Conway was born at Longford in Ireland on 9 April 1885, the son of James and Mary (nee Farrell) Conway. The 1901 census shows him as being eighteen years of age, a Labourer, not married, and could read and write. He was living with his parents. At age 19, he enlisted with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and served in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions.

SS Wiltshire, the ship John Conway returned to Egypt in March 1916
Telegram advising the death of CSM John Conway
Letter from Lillian Conway advising of change of address
  • 4887 reads