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.

KEMPSON, Albert Victor

Date of birth: 
1895
Biographical notes: 

Albert Victor Kempson was 21 and 4 months old when he enlisted on 19 July 1915. He was the son of George Kempson and his wife, Amelia, nee Knowles.

  • 1536 reads

KEMPSON, Thomas Henry

Date of birth: 
1889
Biographical notes: 

Thomas Kempson was one of a family of seven children of whom three died at birth, William in 1891, Gerald in 1892, and Norman in 1894. There were four living children, Thomas b.

  • 1553 reads

KENDALL, Eleanor Jane

Date of birth: 
1880
Biographical notes: 

Eleanor Jane Kendall (1880–1957) was the only daughter among the seven children born to William Tyson Kendall (1851–1936) and his first wife, Elizabeth (nee Park) (c1853–1904).

Eleanor Kendall, parents & siblings (Kendall Papers, Uni Melbourne Archives)
Kendall & brothers, Lt Cols Ernest, John & William, Egypt 1915 (AWM P04272.001)
Queen Mary visiting 1AGH, Rouen, 1917 (AWM K00019); Kendall on staff
  • 4307 reads

KENT, John Morris

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

John Morris Kent was born in Brighton, England in December, 1890.

  • 1587 reads

KERR, Alic Oscar

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

Alic Oscar Kerr was the son of Thomas Kerr (1862-1895) and his wife Hannah Ethlean, nee Millard(1870-1898).

  • 1595 reads

KERR, Donald Wallace

Biographical notes: 

Son of John and Ada (Ratcliff) Kerr.  Born 1893 at Mornington.  He was the fifth son in a family of eight sons and three daughters.  The family moved to 12 Simpson Street, East Melbo

  • 2674 reads

KERR, George Ernest

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

In late 1914, two brothers enlisted for the war. The elder, George Ernest Kerr signed up on 29 September, 1914, and his younger brother, Hedley Vernon George Kitchin, on 19 October, 1914.

  • 1575 reads

KERR, George York

Date of birth: 
1901
Biographical notes: 

Son of John and Ada (Ratcliff) Kerr.  He was the sixth son and ninth child in a family eight sons and three daughters.  The family moved to 12 Simpson Street, East Melbourne abo

  • 1996 reads

KERR, Malcolm Edgar

Biographical notes: 

Son of John and Ada (nee Ratcliff) Kerr.  Born c. 1891 at Mornington.  He was the fourth son in a family of eight sons and three daughters.

  • 2069 reads

KERRIGAN, Robert Augustus

Date of birth: 
1874
Biographical notes: 

Robert Augustus Kerrigan was born in East Melbourne, Victoria, in May, 1874.

  • 1491 reads

KIBBLEWHITE, Gilbert Francis

Date of birth: 
1877
Biographical notes: 

When Gilbert Kibblewhite arrived in Australia, he was removing himself from a disgrace and a marriage failed through violence.

  • 1655 reads

KIERNAN, James

Date of birth: 
1895
Biographical notes: 

Little is known about the personal life of  James Kiernan, other than that he was born in Wollongong, NSW, to Mrs.

  • 1433 reads

KIMBERLEY, Arthur Frederick

Date of birth: 
1885
Biographical notes: 

Arthur Frederick Kimberley was one of five children born to Frederick Theodore Kimberley and his wife Jessie, nee Bonney.

  • 1544 reads

KING, Agnes Wotherspoon

Date of birth: 
1884
Biographical notes: 

Agnes Wotherspoon King (1884-1942) was the second daughter and fourth child of Robert King (1843–1919) and his wife Frances (or ‘Fanny’, nee Craig) (1854–1926).

Mansfield Hospital c1908 (SLV)
Agnes King with her brother Nathaniel, 2AGH, Egypt Dec 1915 (private collection)
King (front,3rd from left) 1AAH Harefield 1918 (AWM D00037)
Matron King with dignitaries, Keswick Hospital (Advertiser, 19.12.1935 p22)
Agnes King and her car (private collection)
  • 3850 reads

KING, Charles Trethowan

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Killed in action 27 June 1915

  • 1644 reads

KING, Gordon Alexander

Date of birth: 
1896
Biographical notes: 

Gordon Alexander King's story is a sad one. He was born in Warrnambool in 1896, the second son of Thomas King and his wife, Elizabeth Smith.

  • 1463 reads

KING, Walter John Charles

Date of birth: 
1895
Biographical notes: 

Walter King spent only a small time before he enlisted at East Melbourne. He was born at Rushworth, Victoria, in 1895 and was the youngest of four children, the other three being girls.

  • 1759 reads

KNIGHT, John

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

John Knight was the son of Ernest Knight and his wife, Madge (Margaret), nee Hughes.

  • 1591 reads

KNIGHT, Victor Ernest

Date of birth: 
1895
Biographical notes: 

Victor Ernest Knight was a printer by trade and was just under twenty years old when he enlisted.

  • 1587 reads

KNOWLES, John Valentine

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Born in East Melbourne, John Valentine Knowles died of wounds 27 March 18, aged 25. He was buried at Outtersteine Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, Nord pas de Calais, France.

  • 2106 reads

LAMANDE, Henri Joseph

Date of birth: 
1884
Biographical notes: 

Henri Joseph Lamande was born in 1884 in Majorca, Victoria.  He was the son of Ambroise Lamande and Kate, née Harrington. 

Henri Joseph Lamande
  • 2583 reads

LAMANDE, Leopold George

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

Leopold George Lamande was born in 1883 in Maryborough, Victoria.  He was the son of Ambroise Lamande and Kate, née Harrington. 

  • 2437 reads

LANGFORD, Clarence Augustus

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Clarence Langford was the son of James Langford and his wife Blanche, nee Pope. He was 23 when he signed up to join the Australian Imperial Force.

  • 1404 reads

LANGLEY, James

Date of birth: 
1867
Biographical notes: 

James Langley was forty when he volunteered for army service. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, an accountant, married, living with his wife Evelyn Ellen at 18 Jolimont Rd., East Melbourne.

  • 1527 reads

LAPPAN, Matthew

Biographical notes: 

Matthew Lappin was born in Burnie Tasmania in May 1887. He enlisted on 20 July 1915, at the age of 28 years and 2 months.

  • 1394 reads

LARKING, Rupert

Date of birth: 
1886
Biographical notes: 

Rupert Larking was a 29 year old Commercial Traveller from Albury when he enlisted on 27 November, 1915.

  • 1774 reads

LARKINS, Brian Lockwood

Date of birth: 
1899
Biographical notes: 

Brian Lockwood Larkins was one of twins born on 27 March 1899 to Margaret and William Larkins.

  • 1762 reads

LARKINS, William James

Date of birth: 
1898
Biographical notes: 

 

Receipt for equipment returned to drill hall, East Melbourne
Letter of release from apprenticeship from William Montgomery
  • 1574 reads

LATTIMORE, Victory Reginald

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

Victor Reginald Lattimore was born on 24 May 1897 in Jolimont, the exact address, however, is not known.  He was the son of Arthur Lattimore (1868-1915) and Louisa Augusta, nee Pay (1866-1948)

V R Lattimore and Patterson
  • 2149 reads

LAWRENCE, Percival Joseph

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Percival Joseph Lawrence was born in Didmanton, Gloucester, England on 13 April 1892.  He was the son of Joseph Lawrence.  He arrived in Melbourne in November 1913 and settled in Bendigo.

  • 2065 reads

LEAKE, Lancelot Luke

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Lancelot Luke Leake was born in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1890. At 25 years old, he enlisted, giving as his next of kin his wife, Jean Winifred Leake.

  • 1727 reads

LEARY, Joseph

Biographical notes: 

Joseph Leary was aged 18 at enlistment, and working as a mechanic.  His enlistment form is marked 'not to leave Australia until 19 years of age'.

  • 1834 reads

LEE-ARCHER, Estelle Frances

Date of birth: 
1879
Biographical notes: 

Estelle Frances Lee-Archer (1879-1960) was born in Detention, Tasmania, the eleventh of fourteen children born to John Lee-Archer and his wife Mary Anne (nee Lyons).   

Estelle Lee-Archer
Estelle Lee-Archer with Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) decoration c1916
3AGH and 1SAGH, Abbeville, 1 July 1916. AWM PO3088.018
Extract from letter from Estelle Lee-Archer to Prime Minister Lyons, 9.11.1937
Estelle Lee-Archer's restored grave, Cheltenham Cemetery, Melbourne 2013
  • 5646 reads

LEE, Harold

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Harold Lee was twenty-one years and five months when he enlisted at Melbourne on 7 July, 1915.

  • 1661 reads

LEIGH, Allen Frederick

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

Alan Frederick Leigh was the son of William James Thomas Leigh, a baker by trade, and his wife, Elizabeth, nee Mclean.

  • 1783 reads

LEIHY, John Henry

Date of birth: 
1896
Biographical notes: 

John Henry Leihy was born in 1896 in East Melbourne, but the exact address in not known.  He was the third son of Andrew Richard Leihy and Marion, née Eivers.  Andrew was a French polishe

  • 2402 reads

LEIHY, William

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

William Leihy was born in Fitzroy in 1888.  He was the eldest of the five sons of Andrew Richard Leihy and his wife Marion, née Eivers.  Andrew was a French polisher and in 1916 was presi

  • 2178 reads

LENNOX, Andrew

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Andrew Lennox was 25 years and 11 months old when he enlisted in the AIF at East Melbourne.

  • 2016 reads

LENZER, Simeon

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Simeon Lenzer was born in Fitzroy on 4 May 1893.  He was the son of Jacob Lenzer and his wife Bertha, formerly Zipporah Brocho Lescht.  Jacob was minister of the East Melbourne Hebrew Con

  • 2235 reads

LEWIS, Louis

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

Louis Lewis's only connection to East Melbourne is his mother, cited as next-of-kin on his enlistment form and living at Canally, on the corner of Powlett and George Streets, East Melbourne.

  • 1700 reads

LEWIS, Raymond

Date of birth: 
1896
Biographical notes: 

Raymond Lewis was a waiter, living in Albert St. East Melbourne when he enlisted on 23 July, 1917.

  • 1740 reads

LIDDY, Michael

Date of birth: 
1885
Biographical notes: 

Michael Liddy is somewhat of a man of mystery.

  • 1783 reads

LINDSAY, Ina Isabel

Date of birth: 
1887
Biographical notes: 

Ina Isabel Lindsay was born in East Melbourne in 1887, but at the time she enlisted in 1916 she was lving with her mother at 'The Hutte' , Irving Avenue, Armadale, Victoria.

  • 2042 reads

LINDSAY, Robert Henry

Date of birth: 
1882
Biographical notes: 

Robert Lindsay enlisted for war service on 18 May, 1916. He was 34 years old when he joined the AIF, single and a miner at Cootamundra, NSW.

45th Battalion Band, Belgium, January 1917, with Robert Lindsay
  • 2792 reads

LISSON, William Thomas

Date of birth: 
1899
Biographical notes: 

William Thomas Lisson first tried to enlist on 8 March, 1915. He would have been just over sixteen at the time, but claimed to be eighteen and to be working as a jeweller in Hobart, Tasmania.

  • 2211 reads

LITTLEJOHN, Euan Ironside

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Euan Ironside Littlejohn was born on 26 October 1892 in Nelson, New Zealand where his father William Still Littlejohn had been assistant master at Nelson College since his arrival fr

  • 2728 reads

LIVINGSTON, David Frederick

Date of birth: 
1876
Biographical notes: 

1168 Corporal (Cpl) David Frederick (Fred) Livingston, 29th Battalion was from Larraville, NSW, but gave as his own abdress that of his wife's address, 144 Simpson St., East Melbourne, Vi

1168 Corporal David Frederick (Fred) Livingston
Livingston's German Casualty Card
Livingston - notifying his wife of his death
  • 1767 reads

LLOYD, Franklin Samuel

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

Franklin Lloyd was 23 years old, 5 feet eleven inches and weighing twelve stone when he enlisted at Melbourne on 2 July, 1915.

  • 1695 reads