James Malcolm Dobie

M, #3661, b. 1862, d. 12 Mar 1941
Birth*1862 Adelaide, SA, Australia, #B20/255 [par Thomas DOBIE & Ann McNICHOL].1 
Marriage*1894 Spouse: Margaret Robinson. VIC, Australia, #M5452.2,3
 
Land-Note*21 Oct 1921 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part). Marion Jane Smith Amount due by Mr Dobie of Beaconsfield in respect of property situated at Beaconsfield and known as "Louisville" £2357. Interest thereon at 6% from 6 Apr 1921 to 27 June 1921 (date of death) £31.17.5.
With reference to the above amounts of £2357 and £31.17.5 owing by Mr Dobie the Executors state that they consider the debt a very doubtful one. They consider the value of the property at the present time does not exceed £2300 and there is a Mortgage on it to the State Savings Bank of Victoria of £900 so that in the event of the property falling into the hands of the Executors the value to them would be about £1400 and in the event of Dobie making default they do not consider that they will be able to recover anything apart from the land as security.4,5 
Death*12 Mar 1941 Orbost, VIC, Australia, #D16141 (age 80) [par Thomas DOBIE & Agnes BLACK].2 
Death-Notice*20 Mar 1941 DOBIE.—On March 12 at Orbost District Hospital, James Malcolm dearly beloved husband of Margaret and loving father of Dorothy in his 80th year. Sadly missed.6 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
bt 1921 - 1922Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: orchardist. With Margaret Dobie. With Dorothy Ellen Dobie.7,8

Citations

  1. [S63] South Australian Government. BDM Index South Australia.
  2. [S5] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Death Index Victoria 1921-1985.
  3. [S2] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Federation Index Victoria 1889-1901.
  4. [S35] Probate Records, PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), Amount due by Mr Dobie of Beaconsfield in respect of property situated at Beaconsfield and known as "Louisville" £2357. Interest thereon at 6% from 6 Apr 1921 to 27 June 1921 (date of death) £31.17.5.
    With reference to the above amounts of £2357 and £31.17.5 owing by Mr Dobie the Executors state that they consider the debt a very doubtful one. They consider the value of the property at the present time does not exceed £2300 and there is a Mortgage on it to the State Savings Bank of Victoria of £900 so that in the event of the property falling into the hands of the Executors the value to them would be about £1400 and in the event of Dobie making default they do not consider that they will be able to recover anything apart from the land as security.
  5. [S66] Berwick Shire Rates, 1870-1965 rate book gives full name of Dobie.
  6. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 20 Mar 1941, p4.
  7. [S121] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1921.
  8. [S122] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1922.
Last Edited23 Mar 2016

Allan Frank Buckley

M, #3664, b. 1873
Birth*1873 Rutherglen, VIC, Australia, #B26543 [par Allan Knox BUCKLEY & Agnes BINSTEAD].1 
Marriage*8 Oct 1902 Spouse: Elizabeth Kate Douglas. Christ Church, South Yarra, VIC, Australia, #M6860.1
 
Land-Note10 Jul 1922 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part): Mortgagee: Allan Frank Buckley. Not discharged - this property had three mortgages all taken out on 10 Jul 1922. Mortgagor was John Robert Brien.2 
Divorce*1926Allan Frank Buckley and Elizabeth Kate Douglas were divorced in 1926 1926/85.3 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
1912Noble Park, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: farmer. With Elizabeth Kate Buckley.4
1919Holmwood, Harry's Creek (Violet Town), VIC, AustraliaOccupation: farmer. With Elizabeth Kate Buckley.5

Newspaper-Articles

  • 16 Oct 1902: Buckley—Douglas. Christ Church, South Yarra, was the scene of a pretty evening wedding on Wednesday, October 8, when Miss Elizabeth Kate Douglas, eldest daughter of Mr R. J. G. Douglas, of High-street, Prahran, was united to Mr. Allan Frank Buckley; oldest son of Mr. Allan Knox Buckley, Shire Engineer of Rutherglen. The Rev. Canon Tucker officiated. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a rich and becoming gown of tucked silk, prettily combined with cfiffon and silk lace and insertion. The court train was also trimmed with the lace and sprays of orange blossom, and was borne by two small pages—Vere Bilton-Lee, in a dainty Kate Greenaway dress of white silk and bonnet of royal blue, trimmed with white May and chiffon, and Aubrey Bilton-Lee, in a picturesque Louis XIV.
    court dress. Their gifts from the bridegroom were hand-worked Japanese silk handkerchiefs. The bridesmaids were Miss Emily Douglas, sister of bride, and Miss May McMahon, cousin of bridegroom. They both wore pretty white silk
    frocks and becoming picture hats. Floral adorned crooks completed the effects, and they wore ruby and pearl brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. Mr. Sydney Buckley supported the bridegroom as best man, and Mr. George Buckley acted as groomsman. At the conclusion of the ceremony the guests adjourned to the South Yarra Hall, where a reception was hold and wedding tea served, This was followed by a bright enjoyable dance, at which, about 200 guests were present. During the evening Mr. and Mrs. Buckley departed on the first stage of the honeymoon trip, which will be spent at the Buffalo Mountains. The smart travelling dress was of fawn voile, with silk and mousselaine de soie applique trimming; hat of white felt, trimmed with applique glace silk and ostrich tips. The presents included: — Bridegroom to bride, bicycle. Bridegroom to bridesmaids, ruby and pearl brooches. Continued in newspaper. Elizabeth Kate Buckley6
  • 27 Apr 1926: WIFE HARVESTED ON FARM -- HUSBAND FLIRTED IN CITY. A story of a woman's laborious life on a farm whilst her husband "carried on" with girls whom he employed in his city office was related to Mr. Justice Weigall in the Divorce Court, Melbourne, on Friday by Elizabeth Kate Buckley, 46, of Broughalum street, Richmond, who sought the dissolution of her marriage with Allan Frank Buckley, 51, of Ryton, on the grounds of desertion and misconduct. The parties were married in 1902 at South Yarra and there are seven children. Petitioner said that at the time of the marriage respondent was an auctioneer and at various stages subsequently he acted as secretary of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, estate agent and dealer in land and tea, farmer and stone carrier by steamer along the River Murray. In October, 1921, when they were living at Toora on a farm, respondent required her to taken charge of all the farming work. This meant that she had to do harvesting, cart water and timber and milk the cows. During this period he was engaged in land dealing in Melbourne. Subsequently he absented himself from the home and as the result of her mode of existence she had a nervous breakdown. After being in the Yarram Hospital for several weeks her husbanid said he would place her in another institution and that her mother could look after her for the rest of her life. Shortly afterwards he placed her in the Royal Park Receiving House as a patient. Whilst she was living in the country attending the properties respondent was employing young women in his office and showing attention to them. One of the women was Agnes Helen Satchwell, with whomn he subsequently lived in Adelaide. Other evidence was given that respondent had admitted paren tage of a child by Miss Satchwell. A decree nisi was granted. Elizabeth Kate Buckley7

Citations

  1. [S22] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (online).
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - John Robert Brien to Allan Frank Buckley Mortgage No 452703.
  3. [S34] PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), Divorce index.
  4. [S112] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1912.
  5. [S119] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1919.
  6. [S14] Newspaper - Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic.), 16 Oct 1902, p17.
  7. [S14] Newspaper - The Horsham Times (Vic.), 27 Apr 1926, p2.
Last Edited22 Mar 2016

John Robert Brien

M, #3665, d. 1939
Land-UBeac*10 Jul 1922 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part). Transfer from Marion Jane Smith to John Robert Brien. 209a 2r 34p.1 
Land-Note*10 Jul 1922 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part): Mortgagee: Sir Harold Gengoult Smith Louise Berta Mosson Dyer. Not discharged - this property had three mortgages all taken out on 10 Jul 1922. Mortgagor was John Robert Brien.2 
Land-Note10 Jul 1922 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part): Mortgagee: Allan Frank Buckley. Not discharged - this property had three mortgages all taken out on 10 Jul 1922. Mortgagor was John Robert Brien.3 
Land-Note10 Jul 1922 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part): Mortgagee: John McManus. Not discharged - this property had three mortgages all taken out on 10 Jul 1922. Mortgagor was John Robert Brien.4 
Land-Note*5 Mar 1923 Memo No 59685 Copy Writ of Fieri Facias issued out of the Supreme Court at Melbourne in an action numbered 90 in the Year 1923. The English Scottish and Australian Bank Limited against John Robert Brien served 5 March 1923.5 
Land-Note24 Jul 1923 Charge under Section 83 Land Tax Act 1915 to the Commissioner of Taxes, registered on 24th July 1923 and numbered 469520.6 
Land-UBeac*b 1929 GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A.73 (part). Transfer from John Robert Brien to John McManus. Foreclosed - though unclear if this mortgagee was the only one forcing the sale.7 
Death*1939 Prahran, VIC, Australia, poss death: #D1815 (Age 74) [par Robert BRIEN & Mary Ann GRIFFITHS]
buried Box Hill 6 Mar 1939.8,9 
Death-Notice*6 Mar 1939 BRIEN -The Friends of the late JOHN ROBERT BRIEN are invited to follow his remains to the Box Hill Cemetery.
The funeral will leave the residence of his son Mr Reginald Brien, Mount View street, Croydon THIS DAY (Monday 6th March) at 11 a.m.9 

Newspaper-Articles

  • 23 Apr 1927: NEXT THURSDAY, APRIL 28. NEXT THURSDAY, APRIL 28. At Eleven O'clock. In the Boardroom of Messrs. Davey, Balding, and Co., 31 Queen Street, Melbourne, LOT 1, by Order of the Mortgagees, Lots 2 and 3 in the Estate of the Late M. J. Smith.
    COGHILL and HAUGHTON will SELL, by AUCTION.
    LOT 1.
    Louisville, the well-known and beautiful country house of late L. L. Smith, 694 acres, and country house, between Emerald and Beaconsfield. Good home and outbuildings. W.B. cottage, 6 rooms.
    LOT 2.
    About 8 acres, right opposite Beaconsfield railway station, planted with exotic trees, suitable for a gentleman's country home. industrial factory needing water supply, or township subdivision, right at the station.
    LOT 3.
    106a. 2r. 14p. at Gembrook, C.A, 98, parish of Gembrook. Forest land.
    Easy terms. Further particulars later advt, or trough auctioneer's offices, 70 Swanston st, Melb. Marion Jane Smith10
  • 9 Nov 1927: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24. A Half past Two O'Clock. AUCTION SALE. SCOTTS HOTEL MELBOURNE.
    MORTGAGEE'S SALE Of Picturesquely Situated Estate of 694 Acres, Known as LOUISVILLE, On the Gembrook Road Upper Beaconsfield, 5 Miles from Emerald Railway Station.
    Frank T Boileau and Co , stock and station agents (F J Boileau auctioneer) Chancery House (ground floor offices), 440 Little Collins street, Melbourne, and S LOCKHART, stock and station agent, Sea Lake, will SELL, under instructions from the mortgagees, that splendidly situated property known as LOUISVILLE on the Gembrook road, Upper Beaconsfield, formerly the country home of the late Dr L. L. Smith being all those pieces of land containing 694 acres 9 perches or thereabouts being Crown Allotments 70, 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 71, ond 71a and part of Crown Allotment 73 and in the surface and down to a depth of 50ft below the surface of Crown Allotment 70e, Section C, parish of Gembrook county of Mornington, and being the whole of the land more particularly delineated and described in Certificate of Title, Volume 4619, Folio 923,715, together with a well-built residence of six main rooms, in very fair repair and various outbuildings. A great deal of money has been spent on this estate, but it has been allowed to go back. Judiciously handled, and money carefully spent on the property, it could easily be brought back to its original state when occupied by the late Dr Smith. The situation is beautiful ; there is, possibly, none better in this favourite district. The roads to the property are now undergoing repairs, and will soon be perfect thus allowing motorists a splendid drive in undoubtedly one of the most glorious spots in the State. About 100 acres have been cleared, balance heavily timbered, but good orchard country when cleared.
    N.B. -At the price for which the property will be sold a good investment awaits the right man and many and varied are the opportunities offered by a proposition such as this.
    Solicitors, Messrs Arthur Phillips, Pearce, and Just, 60 Queen street Melbourne.
    FRANK T BOILEAU and Co Stock and Station Agents Chancery House, 440 Little Collins street (ground floor offices) Melbourne (Telephone Cent 239S) and S LOCKHART, Stock and Station Agent, Sea Lake (auctioneers in conjunction). John McManus11

Citations

  1. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 3324-718 - John Robert Brien of "Louisville" Upper Beaconsfield Farmer - C/T 4619-715 (consolidated with GEM-C-70.70A.B.C.D.E.71.71A = 694a 0r 9p).
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - John Robert Brien to Harold Gengoult Smith and Louise Bertha Mosson Dyer Mortgage No 452702.
  3. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - John Robert Brien to Allan Frank Buckley Mortgage No 452703.
  4. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - John Robert Brien to John McManus Mortgage No 452701.
  5. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - Memo No 59685 Copy Writ of Fieri Facias issued out of the Supreme Court at Melbourne in an action numbered 90 in the Year 1923. The English Scottish and Australian Bank Limited against John Robert Brien served 5 March 1923.
  6. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - Charge under Section 83 Land Tax Act 1915 to the Commissioner of Taxes, registered on 24th July 1923 and numbered 469520.
  7. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4619-715 - Transfer by order of mortgagee to Frederick William Fisher - C/T 5582-254.
  8. [S5] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Death Index Victoria 1921-1985.
  9. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 6 Mar 1939, p8.
  10. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 23 Apr 1927, p2.
  11. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 9 Nov 1927, p5.
Last Edited22 Mar 2016

Magdalena Netta Gengoult

F, #3666, b. 1797, d. 19 Mar 1877
Married NameSmith. 
Birth*1797 France.1 
Marriage*29 Sep 1824 Spouse: Edward Tyrell Smith. France Edward Tyrell Smith [par Edward Tyrell Smith & Susan Tomlins] - Madeleine Nanette Gengoult [par Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl & Cornelia Keügl].2
 
Death*19 Mar 1877 Melbourne, VIC, Australia, #D974 (Age 80) [par Louis GENGOULT].1 
Death-Notice*20 Mar 1877 SMITH.-On the 19th inst., at Fitzroy, Mrs. E. T. Smith, wife of E. T. Smith, Esq , London, and daughter of Mons. Gengoult, Sous Prefet de l'Aron- dissement de Pas-de-Calais, and the beloved mother of L. L. Smith, of this city, in the 80th year of her life.3 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
6 Jun 184138 Webber Row, Southwark, London, EnglandHead of Household: Magdalena Netta Smith. Age 40 - General Dealer
Member(s) of Household: Louis Lawrence Smith.4

Grave

  • Church of England Section L 681/682, Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton, VIC, Australia, In memory of the beloved children of Louis Lawrence SMITH of this city
    Magdalena Gengoult died 7 Sep 1856 age 1 mth
    Louis Lawrence died 8 Nov 1861, age 1 yr
    Mary Chlotilde Grace Nanetta SMITH died 14 Jan 1866, age 10 mths
    Harold Tyrrell SMITH died 6 Dec 1866, age 5 mth
    also his mother
    Magdalena Netta SMITH died 19 Mar 1877 age 79 yrs
    Sarah Ann died Nov. 1882, 46 yrs.
    (This stone is heavily weathered).5

Family

 Edward Tyrell Smith b. 1803, d. 20 Nov 1877
Child 1.Louis Lawrence Smith+ b. 15 May 1830, d. 8 Jul 1910

Citations

  1. [S1] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Pioneer Index Victoria 1836-1888.
  2. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, father:      Edward Tyrell Smith
    mother: Susan Tomlins
    spouse: Madeleine Nanette Gengoult
    other:      Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl, Cornelia Keügl
    Name      Edward Tÿrrel Smith
    Event Type      Marriage
    Event Date      29 Sep 1824
    Event Place      France
    Residence Place      
    Gender      Male
    Father's Name      Edward Tyrell Smith
    Mother's Name      Susan Tomlins
    Spouse's Name      Madeleine Nanette Gengoult
    Spouse's Father's Name      Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl
    Spouse's Mother's Name Cornelia Keügl
    GS Film number      4388504
    Digital Folder Number      004388504.
  3. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 20 Mar 1877, p1.
  4. [S83] UK census - viewed on Ancestry "Class: HO107; Piece: 1086; Book: 8; Civil Parish: St George The Martyr; County: Surrey; Enumeration District: 16; Folio: 34; Page: 9; Line: 2; GSU roll: 474669."
  5. [S20] Various indexed records of GSV - Genealogical Society Victoria "Church of England Section L 681/682."
Last Edited29 Jun 2018

Edward Tyrell Smith

M, #3667, b. 1803, d. 20 Nov 1877
Birth*1803 
Marriage*29 Sep 1824 Spouse: Magdalena Netta Gengoult. France Edward Tyrell Smith [par Edward Tyrell Smith & Susan Tomlins] - Madeleine Nanette Gengoult [par Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl & Cornelia Keügl].1
 
Widower19 Mar 1877Edward Tyrell Smith became a widower upon the death of his wife Magdalena Netta Smith.2 
Death*20 Nov 1877 Kennington Park, London, England, Dec Q [St Saviour Surrey] 1d 118 (Age 74.)3 
Death-Notice*5 Feb 1878 SMTH.-On the 20th November, at his residence, Kennington-park, London, E. T. Smith, Esq., oldest son of Edward Tyrrel Smith, Admiral of the Rod, by his first wife, the Countess de Murat, father of L. L. Smith, of this city.4 

Family

 Magdalena Netta Gengoult b. 1797, d. 19 Mar 1877
Child 1.Louis Lawrence Smith+ b. 15 May 1830, d. 8 Jul 1910

Citations

  1. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, father:      Edward Tyrell Smith
    mother: Susan Tomlins
    spouse: Madeleine Nanette Gengoult
    other:      Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl, Cornelia Keügl
    Name      Edward Tÿrrel Smith
    Event Type      Marriage
    Event Date      29 Sep 1824
    Event Place      France
    Residence Place      
    Gender      Male
    Father's Name      Edward Tyrell Smith
    Mother's Name      Susan Tomlins
    Spouse's Name      Madeleine Nanette Gengoult
    Spouse's Father's Name      Louis Gengoult-Kuÿl
    Spouse's Mother's Name Cornelia Keügl
    GS Film number      4388504
    Digital Folder Number      004388504.
  2. [S1] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Pioneer Index Victoria 1836-1888.
  3. [S332] UK - General Register Office Indexes.
  4. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 5 Feb 1878, p1.
Last Edited29 Jun 2018

Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay

F, #3673, b. 23 Mar 1917, d. 31 Aug 2008
Married NameFullerton. 
Married NameTurnbull. 
Birth*23 Mar 1917 St Margaret's, Launceston, TAS, Australia. [par Sir John & Lady RAMSAY]1,2 
Birth-Notice*24 Apr 1917 RAMSAY.—On the 23rd March, at St. Margaret's, Launceston, to Dr. and Mrs. J. Ramsay—a daughter.2 
Marriage*5 Aug 1943 Spouse: David John Fullerton. Launceston, TAS, Australia.3
Marriage-Notice*7 Aug 1943 NORTHERN WEDDING
Capt and Mrs David J. Fullerton, who were married in Launceston on Thursday. Mrs Fullerton was formerly Miss Nell Ramsay, younger daughter of Sir John and Lady Ramsay, Launceston.3 
Residence*1948 "Newstead", A Beckett Road (now No 85), Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, Australia.4 
(Transfer to) Land-UBeac8 Jun 1948 PAK-123.125. Transfer from Albert Daley Finlay to David John Fullerton Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 38a 3r 9p.5 
(Transfer to) Land-UBeac8 Jun 1948 PAK-129 (part), now 80 A'Beckett Road. Transfer from Albert Daley Finlay to David John Fullerton Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 13a 3r 38p.6 
RSLbt 1954 - 1960Officebearer of the RSL Secretary. Also 1965-1968; 1970-1973; 1975-1976; 1977-1981.7 
Land-UBeac6 Oct 1971 PAK-123.125. Transfer from David John Fullerton to Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 38a 3r 9p.8 
Land-UBeac*6 Oct 1971 PAK-129 (part), now 80 A'Beckett Road. Transfer from David John Fullerton to Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 13a 3r 38p.9 
RSL*bt 1973 - 1983Officebearer of the RSL President. Made life member in 1975.7 
Widow28 Feb 1973She became a widow upon the death of her husband David John Fullerton.1,10 
Village BellFeb 1984 A TRIP TO INDIA
Nell Fullerton has recently returned from an exciting holiday in India. She travelled with her elder daughter Trish to meet her younger daughter Fiona, who had just spent 12 months in Ladakh, the Tibetan Buddist Kingdon in the North East of India as Doctor-in-Charge of a hospital for Tibetan Refugees.
On arrival in Bombay the monsoon greeted them, the heavens opened in a torrential downpour, they were amazed by the millions of Indians in the streets as they drove to their hotel.
Delhi was to be their base from which they began their adventurous holiday. They flew to Srinagar in Kashmir to spend a week in India's Venice, on a houseboat. Food for them was cooked by relatives of the boat owner and brought to them, it was always Indian style Kashmiri curry with plenty of spices, one very tasty meal Nell discovered later was Kashmiri goat.
From Srinagar they journeyed by bus to Leh. It was a hair raising trip and Nell found she needed a sense of humour, an acceptance of risk and a sense of fatalism. In 1974 the Indian Government opened the road which they had constructed through the Himalayas to supply a huge army of 120,000 men based in Ladakh as a bulwark against Pakistan and China, 435 kms has been cut through the mountains with many hair-pin bends and the most magnificent views. After a 12 hour journey, Fiona and her friends met them carrying white scarves, symbolizing peace and love. After recovering from altitude sickness, Nell was able to enjoy her 7 day stay with the Tibetans whose culture and religion is so fascinating. They visited the Tibetan Children's Village where Fiona was working, just 100 kms from the Chinese border. The 400 children there gave a farewell concert to Fiona and welcome to them. The children were beautifully dressed in Tibetan costumes, they sang Tibetan songs and performed traditional dances, they seemed to enjoy their dancing so much.
The Tibetan people are so beautiful and kind, the children so courteous and charming. They believe in reincarnation and if they lead a good life will return to a better one.
After a few days of rest in Delhi they visited Jaipur and stayed at the Maharajahs Palace, now an hotel, an elephant ride in traditional Indian style to visit the old forts was an exciting experience. A train trip-the Indian Government is very proud of their railways-took them to Amritsar where they were met and driven to Dharamsala, city of Tibetan Government in exile. The extreme rural poverty of the Indian countryside contrasted with its beauty and its bright green paddy fields.
They flew to Varanasi, previously Benares, a sacred Hindu city where every Hindu makes a pilgrimage, they go to splash in the holy waters of the Ganges. A guided tour took them through the fascinating temples on the shores of the Ganges. Then it was on to Katmandu in Nepal for a fascinating 5 days. One of the loveliest places was just outside Katmandu - a natural dam -where there were hundreds of small monkeys frolicking, playing and teaching their babies to swim. They were so human, showing them how to do the strokes and sunbaking with them.
On their return to Delhi they prepared for their homeward journey to Australia.11 
Marriage*23 Jul 1987 Spouse: Dr Reginald John David 'Spot' Turnbull. Wesley College Chapel, Prahran, VIC, Australia.12
 
Village Bell*Feb 1993 AU REVOIR NELL - FORTYFIVE YEARS RESIDENCE IN UPPER BEACONSFIELD
In 1948 David and Nell Fullerton with their children John and Patricia, arrived in Upper Beaconsfield to live in their newly acquired property, "Newstead" in A'Beckett Road. David who was an expert in growing flax, so necessary for the war effort, thought the land could be used to fatten cattle, but in a very short time he realised his mistake.
"Newstead" was built by Miss Alice Moon as her home in 1883. It was bought by the Noble family in 1888, and they were followed by the Kirkwoods. It became a guest house in 1903 and by 1948 it was in poor repair. ( Nell described it as derelict). The Fullertons decided to rebuild and repair the main house and demolish several of the outbuildings. As David's work required him to spend a lot of time interstate, Nell took up this challenge and with the aid and advice of local identity Ulich A'Beckett, began the job of making the garden, laying concrete paths and rebuilding. Her hard work and great skill resulted in the lovely gardens and house, which she has now named "Newstead Forest".
In those early days, Nell, being a qualified physiotherapist was a great help to any local who had a fracture and required physio treatment. She was also the possessor of a motor car, rare at that time, and frequently provided transport for the "oldies", or in emergencies.
When the Upper Beaconsfield R.S.L. was formed in 1951 meetings were held in the Hall. In 1953 the Club bought the property in Halford Road; Nell was a foundation member of the R.S.L. Ladies Auxiliary which assisted with fund raising, needed to maintain the building and make additions. One annual event was the R.S.L. Fete which continued until 1977. Nell played a very active part in the organisation and this was recognised in 1975 when she was made an Honorary Life Member of the Club, and is in fact, the only female person to receive this award.
Nell was also very active on the Berwick Hospital Auxiliary and the local Red Cross as a Regional Secretary and a regular collector
Last year Nell and her husband "Spot" Turnbull (late Senator) decided the property was too much work for them and with reluctance sold the house, moving to Melbourne. They will both be missed by their many friends, who will always remember Nell's enormous personal charm, her garden and her superb floral arrangements, and also her significant contribution to our community. Dr Reginald John David 'Spot' Turnbull13 
Widow17 Jul 2006Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay became a widow upon the death of her husband Dr Reginald John David 'Spot' Turnbull.14 
Death*31 Aug 2008 Central Park, Windsor, VIC, Australia.1 
Death-Notice*1 Sep 2008 TURNBULL (nee Ramsay) Ellen Grace Carlotta (Nell) 23.3.1917-31.8.2008 Loving wife of Spot (dec) and much loved mother of John, Trish and Fiona Fullerton. Beloved grandmother of Tamsin, Charlotte and Ross. Passed away peacefully at Central Park, Windsor, whose care was greatly appreciated.
See later paper for Funeral arrangements.15 
Death-Notice4 Sep 2008 TURNBULL. Privately Cremated. A Service celebrating the life of NELL TURNBULL will be held at St Martin's Anglican Church, cnr Cromwell Road and Wilson Street, Hawksburn, on FRIDAY (September 5) at 4.00 pm.16 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
1954A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties. With David John Fullerton.17
1963A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties.18
1968"Newstead", A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties.19
1972A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties.20
1977A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties.21
1980A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: home duties.22

Grave

  • Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, VIC, Australia1

Newspaper-Articles

  • 6 Aug 1943: AFTERNOON BRIDE IN BLUE - Fullerton-Ramsay
    Masses of Spring bulbs and Autumn toned flowers decorated the lounge at Raglen, Pyenna Ave., Launceston, yesterday afternoon when Ellen Grace Carlotta, younger daughter of Sir John and Lady Ramsay, was married to Capt David John, only son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Fullerton, Ireland. The Rev R. V. Merritt officiated.
    The fair-haired bride, who was given away by her father, wore a coat-frock of powder blue angora and carried a small spray of pink and cream orchids. Her frock featured a fully-flared skirt and full wrist-length sleeves. The neckline was high, and the front of the frock was gathered. The belt was finished with a gold buckle. Her hat and accessories were deep midnight blue.
    The bride's sister, Miss Margaret Ramsay, who was bridesmaid, wore a frock of red rust wool de chine. The bodice was draped from the right shoulder to the left hip. She wore nig- ger-brown accessories. Best man was W-Cdr G. C. Matthews.
    Lady Ramsay's frock was black and trimmed with deep saxe blue. It featured jet bead embroidery on the bodice. She wore a smart toque with a coloured feather swathed round the front, and carried a spray of pink orchids.
    When leaving for her honeymoon the bride wore her wedding frock. Under a midnight blue coat with matching accessories.
    Capt and Mrs David Fullerton will make their home on the Mainland for the duration of the war. David John Fullerton23
  • 21 Feb 1948: SATURDAY. MARCH 6.
    At Three O'clock. On the Property, NEWSTEAD A'BECKETTS ROAD.
    UPPER BEACONSFIELD.
    MODERNISED GENTLEMAN'S RESIDENCE, containing 10 Rms, 2 Bathrooms. ALSO 3 RMD. W.B. COTTAGE. REFRIGERATED DAIRY, and Numerous Outbuildings. Commands Unsurpassed Views of Westernport. Port Phillip, and Mountains. Land Approx. 62 Acres. Title. Certificate. Terms at Sale. Further parties, from Auctioneers,
    ERIC WEBER Se CO. PTY. LTD.. 325 Collins st.. Melb. MU8971._ David John Fullerton24
  • 5 May 1951: Death of sister: Obituary Miss M. W. Ramsay
    THE death occurred yesterday after a short illness of Miss Margaret Wallace Ramsay, elder daughter of Lady Ramsay, Ruglen, Launceston, anld the late Sir John Ramsay. Miss Ramsay was well known as a hostess who assisted her mother in entertaining at Ruglen such organisations as the St. John Ambulance, Junior Red Cross, Scouts and Guides, as well as a wide circle of friends. For a number of years she was trea surer of the Victoria League in Launceston and was a keen sup porter of the Launceston General Hospital. She was also a member of the Soroptimists. Lady Ramsay is at present on an overseas tour. Miss Ramsay's brothers are Mr. John Ramsay, Dr. Hugh Ramsay and Mr. James Ramsay. Mrs. David Fullerton, of Victoria is a sister.25

Citations

  1. [S47] Index of burials in the cemetery of Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
  2. [S14] Newspaper - Examiner (Launceston, Tas.), Tue 24 Apr 1917, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50921805
  3. [S14] Newspaper - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 7 Aug 1943, p4.
  4. [S61] Upper Beaconsfield History Archive.
  5. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 2955-857 - David John Fullerton Flax Expert and Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman both of Upper Beaconsfield.
  6. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 6722-218 - David John Fullerton Flax Expert and Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman both of Upper Beaconsfield.
  7. [S69] Exhibit / Memorial Board, unknown date "unknown cd."
  8. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 2955-857 - Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman John Ramsay Fullerton Solicitor Patricia Mary Fullerton Artist and Fiona Margaret Student all of Upper Beaconsfield joint proprietors.
  9. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 6722-218 - Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman John Ramsay Fullerton Solicitor Patricia Mary Fullerton Artist and Fiona Margaret Student all of Upper Beaconsfield joint proprietors.
  10. [S5] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Death Index Victoria 1921-1985.
  11. [S15] Newspaper - Village Bell 036-1984, p12 by Elizabeth White.
  12. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, This biography was first published in The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, vol. 3, 1962-1983, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney, 2010, pp. 155-159.
  13. [S15] Newspaper - Village Bell 090-1993, p18 by Charles Wilson.
  14. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 25 Jul 2006, p10.
  15. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 1 Sep 2008, p4 Business.
  16. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 4 Sep 2008, p14.
  17. [S101] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1903 - 1980 "as Fullarton; Nell as Ellen Grace Fullarton."
  18. [S163] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1963.
  19. [S168] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1968 "Ellen as Fullarton ; Patricia as Fullerton. Patricia at Newstead."
  20. [S172] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1972 "Ellen as Fullarton ; Patricia as Fullerton."
  21. [S177] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1977.
  22. [S180] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1980.
  23. [S14] Newspaper - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 6 Aug 1943, p4.
  24. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 21 Feb 1948, p9.
  25. [S14] Newspaper - Examiner (Launceston, Tas.), 5 May 1951, p4.
Last Edited11 Jul 2021

David John Fullerton

M, #3674, b. 1898, d. 28 Feb 1973
Probate (Will)* David John Fullerton. Retired. Bentleigh. 28 Feb 1973. 754/606.1 
Birth*1898 Down, Ireland.2 
Marriage*Sep 1922 Spouse: Ellen Frances Carpenter. Bristol, Gloucestershire, Australia, Sep Q [Bristol] 6a 366.3
 
Widower26 Nov 1925David John Fullerton became a widower upon the death of his wife Ellen Frances Carpenter.4
(Migrant) Migration/TravelOct 1935 To Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Ship Laconia sailing from New York. Last permanent residence Belgium. Address c/- E Carpenter, Knightwood Grange Park, Bristol
Age 37 - Flax Merchant.5 
(Migrant) Migration/TravelMar 1941 Sailing with Terence Michael Fullerton to Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Ship Perseus Liverpool sailing 3 Feb 1941
David J. FULLERTON Age 42 Flax Grader and (Mstr) Terence M. FULLERTON Age 15, previous address Knightwood, Grange Park, Henleaze, Bristol travelling 1st class. Country of last permanent residence: Foreign Countries (not British Empire)
Age 42 Flax Grader.6 
Marriage*5 Aug 1943 Spouse: Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay. Launceston, TAS, Australia.7
Marriage-Notice*7 Aug 1943 NORTHERN WEDDING
Capt and Mrs David J. Fullerton, who were married in Launceston on Thursday. Mrs Fullerton was formerly Miss Nell Ramsay, younger daughter of Sir John and Lady Ramsay, Launceston.7 
Residence*1948 "Newstead", A Beckett Road (now No 85), Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, Australia.8 
Land-UBeac8 Jun 1948 PAK-129 (part), now 80 A'Beckett Road. Transfer from Albert Daley Finlay to David John Fullerton Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 13a 3r 38p.9 
Land-UBeac*8 Jun 1948 PAK-123.125. Transfer from Albert Daley Finlay to David John Fullerton Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 38a 3r 9p.10 
Land-UBeac*6 Oct 1971 PAK-129 (part), now 80 A'Beckett Road. Transfer from David John Fullerton to Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 13a 3r 38p.11 
Land-UBeac6 Oct 1971 PAK-123.125. Transfer from David John Fullerton to Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Fullerton. 38a 3r 9p.12 
Death*28 Feb 1973 Elsternwick, VIC, Australia, #D6154 (Age 75) [par Samuel FULLERTON & Isobel WILLIAMSON]
Service 2 Mar 1973 - cremated at Springvale.13,14 
Death-Notice*3 Mar 1973 FULLERTON, David John. — On 28th February, husband of Nell, loved father of Terry, John, Trish and Fiona, dear father-in-law of Willa and Veryan, grandfather of Michael, Simon and Timothy. Private funeral.
FULLERTON, David John.— Died on February 28th — Treasured memories from Evie.15 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
1901Samuel FULLERTON (Carpenter), Sloan Road, Lisburn, Antrim, IrelandAge 316
1911Samuel FULLERTON (Undertaker's Manager), 28 Railway Street, Lisburn, Antrim, IrelandAge 13 - Scholar - Presbyterian2
1943192 Wellington Parade, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: public servant.17
1954A Beckett Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: farmer. With Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay.18
1963Beechworth Road, Murmungee, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: manager.19
196823 Nelson Road, Camberwell, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: clerk.20
197233 Somers Street, Bentleigh, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: nil.21

Newspaper-Articles

  • 6 Aug 1943: AFTERNOON BRIDE IN BLUE - Fullerton-Ramsay
    Masses of Spring bulbs and Autumn toned flowers decorated the lounge at Raglen, Pyenna Ave., Launceston, yesterday afternoon when Ellen Grace Carlotta, younger daughter of Sir John and Lady Ramsay, was married to Capt David John, only son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Fullerton, Ireland. The Rev R. V. Merritt officiated.
    The fair-haired bride, who was given away by her father, wore a coat-frock of powder blue angora and carried a small spray of pink and cream orchids. Her frock featured a fully-flared skirt and full wrist-length sleeves. The neckline was high, and the front of the frock was gathered. The belt was finished with a gold buckle. Her hat and accessories were deep midnight blue.
    The bride's sister, Miss Margaret Ramsay, who was bridesmaid, wore a frock of red rust wool de chine. The bodice was draped from the right shoulder to the left hip. She wore nig- ger-brown accessories. Best man was W-Cdr G. C. Matthews.
    Lady Ramsay's frock was black and trimmed with deep saxe blue. It featured jet bead embroidery on the bodice. She wore a smart toque with a coloured feather swathed round the front, and carried a spray of pink orchids.
    When leaving for her honeymoon the bride wore her wedding frock. Under a midnight blue coat with matching accessories.
    Capt and Mrs David Fullerton will make their home on the Mainland for the duration of the war. Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay22
  • 21 Feb 1948: SATURDAY. MARCH 6.
    At Three O'clock. On the Property, NEWSTEAD A'BECKETTS ROAD.
    UPPER BEACONSFIELD.
    MODERNISED GENTLEMAN'S RESIDENCE, containing 10 Rms, 2 Bathrooms. ALSO 3 RMD. W.B. COTTAGE. REFRIGERATED DAIRY, and Numerous Outbuildings. Commands Unsurpassed Views of Westernport. Port Phillip, and Mountains. Land Approx. 62 Acres. Title. Certificate. Terms at Sale. Further parties, from Auctioneers,
    ERIC WEBER Se CO. PTY. LTD.. 325 Collins st.. Melb. MU8971._ Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay23

Citations

  1. [S35] Probate Records, PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), VPRS 28/P6, unit 354; VPRS 7591/P4, unit 344.
  2. [S211] Ireland 1901/1911 for Ireland (online image) 1901/1911 "http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/…."
  3. [S9] Free BMD. Index. Online @ https://www.freebmd.org.uk/.
  4. [S65] Ancestry - various indices, The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Returns; Class: RG 32; Piece: 10.
  5. [S65] Ancestry - various indices, The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 1066.
  6. [S65] Ancestry - various indices, UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960.
  7. [S14] Newspaper - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 7 Aug 1943, p4.
  8. [S61] Upper Beaconsfield History Archive.
  9. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 6722-218 - David John Fullerton Flax Expert and Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman both of Upper Beaconsfield.
  10. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 2955-857 - David John Fullerton Flax Expert and Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman both of Upper Beaconsfield.
  11. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 6722-218 - Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman John Ramsay Fullerton Solicitor Patricia Mary Fullerton Artist and Fiona Margaret Student all of Upper Beaconsfield joint proprietors.
  12. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 2955-857 - Ellen Grace Carlotta Fullerton Married Woman John Ramsay Fullerton Solicitor Patricia Mary Fullerton Artist and Fiona Margaret Student all of Upper Beaconsfield joint proprietors.
  13. [S47] Index of burials in the cemetery of Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
  14. [S5] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Death Index Victoria 1921-1985.
  15. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 3 Mar 1973, p120.
  16. [S211] Ireland 1901/1911 for Ireland (online image) 1901/1911 "http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/…
    as Davaid J FULLERTON - with father Samuel FULLERTON age 23, carpenter, mother Isabella FULLERTON age 25 housekeeper, and sister Mary E Age 1."
  17. [S143] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1943.
  18. [S101] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1903 - 1980 "as Fullarton; Nell as Ellen Grace Fullarton."
  19. [S163] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1963.
  20. [S168] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1968.
  21. [S172] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1972.
  22. [S14] Newspaper - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 6 Aug 1943, p4.
  23. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 21 Feb 1948, p9.
Last Edited19 Nov 2019

Dr Reginald John David 'Spot' Turnbull

M, #3675, b. 21 Feb 1908, d. 17 Jul 2006
Dr Reginald John David TURNBULL
(1908-2006)
Birth*21 Feb 1908 Shanghai, China.1 
Marriage*11 Jun 1929 Spouse: Jean Elizabeth Jerman Ffrost. The Manse, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.2
 
Marriage-Notice*1 Jan 1931 SOCIAL NOTES. The marriage of Reginald John David Turnbull, of Shanghai, China, and Jean Elizabeth Jerman Ffrost, younger daughter of Dr A. E. Ffrost, of Toorak, has been quietly celebrated.3 
Widower9 Mar 1986Dr Reginald John David 'Spot' Turnbull became a widower upon the death of his wife Jean Elizabeth Jerman Ffrost.4,5 
Marriage*23 Jul 1987 Spouse: Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Ramsay. Wesley College Chapel, Prahran, VIC, Australia.2
 
Village Bell*Feb 1993 AU REVOIR NELL - FORTYFIVE YEARS RESIDENCE IN UPPER BEACONSFIELD
In 1948 David and Nell Fullerton with their children John and Patricia, arrived in Upper Beaconsfield to live in their newly acquired property, "Newstead" in A'Beckett Road. David who was an expert in growing flax, so necessary for the war effort, thought the land could be used to fatten cattle, but in a very short time he realised his mistake.
"Newstead" was built by Miss Alice Moon as her home in 1883. It was bought by the Noble family in 1888, and they were followed by the Kirkwoods. It became a guest house in 1903 and by 1948 it was in poor repair. ( Nell described it as derelict). The Fullertons decided to rebuild and repair the main house and demolish several of the outbuildings. As David's work required him to spend a lot of time interstate, Nell took up this challenge and with the aid and advice of local identity Ulich A'Beckett, began the job of making the garden, laying concrete paths and rebuilding. Her hard work and great skill resulted in the lovely gardens and house, which she has now named "Newstead Forest".
In those early days, Nell, being a qualified physiotherapist was a great help to any local who had a fracture and required physio treatment. She was also the possessor of a motor car, rare at that time, and frequently provided transport for the "oldies", or in emergencies.
When the Upper Beaconsfield R.S.L. was formed in 1951 meetings were held in the Hall. In 1953 the Club bought the property in Halford Road; Nell was a foundation member of the R.S.L. Ladies Auxiliary which assisted with fund raising, needed to maintain the building and make additions. One annual event was the R.S.L. Fete which continued until 1977. Nell played a very active part in the organisation and this was recognised in 1975 when she was made an Honorary Life Member of the Club, and is in fact, the only female person to receive this award.
Nell was also very active on the Berwick Hospital Auxiliary and the local Red Cross as a Regional Secretary and a regular collector
Last year Nell and her husband "Spot" Turnbull (late Senator) decided the property was too much work for them and with reluctance sold the house, moving to Melbourne. They will both be missed by their many friends, who will always remember Nell's enormous personal charm, her garden and her superb floral arrangements, and also her significant contribution to our community. Ellen Grace Carlotta 'Nell' Turnbull6 
Death*17 Jul 2006 VIC, Australia, His funeral service was held at Wesley College Chapel, Melbourne, followed by a memorial service at St John’s Church, Launceston.1 
Death-Notice*18 Jul 2006 TURNBULL. - The Hon. Dr. R. J. D. "Spot" Turnbull. Loving husband of Elizabeth (dec.) and of Nell. Beloved father of Shann, Marsha and Hamish. Died peacefully on Monday July 17 in his 99th year.7 
Anecdote*TURNBULL, Reginald John David (1908–2006)
Senator for Tasmania, 1962–74 (Independent; Australia Party; Independent)
Reginald John David Turnbull was the first independent to be elected to the Senate after the introduction of the proportional voting system in 1949. He represented Tasmania from 1 July 1962 until his decision not to contest the election of 18 May 1974. He had an earlier career in Tasmanian state and local politics, where he served as Minister for Health from 1948 to 1959 and Treasurer from 1956 to 1959, and was the Mayor of Launceston from 1964 to 1965. Turnbull was a controversial politician: he was effectively expelled from the Labor Party in 1959; he held the balance of power in the Senate from 1962 to 1965, with his state companion George Cole, and spent eight unhappy months as the leader of the Australia Party. Throughout his political career he remained a general practitioner because ‘politics always came second to medicine’. He was deregistered as a medical practitioner in Tasmania and New South Wales for a year in the mid-1970s for ‘infamous conduct’.[1]
Reg Turnbull was born on 21 February 1908 in Shanghai, China, where his Australian father, William John Turnbull, was a journalist on the North-China Daily News. Turnbull senior died when Reg was a small boy. His Singapore-born mother, Bertha (Betty) née Widler, then married Enos Soren Thellefsen, whom Reg came to idolise. He had commenced his primary education at Jewell’s Private Day Boarding School in Shanghai and, with his brother, attended Wesley College, Melbourne, where he acquired the nickname ‘Spot’ because of a prominent mole on his forehead. At Wesley, Turnbull was a contemporary and academic rival of future Australian Prime Minister, Harold Holt, and benefited from the progressive ideas of headmaster Dick Adamson, who made him head prefect. He commenced medical studies at the University of Melbourne in 1928 and graduated MB BS in 1933.[2]
While at University, Turnbull met Jean Elizabeth Ffrost, the daughter of a Bendigo medical practitioner. They married in secret at the Manse, Parkville, Victoria, on 11 June 1929; Elizabeth, at nineteen, was under age (she gave her age as twenty-one). The couple moved to Brisbane, where Turnbull took up a residency at the Brisbane General Hospital because the pay was better than in Melbourne. In 1936 they returned to Melbourne where Turnbull hoped to purchase a practice; finding this to be too expensive they moved to the Tasmanian town of Launceston. Despite being a newcomer in a rather insular society, he rapidly built up a practice by a willingness to do house calls at night. Medicine drew Turnbull to a second career in politics. In the pre-sulphur drug age, he became alarmed at the high incidence of tuberculosis and approached a friend in the United Australia Party (UAP) to canvass its attitude to compulsory screening. The UAP baulked at compulsion but Labor said it was in favour, and so Turnbull joined the ALP.
In 1942 Turnbull was called up for service in the Citizen Military Forces (having spent six years in the Melbourne University Regiment). He volunteered for service with the AIF the same year. As a major in the 12th Australian Field Ambulance, he served in Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory, and was discharged on 9 May 1944. Despite the party’s earlier commitments, successive state Labor governments had not acted on the problem of tuberculosis and this provoked Turnbull to run as a Labor candidate for the state seat of Bass, where he topped the poll. After only two years as a backbencher he was appointed Minister for Health on 2 September 1948. He was an activist minister who reformed the administration of his department, introduced mandatory screening for TB, and organised the recruitment of doctors from overseas to overcome shortages of general practitioners in country areas. Through his efforts, anti-cancer clinics were established in Tasmania in 1952, and the smear test for cervical cancer became available on a statewide basis in 1959. Turnbull believed that Tasmania was ahead of the rest of the country in both areas. It was said by a senior public servant that Dr Turnbull ‘passed the three tests of a good minister in that he listened to advice, he made up his mind, and he backed his head of department’.[3]
At this time, he was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘well groomed’ with ‘something of the suavity and manner’ of the actor, David Niven. He was also said to be an ‘extreme individualist’, who was unusually blunt, ‘with no apparent understanding of or regard for political subtleties’. Spot displayed little comprehension of the conventions of collective responsibility, and regularly disagreed publicly with government policies and criticised his fellow ministers. In October 1956, while retaining responsibility for Health, Turnbull was appointed Treasurer in the hope that this might ‘moderate his demands for more health expenditure’. In June 1958 he was charged with soliciting a bribe from a Sydney businessman over the granting of a lottery licence. He resigned his portfolios, was tried twice and acquitted, and returned to the ministry four months later. However, he had made so many enemies that he was forced from the Cabinet in April 1959, dismissed by the Governor after refusing to resign, and his membership of the ALP was suspended. Turnbull’s dismissal precipitated an early election, and he was returned as an independent in Bass with an extraordinarily high vote of 28 per cent. Concurrently with his state and federal terms, Turnbull served as an alderman on the Launceston City Council from 1959 to 1965 and from 1966 to 1967 and as Mayor of Launceston from 1964 to 1965. In 1960 he was instrumental in the council’s decision to add fluoride to the Launceston water supply. Turnbull soon became bored with life as a backbencher in the Tasmanian Parliament, and successfully contested the 1961 Senate election as an independent.[4]
Throughout his Senate career Turnbull retained his independence of mind on controversial issues: he supported equal pay for women workers, the lowering of the voting age to eighteen, public health insurance, and the presence of United States military bases in Australia. He opposed censorship, state aid to religious schools, and criticised the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. A frequent and constructive contributor to debates on national health, he supported banning of cigarette advertising. When Australian troop commitments to Vietnam began to increase in 1965 he became a passionate opponent of the war and of conscription for military service. Yet he believed in Australia having a strong defence force, even to the point of acquiring nuclear weapons to assist ‘in developing northern Australia’.[5]
From 1 July 1962 until 1 July 1968, Turnbull was part of a group of minor party and independent senators who held the ‘balance of power’. As he explained in 1974, ‘I enjoyed being in the Senate. Cole was the DLP [Democratic Labor Party] Member and he and I, if we joined together we had balance of power. We only used it occasionally, I don’t think we ever abused it’. In 1964 the freight company IPEC-Air applied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation to import aircraft to operate an inter-city freight service. In a ruthless application of the two-airline policy, the request was refused and IPEC appealed unsuccessfully to the High Court, and then applied for leave to appeal to the Privy Council. While the appeal was in progress the Government issued a regulation that undermined the basis of IPEC’s appeal. Senators from geographically isolated states were often frustrated by the limitations placed on passenger and flight options by the two-airline policy, and Turnbull was no exception. Asking a series of probing questions in the Senate, he made it clear that unless the Government agreed to pay the company’s legal costs he would vote to disallow the regulation. The Government wavered, but two Liberal senators supported the Opposition and the regulation was disallowed. In May 1967 Turnbull voted with the Opposition to defeat the second reading of the Government’s Post and Telegraph Rates Bill.[6]
Spot Turnbull was prominent in what became known as the VIP affair, which centred on the Holt Government’s attempts to keep secret the details of dignitaries who flew on the RAAF’s 34 Squadron. In May 1966, responding to parliamentary questions about the use of the aircraft, Prime Minister Harold Holt replied that details of passengers and their destinations were not ‘retained for long’. Labor lost interest in the issue, but throughout 1966 and 1967 Turnbull and the DLP senators continued to probe the Government about the use of the aircraft. Turnbull had been briefed by an RAAF wing commander who had told him that passenger manifests were kept for twelve months. According to Turnbull, Labor senator Lionel Murphy saw that the issue could embarrass the Government. Turnbull and Murphy went to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, John Gorton, and informed him that they intended to call the permanent head of the Department of Air to the bar of the Senate and question him about the VIP flight manifests. After an order for papers was carried with Turnbull’s vote, Gorton tabled the relevant documents in the Senate, which revealed that Holt and the Minister for Air, Peter Howson, had misinformed Parliament about the existence of the records. The affair caused a furore and damaged the Government at the 1967 half-Senate election.[7]
Ironically, it was this election that significantly reduced Turnbull’s political influence, as the four DLP senators no longer needed his vote to exercise the balance of power. He lost interest in politics and despite selling his Tasmanian medical practice in 1969, continued to work as a locum and was criticised for frequent absences from Parliament. It was something of a surprise when in June 1969 Turnbull announced his intention to form a new political party, subsequently named the Australia Party. The new party was a version of the Liberal Reform Group, later known as the Liberal Reform Movement (LRM), which had been formed in 1966 by Sydney businessman Gordon Barton as a protest against Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. On that issue the membership of the Australia Party and Senator Turnbull were in furious agreement, but the union was to be brief and unhappy. A number of prominent LRM members resigned because they believed that the executive had behaved undemocratically in holding secret merger meetings with Turnbull. Also, Turnbull’s ‘Fortress Australia’ defence policy and his advocacy of developing nuclear weapons alarmed the more pacifistic members of the Australia Party. At a personal level, the demands of being a party leader with no staff restricted Turnbull’s ability to practise his primary profession of medicine. The party contested thirty-seven House of Representatives seats at the October 1969 federal election but polled less than 1 per cent of the vote and did only slightly better in the Senate. On 3 March 1970 Turnbull announced that he had resigned from the Australia Party and would revert to being an independent.[8]
Turnbull decided not to contest the 1974 election because he ‘just didn’t like the atmosphere’ in Parliament and the manner in which the Opposition in the Senate harassed the Whitlam Government, and Senator Lionel Murphy in particular. In 1973, discussing the pursuit of Murphy, he referred to ‘the smell of death in this chamber, of people waiting to kill … They are waiting and thinking: “We have got him, we have got the numbers” ’.
Turnbull continued to practise medicine and was to be involved in one final public controversy when in 1975 a seventeen-year-old girl claimed that he ‘had interfered with her at his rooms’. Turnbull vigorously denied the allegations and no charges were laid, but the Tasmanian Medical Council deregistered him for ‘infamous conduct’ in September 1975. He remained bitter about the incident and believed it was ‘a set-up job’. Reinstated in December 1976, he practised at George Town, and chose not to renew his registration on 1 January 1986. He retired to Melbourne where he died on 17 July 2006, aged ninety-eight. Predeceased by his first wife, he was survived by his second wife, Ellen Grace (Nell) Fullerton, née Ramsay, whom he had married on 21 July 1987 at Wesley College Chapel, Prahran, and by his three children. His funeral service was held at Wesley College Chapel, Melbourne, followed by a memorial service at St John’s Church, Launceston. For someone who ‘never wanted to go into politics’ he had a remarkable career in two parliaments for nearly three decades. Proud of his record and not burdened by modesty, he declared: ‘I was always ahead of my time, both in medicine and politics’. He was ‘the stormy petrel’ of Tasmanian politics, but his achievements as Minister for Health were ground-breaking.[9]8



 

Citations

  1. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 25 Jul 2006, p10.
  2. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, This biography was first published in The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, vol. 3, 1962-1983, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney, 2010, pp. 155-159.
  3. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 1 Jan 1931, p2.
  4. [S26] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Births) (online) "#D5877 birthplace Bendigo."
  5. [S61] Upper Beaconsfield History Archive ,"by Charles Wilson."
  6. [S15] Newspaper - Village Bell 090-1993, p18 by Charles Wilson.
  7. [S13] Newspaper - The Herald-Sun (Melbourne, Vic.), 18 Jul 2006 - viewed online 5 Nov 2014.
  8. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, This biography was first published in The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, vol. 3, 1962-1983, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney, 2010, pp. 155-159.
    Brian Costar
    [1] Reginald John David Turnbull, Transcript of oral history interview with Tony Hannan, 1983, POHP, TRC 4900/4, NLA, p. 3:20; Examiner (Launc.), 24 May 2006, p. 35.
    [2] Lion, Wesley College, no. 96, Nov. 2005, pp. 10–11; Reginald John David Turnbull, Transcript of oral history interview with Suzanne Walker, 1974, TRC 313, NLA, p. 1:1/3; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, pp. 1:1–2, 1:4; The editor is indebted to Margot Vaughan, Wesley College Archives, Melbourne.
    [3] Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, pp. 1:6, 1:10, 1:12, 1:14–15, 1:22, 2:4–7; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Suzanne Walker, p. 1:1/17; Age (Melb.), 25 July 2006, p. 10; Turnbull, Reginald John David—Defence Service Record, B883, TX6006, NAA; Mercury (Hob.), 24 Mar. 1949, p. 11, 14 Sept. 1950, p. 5, 9 May 1951, p. 10, 28 June 1952, p. 8; New Australasian Post (Melb.), 31 July 1952, p. 8; DT (Syd.), 4 July 1953, p. 15; Tasmania, Department of Public Health, Reports, 1953, p. 25, 1954, p. 10; Tasmania, Department of Health Services, Report, 1959, p. 6; W. A. Townsley, The Government of Tasmania, UQP, St Lucia, Qld, 1976, p. 104.
    [4] SMH, 24 May 1958, p. 2; Townsley, The Government of Tasmania, pp. 50, 102–3, 106, 111; Richard Davis, Eighty Years’ Labor: The ALP in Tasmania, 1903–1983, Sassafras Books and the History Department, UTAS, Hobart, 1983, pp. 45–6, 55, 58; Examiner (Launc.), 12 June 1958, p. 1, 29 Oct. 1958, p. 1; R. v. Turnbull [1958] Tas SR 80; Examiner (Launc.), 8 Apr. 1959, pp. 1, 5, 10 Apr. 1959, p. 1; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, pp. 3:5–6; The editor is indebted to Ross Smith, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston; Examiner (Launc.), 15 Mar. 1960, p. 1; L. L. Shea, ‘This is Your Life: Dr Reginald John David Turnbull, Eminent Tasmanian Politician, 1908–1998, 90 Years On’, Melbourne, 20 Feb. 1998, p. 3; Examiner (Launc.), 22 July 2006, pp. 35–6.
    [5] CPD, 13 Oct. 1966, pp. 1053–4, 26 Aug. 1969, pp. 353–4, 25 Aug. 1964, pp. 218–19; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, p. 4:1; CPD, 22 Sept. 1966, pp. 669–70, 28 Aug. 1969, p. 478, 27 Mar. 1973, pp. 585–8, 21 May 1970, p. 1732, 3 June 1970, pp. 1929, 1961, 1966, 5 Mar. 1964, pp. 230–1, 6 May 1965, pp. 626–32, 6 June 1968, pp. 1485–8, 2 Mar. 1967, pp. 265–6, 22 Feb. 1967, p. 37.
    [6] Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Suzanne Walker, pp. 1:1/43–4; CPD, 25 Aug. 1965, pp. 77–81, 93–5, 24 Aug. 1965, p. 26; AFR (Syd.), 25 Aug. 1965, p. 24, 26 Aug. 1965, p. 1; CPD, 19 May 1967, pp. 1820–3.
    [7] Ian Hancock, The V.I.P. Affair 1966–67: The Causes, Course and Consequences of a Ministerial and Public Service Cover-up, Australasian Study of Parliament Group, Canberra, 2004, pp. 4, 27–30, 36, 97–99; Ian Hancock, John Gorton: He Did It His Way, Hodder, Sydney, 2002, pp. 126, 133; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, p. 4:7; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Suzanne Walker, p. 1:1/45.
    [8] Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Suzanne Walker, p. 1:1/46; Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Tony Hannan, pp. 3:19–20, 5:9; Canberra News, 19 Nov. 1970, p. 6; Tony Blackshield, ‘The Australia Party’, Current Affairs Bulletin, 1 July 1972, pp. 35–49; Examiner (Launc.), 23 June 1969, pp. 1–2; Australian (Syd.), 21 July 1969, p. 3; SMH, 4 Mar. 1970, p. 1.
    [9] Turnbull, Transcript of interview with Suzanne Walker, pp. 1:1/7, 1:1/45–6; CPD, 5 Apr. 1973, pp. 915–18; Examiner (Launc.), 9 Sept. 2000, p. 21, 10 Sept. 1975, p. 1; The editor is indebted to Annette McLean-Aherne, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Medical Council of Tasmania; Age (Melb.), 19 July 2006, p. 12; Examiner (Launc.), 2 Aug. 2006, p. 13; Age (Melb.), 25 July 2006, p. 10; Sun-Herald (Syd.), 5 Nov. 1961, p. 35.
Last Edited21 Mar 2023

Myra Styles

F, #3682, b. 1897, d. Feb 1987
Birth*1897 Warrnambool, VIC, Australia, #B15314 [par William Henry STYLES & Georgina Reid TAIT].1 
(Migrant) Migration/Travel2 Jan 1936 Sailing with Violet Ada Baty to London, England. Ship Orion sailing from Melbourne
Age 38 - Teacher - intended address Central School, Cottesmore, Rutland.2 
(Transfer to) Land-UBeac6 Aug 1947 GEM-D-1 8.9.10.11.13.14.pt15/LP2461. Transfer from Thomas Wilkinson Anthony to Violet Ada Baty, Myra Styles, Marjory Kate 'Madge' McIntyre. Caveat lodged 27 Jun 1940.3 
Land-UBeac*20 May 1957 GEM-D-1 8.9.10.11.13.14.pt15/LP2461. Transfer from Marjory Kate 'Madge' McIntyre Violet Ada Baty to Myra Styles. Myra Styles is now sole proprietor.4 
Land-UBeac*13 Jan 1961 GEM-D-1 12.13.14.pt15/LP2461. Transfer from James Edwin Murray Colechin to Myra Styles.5 
RSL*bt 1967 - 1968Officebearer of the RSL RSL President.6 
RSLbt 1968 - 1970Officebearer of the RSL Secretary.6 
Land-UBeac4 Feb 1970 GEM-D-1 12.13.14.pt15/LP2461. Transfer from Myra Styles to Paul Herbert Easton Mary Margaret Easton.7 
Land-UBeac*4 Feb 1970 GEM-D-1 8.9.10.11.13.14.pt15/LP2461. Transfer from Myra Styles to Paul Herbert Easton Mary Margaret Easton.8 
Land-Note*4 Feb 1970 GEM-D-1 8.9.10.11.13.14.pt15/LP2461: Mortgagee: Myra Styles. Discharged 1 May 1973. Mortgagor was Paul Herbert Easton Mary Margaret Easton.9 
Death*Feb 1987 Chelsea, VIC, Australia, #D4108 (Age 89) [par William STYLES & Georgina Reid TAIT].10 

Electoral Rolls (Australia) and Census (UK/IRL)

DateAddressOccupation and other people at same address
1963Cottesmore, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: teacher. With Violet Ada Baty.11
1967Cottesmore, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: teacher.12
1968Cottesmore, Salisbury Road, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC, AustraliaOccupation: teacher.13

Grave

  • Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, VIC, Australia, WESTRINGIA, POSITION IN ROSE BED, GARDEN 2 BED 29 POSITION 1914

Newspaper-Articles

  • 28 Feb 1929: STYLES.- On the 27th February, at Huntly private hospital, Chelsea, Georgina Reid, widow of the late William Henry Styles, beloved and devoted mother of George (deceased), Bertha (Mrs. J. Tinning, Chelsea), Frank, Edith (Mrs. McLure, Perth), Jim, Amy (Mrs. A. Tinning, Tongala), and Myra, in her 77th year.
    STYLES - The Friends of the late Mrs GEORGINA REID STYLES, of Golden avenue, Chelsea, are respectfully invited to follow her remains to the place of interment, the Cheltenham Cemetery.15
  • 24 Mar 1932: STYLES-On the 2nd March at Caulfield Military Hospital, James, late 8th Battallion A.I.F.), beloved son of the late Wm H and G R Styles, dear brother of George (deceased) Bertha (Mrs Tinning Chelsea) Frank, Edith (Mrs J McClure Perth) Amy (Mrs Tinning, Tongala), and Myra.
    There is music in the midst of all our sorrow, and a glory that shines upon our tears.16
  • 17 Aug 1943: CRICHTON.-On August 16, Grace W. Crichton, dear friend of Myra Styles, Violet Baty, and Madge Mcintyre (late of Education Department).
    CRICHTON-MORTER. - A tribute to the memory of Grace, dear friend and cousin, passed on August 15; also our loved Aunt C. J. Morter, entered into rest on August 13. -They were our very good friends. (R. and J. Evans. Poowong; R. and H. Crichton, and F. and H. Crichton. Leongatha.)17
  • 23 Nov 1949: TAIT.-On November 20, at Burnley, Peter, loved uncle of Edith and James Mcclure (Perth), George and Nancy (Perth), brother of the late Mrs. G. R. Styles (late of Warrnambool), son of Amelia and David Brown Reid Tait (of Lerwick, Shetland), aged 94 -A Christian gentleman.18
  • 28 Nov 1949: TAIT.-On November 20, at Richmond, Victoria, Peter Tait, son of David Brown Tait (Lerwick) and Russell Tait (nee Poid, Edinburgh), brother of Laurence (deceased). Tamar (Mrs. Boswell, deceased). Georgina Reid (Mrs. Styles, deceased), Russell (Mrs. Long, deceased). Sarah (Mrs. Peters, deceased), Emily (Mrs. Fisher), and David, uncle of Seymour, Ethel, and Georgie Reid-Tait (Shetland), aged 94 years. (Shetland papers please copy.)
    TAIT.-A tribute to the treasured memory of my dear Uncle Peter, who died on November 20, in his 95th year. A long life well lived. (Myra Styles.)19

Citations

  1. [S2] Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Federation Index Victoria 1889-1901.
  2. [S65] Ancestry - various indices, UK incoming passenger lists.
  3. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 4914-684 - Violet Ada Baty Head Mistress and Marjory Kate McIntyre Law Clerk both of No. 3 Flat 26 Ellesmere road Windsor and Myra Styles of Warragul Teacher - proprietors as tenants in common - C/T 7024-712.
  4. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 7024-712 - Myra Styles of "Cottesmore" Upper Beaconsfield Teacher.
  5. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 6544-788 - C/T 8378-983 - Myra Styles of "Cottesmore" Salisbury Road Upper Beaconsfield School Teacher.
  6. [S69] Exhibit / Memorial Board, unknown date "unknown cd."
  7. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 8378-983 - Paul Herbert Easton Newspaper Editor and Mary Margaret Easton Married Woman both of 43 Fenaughty Street Kyabram - joint proprietors.
  8. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 7024-712 - Paul Herbert Easton Newspaper Editor and Mary Margaret Easton Married Woman both of 43 Fenaughty Street Kyabram - joint proprietors.
  9. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 7024-712 - Mortgage No D626884 to Myra Styles - discharged 1 May 1973
    some further mortgages listed.
  10. [S22] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (online) "#D4108 birthplace Warrnambool."
  11. [S163] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1963.
  12. [S167] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1967.
  13. [S168] Electoral Roll for Australia, 1968.
  14. [S47] Index of burials in the cemetery of Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
  15. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 28 Feb 1929, p1.
  16. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 24 Mar 1932, p1.
  17. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 17 Aug 1943, p2.
  18. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 23 Nov 1949, p13.
  19. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 28 Nov 1949, p13.
Last Edited27 Dec 2018
 

NOTE

Some family sections show only the children who were associated with Upper Beaconsfield.

Some individuals may be featured because members of their family were associated with the Upper Beaconsfield area, even though they themselves never lived here.