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.

  • 2393 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.

Probably Harry Lorraine Cathie standing. AWM has only L Cathie
  • 3322 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.

  • 2748 reads

CATTANACH, Harry

Date of birth: 
1875
Biographical notes: 

Harry Cattanach was the son of Henry James Goodricke Cattanach (1833-1911) and his wife, Sarah, nee Smith.

  • 2804 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).

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
  • 4587 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
  • 2691 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.

  • 2666 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.

  • 2376 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.

  • 1763 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.

  • 2363 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
  • 3919 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 Bu

  • 2969 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:

  • 2136 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.

3rd Pioneer Battalion before departure
3rd Pioneer Battalion boarding the Wandilla
2nd Pioneer Battalion laying Duckboards 1917
  • 3482 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.

  • 3323 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.

  • 2787 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.

  • 2423 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).

  • 2516 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. 

  • 2756 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.

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
  • 3325 reads

COONEY, Francis Joseph

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

Francis Joseph Cooney was the son of James and Catherine Cooney and was born at the family home, Doontallie, 1121 Hoddle Street, East Melbourne 1886.  He was the youngest of nine children.

Francis Joseph Cooney
Cooney family. F J Cooney middle row, right
  • 3118 reads

COOPER, Charles

Date of birth: 
1878
Biographical notes: 

Charels Cooper was aged 37 when he enlisted on 7 July, 1915.

  • 2356 reads

COOPER, George Henry

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

George Henry Cooper was one of ten children of Jesse Cooper and his wife Kate, nee Haggarty. He was a carpenter by trade, living in Heidelberg when he enlisted on 31 August, 1916.

  • 2461 reads

COOPER, Leslie

Date of birth: 
1887
Biographical notes: 

Leslie Cooper was a hairdresser, possibly working at Thellier Hairdresser, Prahran, where he had done his apprenticeship.

  • 2236 reads

CORCORAN, George John

Date of birth: 
1886
Biographical notes: 

George John Corcoran was born in Port Melboune in 1886. His father George was a Civil Engineer.

  • 2218 reads

CORDNER, Joseph Alan

Date of birth: 
1890
Biographical notes: 

Joseph Alan Cordner was born at Bridgewater on the Loddon River in May 1890.

  • 3909 reads

CORRIGAN, Noel Aubrey

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Noel Aubrey Corrigan was one of five children of Joseph and Catherine or Kathleen Corrigan, nee Finlayson. He was probably the youngest brother, with Signa Daphne, b.1887,  Joseph, b.

  • 2214 reads

CORRIGAN, Thomas Norman

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

Although born in East Melbourne in 1892, Thomas Norman Corrigan had little contact with the suburb.

Tom Corrigan's medals
Tom Corrigan's medal detail
Tom Corrigan's medal detail
Tom Corrigan in uniform. Photo taken in England while recovering from wounds.
Tom Corrigan in the Gun Gallery of the Australian War Memorial 1944
Tom, front and centre marching at the AWM with the Gallipoli veterans on Anzac D
  • 3393 reads

COTTERILL, William

Date of birth: 
1873
Biographical notes: 

William Cotterill is a slippery character and his relationship to East Melbourne is tenuous. He first enlisted for the First World War at Liverpool NSW on 25 November, 1915.

  • 2444 reads

COUGHLAN, Talouchlan

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Talouchlan [ Thomas] was born in Sydney in1894

  • 2424 reads

COURTNEY, Henry William

Biographical notes: 

Private Courtney put his age as 21 years and 1 month when he enlisted at South Melbourne on 6 July 1917.

  • 2206 reads

COWPER, Gerald Audrey Cadogan

Date of birth: 
1882
Biographical notes: 

Gerald Audrey Cadogan Cowper was born in England, probably Hertfordshire, in 1882, to Frank Cadogan Cowper and his wife Edith.

  • 2567 reads

COXON, Jack Garnet

Date of birth: 
1893
Biographical notes: 

Son of Thomas William Coxon and Alice Taylor Garnett, born 1893 in East Melbourne.

  • 2667 reads

COY, John William

Date of birth: 
1898
Biographical notes: 

John William Coy was the son of John William Coy and his wife, Agnes Veronica, nee Hannan.

Attestation paper
Parents' letter of consent to Coy's enlistment
  • 2840 reads

COZENS, Lewis William

Date of birth: 
1885
Biographical notes: 

Lewis William Cozens was born in Newcastle NSW  on 24 September, 1885, the eldest son of Evan William Richard Cozens and his wife, Mary, nee Jeffrey.

  • 2701 reads

CRANSTON, Albert Victor Herbert

Biographical notes: 
Albert's Attestation Papers indicate he was living in East Melbourne upon enlistment on 19th August 1914, whilst his next of kin lived in East Brunswick.
  • 2113 reads

CRAWLEY, Richard Henry

Date of birth: 
1888
Biographical notes: 

Like his father, Richard Henry Crawley was a baker. He had undertaken a four year apprenticeship with Mr. A.C.

  • 2232 reads

CRICHTON, Robert Anderson

Biographical notes: 

Robert Anderson Crichton was one of seven children of Andrew Brown Crichton and his wife, Sarah, nee Dobson. He was the fifth child with five sisters and one brother, Andrew.

  • 2326 reads

CROW, Francis Peter

Biographical notes: 

Born East Melbourne, enlisted 24 January 1916 at Melbourne, embarked 20 May 1916, disembarked at Plymouth 18 July 1916, died of disease (scarlet fever) at Isolation Hospital, Salisbu

  • 2830 reads

CULLIVER, Seth William

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Norman Seth Culliver was born in 1894 to Eli Culliver (1866-1903) and his wife Margaret Moore Culliver (1866-1943).

HMAT Shropshire A9
  • 2427 reads

CUREL, John

Date of birth: 
1892
Biographical notes: 

John CUREL was the second son of Emily Bragg and Henry Edward Curel,  and stepson of Arthur Bragg (see entry).

  • 2793 reads

CURRIE, Robert

Biographical notes: 

Photo below:  Studio portrait probably of 4159 Private (Pte) Robert Kingsley Currie, 5th Battalion, of East Melbourne, Vic, and another unidentified soldier.

Robert Kingsley Currie
  • 2326 reads

DALY, Patrick

Date of birth: 
1894
Biographical notes: 

Very little can be written about Patrick Daly.

  • 2265 reads

DARLING, Edward Ernest

Biographical notes: 

Edward Ernest Darling was born on 30 September, 1893, the son of Richard Stuart Darling and his wife Sophia, nee Cook.

Edward Ernest Darling grave St. Kilda Cemetery, Victoria
  • 2535 reads

DAVIES, Gilbert Heneage

Date of birth: 
1879
Biographical notes: 

Gilbert Heneage Davies was born in 1879 in Jolimont, to George Schoen Davies, a clerk, and his wife, Sarah Annie, nee Staples.

HMAT Clan Mccorquadale A6
  • 2468 reads

DAVIES, Percival Naunton

Date of birth: 
1883
Biographical notes: 

Percival Naunton Davies  was the son of John Davies and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Auguste Fischer.

2nd Pioneer Battalion in action
  • 2542 reads

DAVIS, John George Walker

Date of birth: 
1897
Biographical notes: 

John George Walker Davis was born in East Melbourne in 1897, but was orphaned at the age of three and raised in Western Australia as her adopted son by Mary Skene, of 157 Claisebrook St., East Pert

Private John George Walker Davis (Skene)
  • 2869 reads

DAVIS, Mark

Date of birth: 
1891
Biographical notes: 

Mark Davis was the son of David  and Florrie Davis. He was born in East Melbourne, and his address may have been at 36 Clarendon St., East Melbourne, where his mother was living in 1903.

  • 2340 reads

DAVIS, William Emille

Date of birth: 
1871
Biographical notes: 

William Davis was 45 years old when he enlisted. He was a single man, a dentist with a Doctor of Dentistry qualification from the University of California, USA.

  • 2269 reads

DAVISON, Frank Sinclair

Date of birth: 
1880
Biographical notes: 

Frank Davison was born in August 1880. His father John left his mother in 1890 and was never seen again.

  • 2783 reads