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Family Memories
Eileen's father William (Bill) Warburton McCONNELL was the third child of John McCONNELL and Sarah Ellen LEE. His six siblings were all born in Walhalla VIC, Bill was born in 1888 and his birth was registered at Ascot Vale VIC, (his Army Enlistment record states that he was born at Brinton Tanjil VIC and his death Certificate states that he was born at Walhalla).
His siblings are:-
Mary Ellen McCONNELL (May) born 1884, Margaret Ethel (Maggie) born 1886, Rosalie (Rose) born 1893, John Lawrie (Jack) born 1896, Edward Thomas (Ted) born 1898 and Ivy Florence born 1900.
In 1914 Bill was living with his mother Sarah Ellen McConnell (nurse) at 88 Lloyd Street Geelong West, his occupation was recorded as Boundary Rider. He enlisted in WW1 on 12th October 1914 at Geelong as Private Reg. No. 31 and embarked on 22nd December 1914 as part of the Army Veterinary Corps, 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section. On his enlistment papers he was described as aged 25 years and 11 months, 5 foot 7+ inches tall, weighed 10 stone, chest measurement 37 inches, dark complexion with brown eyes and hair. His Religious Denomination was Church of England. His distinctive mark was a scar across his right shin above his ankle. He served in Egypt and France (Aust Vet. Hosp at Calais). He was promoted to Corporal, then Temp Sargent, but upon embarking on sick leave reverted to rank of Corporal. Bill returned to Australia per 1914 special leave on 8th December 1918.
He was living with his mother in 1919 at 88 Clarence Street Geelong, his occupation listed as labourer. In 1919 Bill married Hilda Victoria Annie Batty at Geelong and the census in 1924 lists them both at Mickelham Victoria (Stockman and Household Duties).
On 1st March 1927 (after living at Allendale Mathoura NSW), he is successful in his application for land under the Return Soldiers Closer settlement scheme at Katandra VIC and was granted a conditional lease of allotment 45b. (In 2010 a book was published by the Katandra and District History Group Inc named HOPE AND HARDSHIP - AN ACCOUNT OF SOLDIER AND CLOSER SETTLEMENT IN THE KATANDRA DISTRICT 1919 TO 1933 and provides a comprehensive account of this scheme and the families involved). Bill and Hilda lived at Katandra (moving to allotment 6, section A) until his death on 25th July 1944. He was 55 years old and cause of death was toxaemia, Pulmonary Tuberculosis. He spent 52 years in Victoria and 3 in NSW. On 26th July 1944 he was buried in the Church of England Section in the Katandra Cemetery by the RSL.
Eileen's mother - Hilda Victoria Annie BATTY was the middle child of three to William Joseph BATTY born 1876 and Jeane CHRISTIE born in 1xxx at Melbourne (they were married at Geelong VIC in 1892). Their eldest son William Kingsley BATTY born 1892 in St Kilda VIC was killed in WW1 at Gallipoli in 1915. Hilda was born in Victoria 1894 and Melba May Christie (May) was born at Lennonville WA 1901.(Lennonville is now a derelict town after being a Gold Rush town). The 1903 and 1906 Census saw William, Jeane and family at Burra Lease Coolgardie Lennonville WA. Their occupations were listed as butcher and Home Duties. Hilda's mother Jeane BATTY died in Lennonville WA on 18th June 1907 - third daughter of the late George Christie of Gippsland. Jeane's sister Margaret (Maggie) O'CONNOR had passed away 28th May 1907, both were sisters of a Mrs J West from East Malvern. In 1910 Hilda's father was listed as a miner - Coolgardie, Boogardie, Mt Magnet WA. 1916 census shows a William Joseph Batty at Northhampton WA as an Engine Driver?
Hilda's sister Melba (May) married Alfred William (Alf) GREEN from "Myrtle Bank" Marungi and was also granted a block at Katandra in 1928 under the Soldier Closer Settlement Scheme. Alf and May had 9 children - Margaret, John, Joan, Gerald, Iris, Alan, Lawrence, Brian and Richard. Alf died in 1960 at Maru VIC, and May GREEN passed away at Numurkah VIC in 1975.
Hilda's father William Joseph BATTY is listed as living at Katandra with them in 1931, his occupation listed as farm labourer. In 1936 he appeared on the Census at Corio, Newtown & Chilweill - Romila High Street Belmont, no occupation was listed. By the 1937 census he was back at Katandra, he died aged 76 and was buried at Katandra Cemetery on 19th January 1938.
Hilda passed away aged 71 years on 14th February 1966 due to Myocardial infarction, Arteriosclerotic heart disease and hypertension. Her son Kingsley was present at her death at Katandra West. Hilda lived in Victoria for 62 years and she spent 9 years of her childhood in Western Australia. Hilda was buried on 17th February 1966 at the Katandra Cemetery.
Eileen married Lemuel Batey FORD in 1938 at age 18 and one month later gave birth to their first-born child. Unfortunately the baby boy (Lemuel Raymond FORD) only lived for 10 days. Lem and Eileen went on to have four more children. However Eileen left Katandra, her husband Lem and children when her youngest child was two. The children never saw her again.
In 1958 census Eileen is listed with the surname ALLAN, and appears to be married to Robert Arthur ALLAN (born 1907, son of George James MCSWEENEY (died 1936) and Louisa McSWEENEY nee YOUNG) and living at 66 Malcolm Street Erskineville, NSW. Robert Arthur ALLAN, it seems, was born George James MCSWEENEY Junior (born in Redfern, Sydney). He married in Sydney in 1926 to Hazel Thelma BAIRD, aged 17 (born 1909, child of Henry Alfred BAIRD (1867-1944) and Mary Jane KEEVES (1878-1960) and had a child named Thelma Lorraine (born in Sydney in 1929 and died in Canada in 1995, she married in 1949 at age 20 in Sydney to Living Campbell). The family lived at 67 Rothchild Avenue Rosebery, NSW in the 1930 and 1937 censuses.
George James McSweeney is last recorded at 66 Malcolm Street Erskineville in the 1943 census and is unable to be found after this date. Also living at 66 Malcolm Street Eskineville in 1943 is Robert Arthur ALLAN (dance teacher) and his wife Hazel Thelma ALLAN. By the 1949 census Hazel, his wife is not listed and Robert's occupation is now taxi driver. Hazel died in 1976 in Rosebery, NSW.
Eileen Margaret ALLAN is the informant of the death of her husband Robert Arthur ALLAN in Mar 1979. Robert's occupation is listed as storeman, age 72, died from lung cancer and address was listed as 4/26 Northcoff Place, Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, NSW. The details of his first marriage is listed as unknown, and his child is listed as Thelma aged 51.
Eileen married for a third time (husband still living) and remained in Sydney until her death in 2006.
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