Historical information
Bert Masefield's parents came from Lancashire to Surrey Hills, his education ending because of the depression when he went to work at an orchard at Hastings. When his father list his job as a cabinet maker, he bought an orchard at Cottlesbridge and Bert joined them, ploughing with a horse. He met and married Ethel Smith who had grown u at Panton Hill; her great grandparents Sarah and Samuel Smith came from Lancashire where they had a cotton mill and iron foundry, settling at Smith Gully between Panton Hill and St Andrews. Their son Edwin married Louisa Purcell whose parents owned the Caledonie Hotel at Smiths Gully; they had 12 children and settled on a property in Cherrytree Road. Son Edwin left Panton Hill school aged 11 in 1885 and worked with his father and uncle fencing the family property. Edwin had nine children, Ethel being the seventh. Aged 14, she gained a scholarship to Stotts Business College. Berth and Ethel, when they married, bough a property in Cherrytree Road. In 1941 Bert, a ham radio enthusiast, joined the RAAF as a radio mechanic, serving in Townsville and New Guinea until 1945. Over time, they subdivided their property. Bert worked for ten years as property officer for Eltham Shire Council; his work included coverting Three Chain Road (or Gumtree Road) into a huge firebreak. Now retired, Bert spends time speaking with radio operators around the world and the couple are involved with sports including the Montmorency Bowling Club; they were foundation members of the Hurstbridge Bowling Club.
Marjorie North (nee Cooper) was 14 when her family moved from the city to Montmorency when the railway station was first built in 1923. Marjorie described her memories of Montmorency at that time. She and sister Connie were keen tennis players, playing at Greensborough. By 1927, they had arranged, though shire engineer Ben Johnson, to rent land from the Council for 10 pounds a year; Mr Paragreen levelled the land. The club held a dance every three weeks in a school room with piano for music. She won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships in 1929 at the first championship.
Contents
Newspaper article: "Round the world on radio waves," Diamond Valley News, 30 September 1986, outlines Bert and Ethel Masefield's lives.
Newspaper article: "Stalwart recalls the early days," Diamond Valley News, 30 September 1986, outlines Bert and Ethel Masefield's lives.
Physical description
Newspaper clippings, A4 photocopies, etc
Subjects
- bert masefield,
- elthel masefield,
- ethel smith,
- cherrytree road panton hill,
- samuel smith,
- sarah smith,
- smith gully victoria,
- caledonie hotel smiths gully,
- stotts business college,
- montmorency bowling club,
- hurstbridge bowling club,
- eltham shire council,
- edwin smith,
- louisa purcell,
- parragreen of para road,
- ben johnson,
- montmorency tennis club
