Physical description

Ethelbert Cyril Kirkland was born in inner Melbourne on 1st November 1900, to Ethelbert George and Mary Ann (nee Cooke). His father died in 1912.
On 4th June 1917, while living with his mother in South Yarra and working as a factory hand, Cyril enlisted in the Army. His height was 5' 8" and he gave his age as 18. He was officially enrolled on the 18th June and by October he was in England, specifically in hospital with mumps. After coming clean about his actual age in March 1918, he was discharged on 13th June 1918 and shipped back to Australia, having forfeited all his pay from March onward.
On 9th December 1919 he enlisted again, stating he was a single man. He was by then working as a carpenter and had grown 3 inches. He was discharged on 2nd June the following year.
He married Mary Ann Reynolds (b. 4th February 1906) on 7th March 1929. For a few years Mary and Cyril moved around, from Moonee Ponds to Iona and then Kelletts Road, Lysterfield. Cyril worked as a farmer and labourer.
By 1941 they were running a dairy farm on Engelke Rd. Then they purchased the triangular block of land on (now) Belgrave-Hallam Rd from Mr & Mrs Clarke, where they built a dairy and ran that and a milk delivery service until selling it to Mr Dave Pollock in the 1950s. In 1952 they built the Belgrave South Garage on part of their land at the corner of Belgrave-Hallam Rd and Deviation Rd. Their son Robert (Bobby) ran the garage . Their daughter Mary married Jack Rae from Narre Warren North. Jack played football for Sth Belgrave.
Mary died on 27th May 1957 and Cyril died on 6th April 1980.
Our society has a long oral history which was recorded with Bobby Kirkland several years ago.