William Henry Rodier (1889 - 1966)

Born 1889 in Blakeville, Victoria, Australia

Died 1966 at about age 77 in Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Biography

William was born in 1889 at Blakeville, VIC, the son of Alf Rodier and his wife Carol Blanche, nee Scott. He apparently thought he'd been born in Yarragon, VIC (where his brother Victor Jubilee Rodier and several siblings were born).

With the advent of WW1, William joined the Australian Army as a Private on 08 Apr 1915 at Mildura, VIC. At the time he was single, a labourer and was living in Mildura. He was 5 ft 11 & 1/2 in tall, with dark complexion, grey eyes and dark wavy hair. He was missing part of 2 fingers on his left hand from childhood. He quickly drew attention from medical staff. He complained of pain from an appendix scar, but medical staff formed the view he was of too low an intelligence to be considered medically fit. He was discharged from the Training Depot as medically unfit on 20 Aug 1915 - the formal reason given was his appendix scar.

On 07 May 1917 he entered into an agreement to work as a navvy or labourer as a War Worker in the UK under a joint Australian government/ British government Scheme. He was issued with Australian War Worker Badge No. 720. He stated he was single but with dependants and was living in Yarragon, VIC.

He departed from Fremantle, Western Australia on the SS "MacGillivray" on 22 May 1917 and disembarked in Plymouth, England on 28 Jul 1917.

He commenced work on 02 Aug 1917 with Messrs. H. Boot & Sons of Ramsgate as a labourer. Within about 6 weeks he was sick from a sequence of illnesses (influenza, severe cold, headaches and neurasthenia). Doctors were of the opinion that the headaches were from a concussion suffered a year previously. By Nov 1917 his landlady was writing to the authorities saying he was without money and unable to pay for board. After examination by the AIF Medical Officer in Nov 1917 he was ruled not fit for work.

He was repatriated to Australia on the grounds of ill health, departing England on the SS "Boonah" from Plymouth on 29 Dec 1917, disembarking in Australia on 01 Mar 1918. He received some medical treatment in Australia and was finally discharged from his agreement on 14 Jan 1919.

On 03 Dec 1923 he married Dorothy McCormack at Coburg, Victoria. He was a grave digger at the time. Dorothy already had a baby by a prior relationship. William was extremely abusive and they separated after about 3 months. In Court documents Dorothy described his behaviour as strange.^[1] William did not comply with Court orders to pay maintenance. Dorothy was granted a divorce on the grounds of his desertion in 1938.^[2] There were no children from the marriage.

In 1937 he was living in Collingwood and was a labourer.^[3] By 1949 he was living in Collingwood^[4] and by 1954 in Fitzroy.^[5]

He died in Melbourne in 1966.

Research Note

A marriage for a William Henry Rodier in 1938 appears to be a different man who was a plumber and lived in Benalla, VIC.

Sources

1. ↑ William Henry Rodier in the Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records, 1860-1940 (1937) - Case Number: 677; Source Citation: Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV); North Melbourne, Victoria; Source Information: Ancestry.com. Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records, 1860-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2017.; Original data: Divorce Case Files, 1860-1940. VPRS 283 (Supreme Court of Victoria Divorce Files) and VPRS 552 (Ballarat Divorce Case Files). Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.
2. ↑ UNLIGHTED PLATFORM (1938, May 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11180955
3. ↑ William Henry Rodier in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1937) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].
4. ↑ William Henry Rodier in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1949) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].
5. ↑ William Henry Rodier in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1954) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].

• https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 18794 / 1889; Family name: RODIER; Given name(s): Wm Hy; Place of event: BLAKEVILLE, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Carol Blanche; Mother's family name at birth: SCOTT; Father's Name: Alf

• WW1 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - RODIER William Henry : Service Number - Depot : Place of Birth - Yarragon VIC : Place of Enlistment - Mildura VIC : Next of Kin - (Brother) RODIER Alfred George

• WW1 Australian War Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - RODIER William Henry - Munitions Worker Number 720 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=5916906

• Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 10725 / 1923; Family name: McCORMACK; Given name(s): Dorothy; Personal detail Spouse's family name: RODIER; Spouse's given name(s): Wm Hy

• Death - Victoria BDM Death index - Event: deaths; Registration number: 16653 / 1966; Family name: RODIER; Given name(s): William Henry; Place of event: Parkville, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Caroline; Mother's family name at birth: SCOTT; Father's Name: RODIER Frederick; Age: 77.

• Link - https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GL2K-HQ1