Homebush WW1 Honor Rolls

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Homebush, Victoria, Australia

Homebush World War 1 Honor Roll on plaque in the grounds of the former State School The names on the roll are the same as the Honor Roll unveiled at the State School 13 June 1918

Contents 1 Men from Homebush who served in the Australian Imperial Force 2 Honor Roll presented 26 September 1917 3 Unveiling of the Honor Roll at the Public Hall Homebush Lower 17 May 1918 3.1 names mentioned May 1918 3.2 A reply from Mrs A. Templeton 4 Memorial at Lower Homebush School unveiled 13 June 1918 5 Soldiers' Memorial for Homebush 6 Sources

Men from Homebush who served in the Australian Imperial Force

Name	Wikitree link	NAA Dossier	Notes
Henry H. Rowland +	Henry Herbert Rowland (1888-1915)	ROWLAND Henry Herbert : Service Number - 1181 : Place of Birth - Maryborough VIC : Place of Enlistment - Swan Hill VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) ROWLAND John [1]
John F. Daly	John Francis Daly (1872-1943)	Daly John Francis : SERN 358 : POB Homebush QLD : POE Avoca VIC : NOK Daly D J [2]
Frederick B. Cross	Frederick Beswick Cross (1893-1959)	Cross Frederick Beswick : SERN 1689/2021 : POB Talbot VIC : POE Maryborough VIC : NOK W Cross Ethel [3]
George Templeton +	George Hugh Templeton (1893-1917)	TEMPLETON George Hugh : Service Number - 4597 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) TEMPLETON George [4]	TEMPLETON George Hugh Birth mother Annie Christina MCDONALD father George (George Templeton (1873-1937)) birthplace HOME year 1893 23334/1893
Wesley Rowland +	Wesley Richard Rowland (1892-1916)	ROWLANDS Wesley Richard : Service Number - 1877 3941 : Place of Birth - Maryborough VIC : Place of Enlistment - Broadmeadows VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) ROWLANDS John [5]
Harold Greenwood	Harold James Greenwood (1893-1930)	GREENWOOD James Harold : Service Number - 1852 : Place of Birth - Maryborough VIC : Place of Enlistment - Broadmeadows VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) GREENWOOD Samuel James [6]	46th Bn; brother Walter; photo, connected on wikitree, need to update military details on wikitree and thereby categorise; VWMA but name not linked to Homebush roll as brother's name linked twice
William Burns +	William Burns (1891-1917)	Burns William : SERN 3039 : POB Carlton VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Burns William J [7]
Henry Williams	William Henry James Williams (1891-1966)	William Henry James Williams; Age: 25; Birth Year: abt 1889; Birth Place: Stratford, Victoria; Dossier Year Range: 1914-1920; Enlistment Place: Ascot Vale, Victoria; Service Number: 734; Father: William Henry James Williams; Next of Kin: William Henry James Williams.[8]	VWMA https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/218760 WILLIAMS, William Henry James Service Number: 734
George Cross	George Murray Cross (1890-1962)	Cross George Murray : SERN 4757 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Cross Frederick John [9]
William Wilson	William Allan Wilson (1899-1961)	Wilson William Allan : SERN 7584 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Maryborough VIC : NOK M Wilson Florence Jane [10]	WILSON Wm Allan Birth mother Flora Jane WAUGH father Wm birthplace HOMEBUSH birthyear 1899 3587/1899
Francis J. McEwan	Francis Jacob McEwan (1883-1966)	McEwan Francis Jacob : SERN LIEUT : POB Homebush VIC : POE Ararat VIC : NOK W McEwan Annita Lambrick [11]	MCEWAN Francis Jocob Birth mother Letitia WALDIE father James birthplace HOME birth year 1883 10011/1883
Herbert Bradley	Herbert James Bradley (1883-1940)	Bradley Herbert James : SERN 6477 : POB Percydale VIC : POE Ballarat VIC : NOK Bradley L E [12]	BRADLEY Herbert James Birth mother Annie HENDERSON father John birthplace PERC birth year 1883 11155/1883
James Douglass	James Oliver Douglas (1890-1962)	Douglas James Oliver : SERN 3217 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Ararat VIC : NOK F Douglas Thomas [13]	DOUGLAS Jas Oliver Birth mother Margt LEMINGTON father Thos birthplace HOMEBUSH birth year 1890 23980/1890
William Oppy +	William Edward Oppy (1898-1917)	OPPY William Edward : Service Number - 1964 : Place of Birth - Lower Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Mildura VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) OPPY R [14]	OPPY Wm Edwd Birth mother Mary Ellen ROSS father Robt birthplace HOMEBUSH birth year 1898 26847/1898
Cecil E. Young	Cecil Ernest Young (1898-1975)	Young Cecil Ernest : SERN 5115 : POB Rokewood VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Young John [15]
John P. Young +	John Percival Young (1896-1918)	Young John Percival : SERN 2763 : POB Timor VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Young John [16]
Walter Greenwood	Walter Greenwood	GREENWOOD Walter Herbert : Service Number - 886 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Bendigo VIC : Next of Kin - (Wife) GREENWOOD Adelaide [17]	38th Bn; brother of Harold, have photo, connected on Wikitree, military details recorded on Wikitree, VWMA
Joseph Garner	Joseph James Garner (1884-1963)	Garner Joseph James : SERN 2656 : POB Waterloo VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK W Garner Emily Frances Ettie [18]
Stanley Smith +	Stanley William Smith (1892-1918)	Smith Stanley William : SERN 3484 : POB Talbot VIC : POE Avoca VIC : NOK F Smith Thomas James [19]	SMITH, Stanley William Service Number: 3484 Died of wounds, France, 9 August 1918 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/288640
Roderick Barry	Roderick Ernest Barry (1897-1988)	Barry Roderick Ernest : SERN 61825 : POB Lower Homebush VIC : POE Wycheproof VIC : NOK M Barry M [20]

Others associated with Homebush and not included on that memorial:

Name	Wikitree link	NAA Dossier	Notes
George Burns	George Charles Burns (1889-)	Burns George Charles : SERN DEPOT 193 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Liverpool NSW : NOK B Burns J W [21]	Deserted and did not serve overseas
James Cracknell	James Edward Cracknell (1891-1945)	Cracknell James Edward : SERN 418A : POB Homebush VIC : POE Ararat VIC : NOK W Cracknell Amber S [22]	need to add war service to profile
Reginald Cummins	Reginald Walter Cummins (1880-)	Cummins Reginald Walter : SERN 24550 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK W Cummins Eliza Jane [23]
Harold Davies	Harold William (Davis) Davies (1893-1918)	Davies Harold William : SERN 3537 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Davies, Daniel B [24]
William Fricker	William John George Fricker (1883-1957)	Fricker William John George : SERN N/A : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Fricker William Charles [25]
Albert Graves		Graves Albert Edward : SERN 46946 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Ballarat VIC : NOK W Graves Elenor Mabel [26]
Victor Greenwood		GREENWOOD Victor Albert : Service Number - 2020 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) GREENWOOD Edward [27]
Clarence Hartigan		HARTIGAN Clarence Victor : Service Number - 1927 : Place of Birth - Homebush Vic : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne Vic : Next of Kin - (Father) HARTIGAN Michael [28]
James Hartley		HARTLEY James : Service Number - 4432 : Place of Birth - Homebush Vic : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne Vic : Next of Kin - (Brother) HARTLEY Henry [29]
James Smith		Smith James : SERN 7559 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Smith James [30]
Raymond Smith		Smith Raymond Arthur William : SERN 18731 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Brunswick VIC : NOK F Smith Richard [31]
Joseph McDonald		McDonald Joseph Henry : SERN 198 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK M McDonald Elizabeth [32]
Herbert Thomas		Thomas Herbert Richard : SERN 2/LIEUT : POB Homebush VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK F Thomas William H [33]
William Thomas		Thomas William Percival : SERN 4471 : POB Homebush VIC : POE Sydney NSW : NOK F Thomas William [34]
James Yates		Yates James Oscar : SERN 1858 : POB Homebush NSW (mistranscribed should be Vic) : POE Avoca VIC : NOK M Yates R [35]
Victor Hobba		HOBBA Victor Aldred : Service Number - 5644 : Place of Birth - Homebush N/A : Place of Enlistment - Ballarat Vic : Next of Kin - (Father) HOBBA James [36]	HOBBA Victor Aldred Birth mother Kate TANGEY father Jas birthplace HOMEBUSH year 1892 reg 33458/1892
Allan Hutchinson		HUTCHINSON Allan Smith : Service Number - 556 : Place of Birth - Homebush Vic : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne Vic : Next of Kin - (Father) HUTCHINSON R
William Mouser		MOUSER William Henry : Service Number - 7529 : Place of Birth - Lower Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Wife) MOUSER Catherine [37]
William Nichols		NICHOLS William John : Service Number - 1866 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Dunolly VIC : Next of Kin - (Mother) NICHOLS A E [38]
Martin Perry		PERRY Martin John : Service Number - 94407 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Sydney NSW : Next of Kin - (Wife) PERRY Ellen [39]
Lawrence Quinlan		QUINLAN Lawrence Charles : Service Number - 1376 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Mother) QUINLAN Johanna [40]
William Quinlan		QUINLAN William Kirby : Service Number - 3434 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Mother) QUINLAN J [41]
Harold Richardson		RICHARDSON Harold Richard : Service Number - Depot : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Wife) RICHARDSON R M V [42]
Alfred Leitch		LEITCH Alfred Percy : Service Number - 3431 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Sister) FITZPATRICK Elizabeth [43]
Charles Little		LITTLE Charles Edward : Service Number - 4233 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Blackboy Hill WA : Next of Kin - (Mother) LITTLE Cath [44]
Herbert Whiteley		WHITELEY Herbert Jabez : Service Number - 734 : Place of Birth - Homebush VIC : Place of Enlistment - Blackboy Hill WA : Next of Kin - (Mother) WHITELEY Eliza [45]

Honor Roll presented 26 September 1917

Mrs G E Wilkins and Miss L E Squires have presented the Public Hall committee at Lower Homebush with a very handsome honor roll. The named of the local heroes have been artistically painted on the board by Miss L E Squires, and a nice frame puts a capital finish to the picture. The names of the following heroes appear on the honor list : — Henry H Rowland, Jno F Daly, Frederick M Cross, George Templeton, Wesley Rowland, Will Burns, Harold Greenwood, Henry Williams, George Cross, Francis F McEwan Herbert Bradley, James Douglas, Will Oppy, Cecil E Young, John P Young, Walter Greenwood, Joseph Garner, Stanley Smith, privates Henry H Rowland and Wesley Rowland have made the supreme sacrifice. Another of the above-named soldiers (Corporal F McEwan) was recently awarded the Military Medal.^[1]

Unveiling of the Honor Roll at the Public Hall Homebush Lower 17 May 1918

Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal, Wednesday 29 May 1918, page 2

HOMEBUSH LOWER.

On Friday night, May 17th, the unveiling of a honor roll took place in the Public Hall, Homebush Lower. There was a good attendance, including several visitors from Avoca, Rathscar, Bung Bong, and Upper Homebush. The honor roll was a gift presented by Mr Wm Miller, on behalf of the Public Hall Committee (of which he is president), and is a very handsome piece of work. Cr W R Samers, J.P., president of the shire, occupied the chair, and performed the unveiling ceremony, whilst Cr O F Thomas, J.P. and Mr J H Deeble, J.P., were also on the platform. The meeting opened with the National Anthem, and "God bless our Splendid Men," then followed a hymn, after which Cr Thomas offered a prayer suitable to the occasion. As the chairman rose to commence his address, several papers were handed to him by a person present, which turned out to be letters from seven of the residents and others, viz., - Mesdames J Greenwood, W Burns, R Oppy, Cross, J Young, J Rowlands, and Templeton, stating that if their sons' names appeared on the honor roll they demanded that it should not be unveiled. This was done to try to upset the proceedings, due to undeserved spite, against Mr Miller, these women being unduly influenced by another person whose policy is to keep in the back ground and get others to work harm, and it is not a very hard matter to know from what source this influence springs. However, their efforts failed on this occasion (as they have on previous occasions), as Mr Miller, having previously received letters to the same effect a few months ago from the first five of the above-mentioned ladies, had left their sons' names off the roll, though very much against the will of himself and other members of the hall committee, who were sorry to see un-honored these lads who had gone to fight for them and whom the same committee had taken great interest in, and given each boy a farewell social and raised money (much of which would have otherwise gone towards the payment of the debt on the hall) to give each soldier a presentation of a wristlet watch or other gift before they sailed. No letters of objection had been received by Mr Miller from Mesdames Cross and Templeton, so the Secretary of the Public Hall (Miss Eva Squires) wrote to these ladies, asking if they had any objections to their sons' names on the roll, and requesting a reply by a certain date, but as her letter was altogether ignored, and no objections received, their sons' names were placed on the roll, and their objections did not come to hand until the night of unveiling. These two ladies publicly refused to allow their sons' names on the roll, and made several erroneous and altogether incorrect statements aloud at the meeting against Mr Miller, who took no heed of the remarks, his fine, manly spirit being admired by the visitors and others present. They at last consented that the unveiling could take place on condition that their sons' names be afterwards removed. Mr Miller was called on to the platform and asked to paste a piece of paper for the time, being over the names objected to, but he openly refused to dishonor, any soldier who had gone to fight for him by covering their names. The chairman and other gentlemen on the platform tried to reason with all these lady objectors, and to persuade them all to have their boys' names on the roll for the sake of the boys themselves, but to no avail, so the honor roll was unveiled, and contained the following names, viz., J F Daly, F J McEwan, H J Bradley, J Douglas, H Williams, A Wilson, J Garner, S W Smith, G Templeton, G Cross, F Cross, and L A Squires. The last-named lad did not sail for the front, so he received an honourable discharge through being medically unfit for active service after some months' home service. There were eight names missing from the roll. The chairman and other speakers spoke highly of the Homebush boys who had gone to fight for King and country. Cr Samers said that some had sacrificed their lives, and he considered it was a good record for Homebush to have sent so many boys. Cr Thomas mentioned that Sergeant F J McEwan had gained the Military Medal and other honors for bravery on the battlefield. Sergeant McEwan is a member of the Public Hall committee. During the evening the following items were rendered :— Song, 'Little Grey home in the West,' Miss Eva Squires ; song, 'True till Death,' Mr Deeble ; song, 'Why must we say Goodbye,' Mrs Pyman. The accompaniments for the' various songs, etc., were played by Miss P Samers and Miss E McEwan. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, speakers, and performers by Mr W B Helliar, and carried by acclamation. A Red Cross box bad been placed at the door for voluntary contributions, and the sum of £1 11s 1d was raised, and this will be handed to the Avoca Red Cross for the benefit of soldiers. The function closed with the singing of the National Anthem, after which refreshments were provided for the performers and visitors by the members; and friends of the Public Hall Committee.^[2]

names mentioned May 1918

Mentioned	role	Wikitree
William Miller	President Public Hall Committee	William Miller (abt.1871-1947)
Cr W R Samers, J.P.	president of the shire, occupied the chair, performed the unveiling	William Robert Samers (abt.1855-1929)
Cr O F Thomas, J.P.	councillor of shire, on the platform
Mr J H Deeble, J.P.	on the platform; sang
Mrs J Greenwood	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll	Rose Elizabeth (Burkinshaw) Greenwood (1869-1950)
Mrs W Burns	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll	Alice Ann (Sims) Burns (abt.1854-1942)
Mrs R Oppy	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll	Mary Ellen (Ross) Oppy (1874-1964)
Mrs Cross	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll	Ann Jane (Plowright) Cross (1862-1930)
Mrs J Young	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll; mother of Francis Young (1888-1980): his name was not listed on the Homebush School Honor Roll but was listed on the Avoca Circuit Honor Roll hanging Oct 99 in Avoca Uniting Church (formerly Methodist), the Avoca Soldiers' Memorial, and the Natte Yallock Memorial unveiled in 1998	Harriet Louisa (Willet) Young (1859-1953)
Mrs J Rowlands	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll
Mrs Templeton	objecting to sons' names appearing on the honor roll
Eva Squires	Secretary of the Public Hall; sang	Eva Louisa (Squires) Taylor (1880-1961)
J F Daly	listed on the Honor Roll	John Francis Daly (1872-1943)
F J McEwan	listed on the Honor Roll. Sergeant F J McEwan had gained the Military Medal and other honors for bravery on the battlefield. Sergeant McEwan is a member of the Public Hall committee.	Francis Jacob McEwan (1883-1966)
H J Bradley	listed on the Honor Roll	Herbert James Bradley (1883-1940)
J Douglas	listed on the Honor Roll	James Oliver Douglas (1890-1962)
H Williams	listed on the Honor Roll	William Henry James Williams (1891-1966)
A Wilson	listed on the Honor Roll	William Allan Wilson (1898-1961)
J Garner	listed on the Honor Roll	Joseph James Garner (1884-1963)
S W Smith	listed on the Honor Roll	Stanley William Smith (1892-1918)
G Templeton	listed on the Honor Roll	George Hugh Templeton (1893-1917)
G Cross	listed on the Honor Roll	George Murray Cross (1890-1962)
F Cross	listed on the Honor Roll	Frederick Beswick Cross (1893-1959)
L A Squires	listed on the Honor Roll; did not sail for the front, so he received an honourable discharge through being medically unfit for active service after some months' home service	Leopold Alfred Squires (1874-1954)
Mrs Pyman	sang
Miss P Samers	accompaniment for various songs
Miss E McEwan	accompaniment for various songs
Mr W B Helliar	vote of thanks	William Bond Helliar (1860-1927)

A reply from Mrs A. Templeton

Avoca Mail, Friday 21 June 1918, page 2 To the Editor of the "Avoca Mail" Although the Editor of the "Avoca Free Press" prints reports sent in by his Homebush correspondents, he will not grant me the same privilege to contradict the same. I trust that you will do me the favor of publishing this letter, so as the public can see "both sides of the question." In her report, the "F.P." correspondent accuses Mrs Cross and I, of making "erroneous and incorrect statements," at the unveiling of Mr Miller's Honor Board, which took place at the Lower Homebush Hall on the night of the 17th May last. I wish to give her statement an emphatic denial, as the only statements made by me in the Hall were to the effect that Mr Miller had received an objection from me, and that he had obtained my son's name for one of his Honor Boards by false pretences. I can prove that Mr Miller received my objection with the others, and he certainly used very under-hand means to obtain the boys' names for his so called Honor Roll at the Sun-day school. He never received permission from me to put my son's name, on any Honor Roll. I take it as a direct insult to my son to see his name on a Board presented by Mr Miller. He has acted and spoken about the soldiers from here as no patriotic man would have done. As to the correctness of Mrs Cross's statements, Mr Miller cannot deny that he drove past her son, the day he was returning from the front ; neither can he deny, that in the letters we received asking permission for the names to go on his board, that the fathers of the boys were totally ignored. The Hall secretary is quite old enough to know that the father of a family is usually recognised as "Head of the House." Mr Miller must not think, that because he sways his committee whichever way be wishes, that we have to depend on a "person in the background" to influence us in everything. It was very kind, and generous of the Hall Committee to give the boys a send-off and presentation before they left for the Front, but it might be interesting to know what became of the money that was collected from the public for the purpose of giving the boys a presentation, etc. If the secretary will inform me how much the Hall commitee were out of pocket over my son's presentation I will willingly refund it. At present their only source of revenue for the Hall debt is what they receive from the Comforts' Fund Committee for the hire of the Hall. They never try to reduce the Hall debt. Mr Miller must not forget that, last year, at a meeting held in the Hall, he stood up and deliberately insulted the mother of every boy who has left here ; even going as far as to tell us, "we had just woke up to the fact that a war was on," although the mother of two boys who had "paid the price" was' sitting there. Since then he and his Committee (with the exception of one man) have tried every means in their power, to make a failure of the Soldiers Comforts' Fund, and then he thinks to buy us over with an Honor Board. He never made a greater mistake ; it will not blow over as soon as he thinks. Although the correspondent made so much of "his fine manly spirit," he was never man enough to offer an apology for his misplaced statements. Why was he not man enough to stand up and contradict the "incorrect statements" alleged to have been made by Mrs Cross and I '? Was it his "fine manly spirit," or his courage, that oozed out. If he has enough "manly spirit'" left to apologise through the Press, or from the platform, I am quite willing to allow my son's name to remain on his Honor Board ; if not I will give him till the 15th July to remove it, or I will take steps to compel him to do so. Yours gratefully, A. TEMPLETON.^[3]

Memorial at Lower Homebush School unveiled 13 June 1918

A memorial to men from Homebush who served in World War 1 stands in the school grounds. The original Honor Roll is in the Avoca RSL Hall. https://www.monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/102324

The memorial was unveiled 13 June 1918.^[4]

Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/9529

Soldiers' Memorial for Homebush

A meeting was convened to consider a soldiers' memorial for Homebush in July 1918.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Australia's Heroes. (1917, September 26). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1900; 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151683710
2. ↑ HOMEBUSH LOWER. (1918, May 29). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1900; 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151683244
3. ↑ To the Editor of the "Avoca Mail!" (1918, June 21). Avoca Mail (Vic. : 1863 - 1900; 1915 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152146538
4. ↑ STATE SCHOOL HONOR ROLL. (1918, June 18). The Avoca Mail (Vic. : 1863 - 1900; 1915 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152146902
5. ↑ Honor to Whom Honor Is Due. (1918, July 10). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1900; 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151683168