Arthur Wellesley Wellington (1897 - 1943)

Born 22 Aug 1897 in Oxley, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Jeannette (Connell) Wellington — married 14 Apr 1925 in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Died 30 Dec 1943 at age 46 in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

• 1943:- Tenth Bush Fire Victim Dies; 5 Others still seriously ill: WANGARATTA:- Thursday. Another of the bushfire victims, Mr. Arthur Wellington , died in the community hospital this afternoon, making the tenth fatality. Mr. Wellington, who was 46, leaves a wife and one daughter. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wellington, of Milawa, he was a farmer and tobacco grower, and a leading member of Milawa-Everton branch of the Victorian Tobacco Grower's Association. Of the other patients, L. O'Keefe, V. Edgar, G. McLaughlin, A. Outhred, and W. Smith are still seriously ill. J. Allen and W. Richardson are progressing favourably, and A. Simmonds and S. Fleming are well. Mr. Alex McPherson, Chief Officer of the Country Fire Brigades Board, Deputy Chief Officer Dawes, and other CFB officers visited Wangaratta yesterday. A tour was made of the fire area, after which the party visited victims of the outbreak still in hospital, and expressed sympathy with the sufferers and relatives of the deceased victims. Chief Officer McPherson called on Cr. John Ryan, Mayor, and consulted with various representatives of the Borough of Wangaratta and the shires of Oxley and Wangaratta on matters relating to modern fire-fighting practices.
• Death:- WELLINGTON.- On December 30, at community hospital, Wangaratta, (bush fire casualty), Arthur Wellesley, beloved husband of Jeanette, loving father of Rhona, aged 45 years.
• NOTE:- In the following article I have given the names and ages in bold to show the various ages of those brave men and boys who answered the alarm and died as a result. They do not appear this way in the newspaper.
• 1944:- Inquiry into Deaths at Wangaratta: WANGARATTA, Monday; Inquiry into the bushfire in the Bowser-Tarrawingee district on December 22, when 10 persons lost their lives, was opened before Mr. J. C. Bell, PM, district coroner, at Wangaratta Courthouse today. Those who lost their lives were Kevin Dunkley, 14,Londrigan: Henry Claude Hill, 14, East Wangaratta: Andrew Joseph Guthrie, 45,Tarrawingee, Farmer: John Wolstenholme Marks, 29,Markwood, Farmer: Norman John Robinson, 49,Wangaratta, Postal Linesman: Joseph Louis Ryan, 38,Postal Linesman: Godfrey Spencer, 53,Wangaratta, School Teacher: Theodore Luke Lea, 43,South Wangaratta, Postal Employee: Arthur Wellesley Wellington, 46,Markwood, Farmer: and Edward Laurence Seymour, 33,Wangaratta, Telephone Linesman.// John Joseph Benney, Farmer, Boorhaman, said he was working at the goods shed at Bowser railway station on December 22, when he saw a fire burning in Grossman's paddock, just past the railway station. He sent a boy on a bicycle to give the alarm. When he first saw the fire it appeared to be two or three chains from the fence. He remembered a train being on the loop line, but it had gone about 10 minutes before he saw the fire. Before the fire started he noticed two or three military trucks going to Wodonga, but he did not connect them to the fire.// George William O'Loughlin, tailor and mercer, Wangaratta, said he was assistant driver to the Wangaratta Bush Fire Brigade. About 5 p.m. on December 22 he was told there was a fire a Bowser. He went for the fire-fighting unit, but on arrival there Mr. W. W. Richardson was getting the unit out. They followed and fought the fire until the water tank was empty, and he then drove the unit to Wangaratta to refuel. They went to North Wangaratta, and then approached the head of the fire. Along the road, Theodore Lea jumped on the running board of the unit, and three or four others got on the back.// HEAT BECOMES TERRIFIC.// When about 100 yards farther along the road the heat was becoming terrific, and he drove along the side to get as far away from the heat as possible. There then appeared to be a whirl of fire all round them. It was his impression that the whirlwind drove the fire into them at right angles. He could not proceed any farther, and turned the unit to run it off the road. By that time the others had left the unit. He got out the driving side door. Later he was taken to Wangaratta Hospital because of severe burns suffered in the fire.// Kenneth George Murray, brick-worker, Wangaratta, said he was assisting in burning breaks, Joseph Louis Ryan was with him. The main fire swept on them, and he ran off along the road toward Wangaratta, calling to Ryan, "Come on". Ryan said, "Ï'm done". Witness threw Ryan a bag, and the last he saw of Ryan, he was standing against a tree with the bag to his face.// Henry Stanley Johnson, farmer, Markwood, said he saw John Marks and Arthur Wellington assisting at one stage, but did not notice Wellington some time after that. Marks went into burnt ground on the north side, and played water on a burning tree. He saw Marks leave the tree and go towards Tarrawingee. He did not see him again. Later he found Wellington, who appeared to be blind, and was wandering with his hands above his head. Wellington said, "I tried to the car out. There are three others in there than I am". He carried Wellington toward the fence, and he then went into the burnt area in search of the others.// Harold Kenneth Lechmere, porter, and Charles Joseph Jordan, line repairer, said that all trains had left the station some time before the fire occurred, and that the engines were not in a position so that sparks could have caused the fire.// The inquiry is not finished.// Mr. M. A. McSwiney appeared to watched proceedings on behalf of the Bush Fire Brigades Association: Mr. Norval H. Dugley, of Melbourne, appeared on behalf of the State Electricity Commission: and Mr. J. Mulvaney for the Railways Commissioners. Mr. McSwiney also appeared on behalf of the relatives of Robinson, Lea, Dunkley, Seymour and Guthrie.
• 1945:- Memorial; On the spot where the Wangaratta Bush Fire Unit was destroyed and at or near where ten persons lost their lives or later died from injuries in the bush fire on December 22, 1943, on the Tarrawingee road, a memorial to the victims was unveiled by Mr. P. P. Omchbold, M.L.C.// The monument is of granite and has the following inscription:- "A tribute to the memory of Kevin Dunkley, Andrew Guthrie, Claude Hill, John Marks, Theodore Lea, Joseph (Louis) Ryan, Norman Robinson, Edward Seymour, Godfrey Spencer,A. W. Wellingtion, who lost their lives near this spot while fighting the disastrous bush fire on 22nd December, 1943. Duty nobly done. Erected by the residents of this district in grateful rememberances."

Sources

• Victoria Birth Index:- 21770/1897.
• Victoria Marriage Index:- 3417/1925.
• "The Argus" ... Melbourne, Vic ... Griday, 31 December 1943. (p3); TENTH BUSH FIRE VICTIM DIES.
• "The Argus" ... Melbourne, Vic ... Saturday, 1 January 1944. (p10): DEATHS.
• "The Argus" ... Melbourne, Vic ... Tuesday, 4 April 1944. (p5): HOW LIVES WERE LOST IN BUSH FIRE.
• Victoria Death Index:- 19325/1944. (48 years)
• "Wodonga and Towong Sentinel" ... Friday, 5 January 1945. (p5): MEMORIAL TO BUSH FIRE VICTIMS.
• Ryerson Index:- WELLINGTON.- Arthur Wellesley; Death - 30 December 1943; 46 years; at Community Hospital, Wangaratta; The Age - Melbourne - 1 January 1944.