The Britnell family
The story of the Britnell family and their home Mount View at what is now 220 Middleborough Rd, Blackburn South is part of the early development of Box Hill and Blackburn South.
Jonah Britnell was born in Bledlow, England in 1806, he was the son of John and Charlotte Britnell (nee Rush).
In 1826 Jonah Britnell and Mary Ann Green were married in Buckinghamshire, England. Jonah and Mary had six children – James, Caroline, Jonah jnr, Sophia, Emma and John who died in infancy.
In the 1841 England Census Jonah’s occupation is listed as ‘publican’.
In November 1849 Jonah, Mary and their five children travelled from Plymouth to Melbourne onboard the sailing ship Statesman which arrived in Melbourne in March 1850. A year after arriving in Melbourne they moved to Darebin Creek Village (now known as Epping) where Mary gave birth to their sixth child Mary Ann jnr. At this time Jonah’s occupation is listed as ‘cooper’.
By c1855 the family had moved to Greensborough where Jonah snr had bought approximately 160 acres of land on which he developed as an orchard. On his land he built the family home which is still there at 38 Hailes St, Greensborough. The Banyule Heritage Review, 2012 mentions:
‘38 Hailes Street is an early Greensborough residence, constructed from hand-made local bricks. The sandstone foundations were dug from a small quarry on the west side of Diamond Creek Road, opposite St Helena Road. Its original owner is believed to be Jonah Britnell’.
By c1858 Jonah snr and his family were living on a 200-acre farm in Box Hill but his eldest son Jonah jnr continued to live and run the family’s farm in Greensborough. At this time Middleborough Rd was known as Britnell’s Rd. In the book titled Suburban Heartland – A History of the City of Whitehorse, 2010 by Lesley Alves, she mentions:
‘Patrick Riley sold one of his allotments - 200 acres on the south east corner of Middleborough and Delaney’s (Canterbury) roads – to Jonah Britnell for £400’.
At this time Patrick Riley was a large land owner in the Nunawading District.
Jonah snr’s son, James A Britnell was born in Winnall, England in 1848 and as a 2-year-old child had travelled with his family from Plymouth to Melbourne onboard the sailing ship Statesman. In the early 1850’s he lived at Darebin Creek Village, later on the family farm in Greensborough and then in c1858 was living on their new farm in Box Hill (now Blackburn South).
In 1867 James A Britnell and Catherine Wright were married at St John’s in Camberwell. James and Catherine had twelve children – Mary, Emma, Mary, Florence, Minnie, George, James, Cecil, Percy, Edgar, James jnr and Annie who died in infancy.
In 1872 Jonah Britnell died leaving his son James A Britnell ‘one hundred and seventy acres and half and on which is erected a four room Brick Cottage’. In Jonah’s Will, his occupation is listed as ‘farmer’. The Probate on the Jonah’s Will was not granted until 1879.
In 1887 James Britnell sold 150 acres of the original property whilst retaining 28 acres.
James later sold a further 10 acres and retained the last 18 acres south of the ‘brick cottage’ – here he built a large house in the ‘Italianate’ style between 1880 and 1890 which he named Mount View.
James Britnell died in 1908 at their new family home in Nelson Rd, Box Hill and he is buried in the Box Hill Cemetery. After her husband’s death, Catherine continued to live at the Nelson Rd home with some of her children. In James’s 1908 Will states that he owned a number of properties around Box Hill - 3 double storey shops and house in Rutland Rd, a weatherboard house in Nelson Rd and a weatherboard house in Station St. There is no mention of the Mount View/ Middleborough Rd property in his Will. In James’ Will, his occupation is listed as ‘farmer’.
The Stewart family
About 1910 George Stewart jnr bought Mount View and renamed it Lumeah after their former family home in Parkside St, Malvern. George jnr and his wife Nina lived there with their daughters Beryl, Nina jnr and Edna.
George Stewart jnr was born in Goulburn in 1846 to George and Eliza Stewart (nee Gore). Nina Stewart was born in Sydney in 1869 to Frederick and Caroline Manton (nee Stuart). Nina’s father Frederick Manton was a ‘landed proprietor’ and member of the NSW Legislative Assembly.
George jnr began his career as a ‘clerk’ with the Bank of Victoria in the 1860’s eventually working his way to the position of ‘general manager’ of the bank.
George Stewart died in January 1916 and was buried at the Box Hill Cemetery.
In March Nina Stewart put Lumeah up for sale. A description of the house/land in an advertisement for the sale of the house in May 1916 in The Argus newspaper mentions:
‘Very comfortable and commodious W.B. residence with slate roof and verandah three sided, and containing 8 rooms, bathroom, and kitchen. The house is fitted with air gas plant throughout, including cooking stove. The outbuildings comprise commodious dairy, stabling, buggy shed, man’s room, with bathroom, barns, 4 piggeries, fowl yards, cow bails, fernery, gas house, towl-house, &c There is an abundant supply of water from windmill and bore, underground tank, and 8 iron tanks. Land 18 acres and 10 perches of really good soil with one acre in orchard of 4 year old trees, also nice flower garden and drive’.
An interesting historic family connection is that George Stewart’s uncle was Lieutenant Graham Gore who was a Commander in the 1845 expedition led by notable polar explorer Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin to find the North West Passage through Canada to the Pacific Ocean. In 1847 H.M.S Erebus and H.M.S Terror with all 129 crew members and officers perished under mysterious circumstances.
Sir John Franklin joined the Royal Navy in 1800 and from 1801 – 1804 he was a midshipman on the H.M.S. Investigator accompanying Matthew Flinders on his exploratory voyage around Australia.
George Stewarts maternal great grandfather was Captain John Gore who around 1776 accompanied Captain James Cook in his discoveries in the Pacific Ocean.
Edna Lois Stewart also known as Lois Atock – a trail blazer in animal welfare
Edna Stewart was born in 1893 in Brunswick and from c1910 she lived with her parents at Lumeah (Mount View). After her father’s death in 1916 her mother (Nina) sold the house and by 1917 Edna was living in Sandringham where her occupation is listed as ‘bank clerk’.
But by 1919 she was living in Sydney (as her son James Kenneth Atock was born there) and she was working as an ‘actress’ for the theatrical company of J. C. Williamson.
In 1921 Edna L Stewart and Vivian H E Atock were married in Sydney, but her new husband Vivian disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few days after their wedding. Edna was granted a divorce in 1927.
In an article in 1927 in The Daily telegraph in regard to Edna’s application for a divorce mentions:
‘Mrs. Atock explained to Mr. Justice Davidson in the Divorce Court during the hearing of a petition by her for a divorce on the ground of her husband’s desertion, that, when they were married, it was arranged they should remain in Sydney for three days until her husband had fixed up some business. Then they were to go to Melbourne for their honeymoon’.
Apparently, the honeymoon did not happen and she had not seen Vivian since.
By c1930 Edna and her son James (also known as Ken) had moved back to Melbourne and were living in Camberwell with her occupation at this time is listed as ‘home duties’. James later enrolled at Camberwell Grammar School.
In 1939 her son James Atock enlisted in the army at the start of WW2, his occupation at this time is listed as ‘newspaper compositor’ for The Argus newspaper. In 1940 he was assigned to the ‘specialised group 2 (intelligence)’ of the 2/7th Battalion, 6th. Division, Second AIF and went to the Middle East Theatre. Whilst in Egypt he was detached to the HQ 6th Division and on 9 April 1941 went to Greece before being evacuated to Crete.
Edna was appointed the first female ‘animal keeper’ at the Melbourne Zoo in 1941 and on 9 June 1941 she received the terrible news by Telegram that her son James (Ken) was ‘Missing in Action’. It was later established that he had been killed trying to escape from a POW camp in Chania, Crete. On 9 May 1944 ‘James Kenneth (Ken) Atock, VX-5403 of the 2/7th. Infantry Battalion, 6th. Division AIF was awarded with “Mentioned-in-Despatches” approved by King George VI in recognition of his gallant and distinguished service in the field’.
Ken Atock at the age of 15 had been a pioneer in building and flying rockets in Australia in the 1930’s. You can read about Ken’s pioneering work here: Gallery of Achievement Inductees | Old Camberwell Grammarian's Association
In 1947 Edna appears to have had a strong sense of empathy and nurturing as she resigned from her position at the Melbourne Zoo ‘in protest’ over the bad treatment of two Tiger cubs that were in her care. In an article in 1947 in the Herald newspaper in regard to Edna’s resignation mentions:
‘The director of the Animal Welfare League (Mrs Lort Smith) said today that she was very sorry Mrs Atock was leaving the Zoo’.
Edna must have been very well thought of and respected as by 1948 she was appointed to the position of ‘director’ of the animal sanctuary at the Fern Tree Gully National Park - becoming the first woman in Australia to be appointed to this type of position.
In an article in 1948 in the Sun News Pictorial newspaper in regard to Edna’s appointment it is mentioned:
‘Mrs. Atock has been particularly successful in the rearing of young animals who have been lost, orphaned or separated from their mothers.
Animals at Ferntree Gully will be cared for under the new woman director. Mrs Atock is a true animal lover; one of those rare human beings who will make a personal sacrifice for an animal’.
Later in 1948 she moved to Healesville where she worked as a ‘keeper and hostess’ at the Sir Colin Mckenzie Sanctuary - later known as the Healesville Sanctuary. During WW2 the sanctuary had been very busy due to the visits by the American soldiers who were stationed/transiting through Melbourne, but appears to have been neglected after the war.
In an article in The Herald newspaper in 1948 the Director mentions Edna’s dedication to the sanctuary:
‘I have had to make a lot of alterations to try to balance the budget. You’ve no idea what has happened here. At the moment I’ve actually got a staff of two. The others are ill or away.
My right-hand, Mrs Lois Atock, who has put her whole soul into the place, worked so hard that she is now ill. I myself am working half the night – it sometimes seems like 25 hours a day.
A report on the Sir Colin Mckenzie native fauna sanctuary at Healesville will be called for by the Premier (Mr Hollway), following questions asked yesterday by Mr David Fleay. Mr Hollway said the Healesville sanctuary was known all over the world, and was too important a feature from a naturalist point of view to be allowed to deteriorate’.
By c1958 Edna was living in Croydon where she later opened a pet shop at 10 Croydon Rd, Croydon that operated for many years.
Edna died in Croydon in 1975.
In 1977 the Ken Atock Memorial Scholarship for Science was established at Camberwell Grammar School by a bequest from Edna Atock in memory of her son who had been a past student.
The Salvation army
In 1917 the Salvation Army bought Lumeah and its 18 acres of land and the following year they built new groups of accommodation and dining hall buildings to both the north and south of the main house.
In 1919 the site was renamed the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat which later became the Men’s Eventide Home and continued to operate for many years as a farm producing food.
In 1926 a much admired resident Sergeant-Major Robert Gamble affectionately known as ‘Old Hundred’ of the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat died and was reported upon in the Chronicle newspaper as follows:
106 YEARS OLD. A CRIMEAN VETERAN DIES.
After contracting a chill when attending the Anzac Day celebrations last month, Sergeant-Major Gamble, who fought in the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, and the Zulu War, died on Wednesday at the Salvation Army Men's Retreat. Melbourne. He was 106 years old. His father fought at Waterloo. Two of his four sons who served in the Great War were killed.
Sergeant-Major Gamble was born in 1820, in the barracks of the Black Watch, at Paisley, in Scotland. He was a drummer when he was old enough to hold the sticks. His first battle was at the Crimea, and he carried a Crimean bullet in his body to the end of his days. He left for Australia on Christmas Day.
in 1860 but went to the Zulu War, and rejoined his regiment in 1870. He fought in the Indian Mutiny, and wrote a story of it in 400 pages of manuscript.
Two years ago he had an illness, and it was thought he would not recover. He was told that he must go to the Retreat and rest, but he laughed and went out every day. He would start in the morning and walk from Box Hill to Melbourne, and back again in the evening. He went to every big cricket match and sports meeting that was held. The gatekeepers knew him and let him pass. Photographers
Were always on the look out for him.
His funeral, which was attended ' with full military honors, was arranged by the Army and Navy Veterans' League’.
You can read more about the fascinating story of Sergeant-Major Robert Gamble in a 1924 article in The Herald newspaper here: 12 Jan 1924 - ACTIVE AT 103 - Trove
In 1937 the world famous Viennese Soprano Madame Lotte Lehmann performed at the Melbourne Town Hall as part of her Australian Tour that was organised by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). During her visit she was invited by the Mayor of Box Hill Councillor W. F. Young to visit the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat and the new Box Hill Town Hall.
The residents of the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat must have made quite an impression on Madame Lotte Lehmann as an article in December 1937 in The Argus newspaper mentions:
‘Madame Lotte Lehmann, the Viennese singer who visited Australia this year has not forgotten the inmates of the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat at Box Hill. They will each receive from her an autographed Christmas card and gifts of tobacco and chocolates’.
‘When she was in Melbourne she visited the retreat and expressed her admiration of the work of the Salvation Army. She sent from 12 to 15 tickets for her performances to the retreat each day’.
‘When the men were told today of Madame Lehmann’s generosity they decided to cable her their thanks’.
You can read the fascinating story of Madame Lotte Lehmann here:
About Lotte Lehmann | Lotte Lehmann League
For many years the residents of the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat (AMR) were involved in local community events such as Sunday School student awards nights, Harvest Festivals and competitions with the Box Hill and Blackburn Bowling Club’s as well as with other teams.
By the late 1930’s the Salvation Army Aged Men’s Retreat had changed its name to the Salvation Army Men’s Eventide Home.
In 1955 plans were drawn up for Nurses quarters to be built at the home and the following year advertisements were placed in The Argus newspaper for a ‘live in Nursing Aid and Nursing Sister’ at the home.
A new retirement home was built to the north east of the original home which was demolished between 1963 and 1970. This new retirement home was renamed Inala Village, was open to all genders and is still operating today as the Regis Inala Village.
In the book titled Southern, Soup, Soap and Salvation, 2003 by Lt. Col John Kirkham, he mentions:
‘The Box Hill AMR was never an elaborate facility, but it provided adequately for the needs of its residents for almost 50 years until it was transformed into Inala Village in 1965’.
The future for the City of Whitehorse
It seems that there is no information in or around the City of Whitehorse about the contributions made by the Britnell family to our early heritage.
Whitehorse Council and others interested in our heritage should implement strategies to inform local residents and visitors of the contributions the Britnell family made to our early heritage.
Sources:
©Whitehorse Heritage