The Australian War Memorial in regard to Box Hill resident Frank Berryman mentions:
‘The name "Berryman" does not rank in the annals of famous Australian generals. It is not spoken of with reverence on ANZAC Day, nor is his name associated with the deeds of great Australian military men. It does not conjure up the same romantic, heroic or controversial images of contemporaries such as Lavarack, Rowell, Morshead or Bennett, and yet the achievements of this unassuming, yet forthright, general stand alongside, and in some cases above, his contemporaries who enjoy greater fame in popular memory and history. He appears in most histories of Australia in the Second World War as a footnote, but this greatly belies his importance and achievements’…….
In 1908 William and Annie Berryman (nee Horton) and their family moved to Titanga at what is now 18 Kangerong Rd, Box Hill (the house is still there) and lived there until 1928. William and Annie had six children - Frank, William jnr, Raymond, Ada, Ethel and Emillie. William snr’s occupation is listed as ‘engine driver’ in the Victorian Railways.
At this time Frank Berryman was aged 14 and was enrolled at the Box Hill State School that used to be on the western side of the Box Hill Town Hall. In the book The Architect of Victory: the military career of Lieutenant General Sir Frank Horton Berryman by Peter J Dean, 2010 he mentions Frank’s time at the school:
‘During his time at Box Hill State School the principal, Peter McGregor, had established a ‘strong cadet corps’. McGregor took his role in the cadets seriously and organised manoeuvres at Albert Park and the Port Melbourne rifle range. Berryman’s cadet unit had won the general and marching prizes. However, their performance was somewhat undermined when the boys marched off ‘beautifully out of step’ after collecting their prize’.
In an article in 1908 in ‘The Reporter - Box Hill’ newspaper in regard to the Box Hill State School Concert it mentions:
‘The cadets under Sergeant Berryman gave several displays of physical drill with arms, and acquitted themselves splendidly, reflecting great credit upon their young sergeant, who gave his orders with all the assurance and sharpness of a veteran’.
It appears that Frank was socially active since he joined a number of Box Hill clubs including the Surrey Park Swimming Club in 1909 when in February, he swam in the Junior Members 50-yard handicap coming in second. In 1911 he became a member of the Box Hill Young Men’s Club. In 1912 he also became a member the recently formed Box Hill Wattle Club and later that year was elected as its ‘secretary’. The Wattle Club was created to ‘for the purpose of ‘mutual improvement’ of boys and young men from the age of 16 years’……’The club had a varied program aimed at providing cultural, intellectual and recreational activities – from public speaking and debating, to music, rambles in the bush and sports’. Frank's brother’s Raymond and William jnr. were also members of the Wattle Club.
After leaving the Box Hill State School Frank enrolled at Melbourne High School, where he served in the school Cadet Unit and won the Rix prize for academic excellence. After leaving school following his father’s footsteps, he worked for the Victorian Railways but as a ‘junior draughtsman’.
In 1913 Frank resigned from the Victorian Railways and accepted a position as a ‘Staff Cadet’ at the Royal Military College Duntroon.
With the first world war ending in 1918, Frank was living back at the family home (18 Kangerong Rd, Box Hill) by 1919 but in 1922 he was posted to and living at the Royal Australian Field Artillery (R.A.F.A) barracks in Maribyrnong before being posted to Victoria Barracks in Sydney.
In 1925 Frank Berryman and Muriel Whipp were married in Sydney. Frank and Muriel had three children Sally, Richard and Dawn.
In 1949 in preparation for the 1954 Royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Australia, Frank Berryman was appointed Director General of the Royal Visit Organisation within the Department of the Prime Minister. It is interesting to note that on March 6,1954 the Queen passed through Box Hill (where Frank Berryman grew up) on the Royal train on her way to relaxing in Warburton. The Queen was in Australia for 58 days and visited 57 towns travelling the country by train, plane, ship and car.
Rather than repeating work already published, if you are interested in reading more about the fascinating story of Lieut.- General Sir Frank Berryman KCVO, CB, CBE, DSO and his outstanding achievements and progress in the Australian Army and beyond, please click on the links below:
The Australian War Memorial:
The forgotten man: Lieut.-General Sir Frank Berryman | Australian War Memorial
The Australian Dictionary of Biography:
Biography - Sir Frank Horton Berryman - Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Berryman family have had a long connection to Box Hill/Whitehorse starting in 1908 to c1984.
The City of Whitehorse, Box Hill RSL and those interested in our heritage should consider what can be done in recognising Sir Frank Berryman, a Box Hill resident who made significant contributions to Australia and therefore Box Hill/Whitehorse’s history.
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