Series 02: Waterhouse family correspondence during World War I, chiefly letters to John and Elizabeth Waterhouse, ca. 1915-1919

series

ca. 1915-1919

1027026

John Waterhouse, born in Tasmania in 1852 and the father of Walter, Jabez, Olive, Lionel, John and Hephzibah, married Hephzibah Lawry, a New Zealander, in 1880. After his wife and 3 year old daughter drowned at the wreck of the Wairarapa off Great Barrier Island in 1894 he married Elizabeth Anna Lawry in 1901. He was headmaster of Sydney Boys' High School from 1896-1915.

Walter Lawry Waterhouse, university demonstrator of Maitland, N.S.W. spent 2 years in the Fijian Volunteer Corps before enlisting in the A.I.F. 21 June 1915 aged 27 years. He was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry, Sept. 1916, was wounded in action 12 Nov. 1916 and returned to Australia on the Kanowna, 8 Mar. 1917. He was later Research Professor of Agriculture at the University of Sydney and did research on rust resistant strains of wheat.

Jabez Leonard Lawry Waterhouse (Leo), a farm labourer of Dungog, New South Wales, enlisted aged 22, 21 June 1915 and served in Egypt and France with the 12th Reinforcements, 1st Field Ambulance and later with the Australian Flying Corps. He was hospitalised in England with appendicitis, Dec. 1916, joined the Australian Flying Corps July 1917 and graduated as Flying Officer Nov. 1918. He was promoted lieutenant Feb. 1919 and returned to Australia on SS Kaiser-i-Hind, May 1919.

Olive (Ollie) Lawry Oakley née Waterhouse, was married to Riddiford Colborne Oakley (Rid).
She travelled to Egypt at her own expense and worked with the 21st General Hospital in Alexandria as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.), and after her husband’s departure for France with the Y.M.C.A. in Cairo, signing for and receiving a numbered armlet stamped with the Red Cross badge. Her husband subsequently asked if she was entitled to the 1915 star and the victory medal, but was informed that only volunteers attached officially to organisations such as the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A. or the Comforts Fund were eligible for war medals.

Riddiford (Rid) Colborne Oakley, minister of religion, embarked on Demosthenes 16 July 1915 and served as Captain Chaplain in Ismalia and with the 2nd Field Ambulance Brigade in France. He was wounded in action at Pozieres, 17 Aug. 1916 and returned to Australia on the Osterley, Apr. 1918

Lionel Lawry Waterhouse was born in Maitland, New South Wales and married Elsie M. Hurst in Chatswood, Sydney, New South Wales, in 1914. He was a science lecturer in Tasmania during the war.

John Henry Lawry Waterhouse (Harry) was born on 26 March 1884 in Auckland, N.Z. He worked at the Methodist Mission Boys High School at Daviulevu in Fiji where his brother Walter was headmaster 1906-1910.
Both Lionel Lawry and John Henry Waterhouse were deemed medically unfit for war service.

ITEM 01
Letters from Olive Oakley née Waterhouse, 2 June 1915-1 January 1916

ITEM 02
Letters from Riddiford Oakley to the Waterhouse family, 17 December 1915-6 November 1917

ITEM 03
Jabez Leonard Lawry Waterhouse letters, 11 April 1915-24 November 1918

ITEM 04a
Letters from Walter Lawry Waterhouse, 21 June 1915-15 January 1919

ITEM 04b
Walter Lawry Waterhouse letter tablet folder, 1916-1917

ITEM 05
Lionel Lawry Waterhouse letters, 10-12 September 1916

ITEM 06
Letters to John Waterhouse from John Henry Waterhouse and non-family members, ca. 1915-1918