Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Emmett family migrated to Australia from Yorkshire England in January 1857;  William his wife Hannah, Joseph aged 2 and baby Minetta. The family first lived in Collingwood before moving to Sandhurst (Bendigo) where William was a farmer and contractor.  Joseph grew up in the area and met his wife Annie Gamble.  They were married on 24th April 1886.  They had six children whilst living in the district including:

•  George Harold Emmett Reg No. 1106 in 1892; 

•  Frank Ernest Emmett Reg No 6105 in 1895;

•  William Richard Emmett Reg No. 57138 in 1897

By 1903 the family had moved to Lot 47 Allambee South (Australian  Electoral Roll), the boys attending the Allambee South school opened by Agnes Smith before working on the farm.  Joseph was a dairy farmer of some repute.  In July 1914 he decided to get out of dairying and moved into sheep.  Two years later in April 1916 he put his property on the market, and relocated to Balmerins Avenue, Toorak.  The Emmett boys were all keen footballers playing for Allambee Juniors (Reserve Team).

William Richard Emmett enlisted aged 21 on 29th April 1918 in the 4th Light Horse Regiment. At enlistment he was 5’11” medium complexion, brown eyes and black hair.  His initial training was at Broadmeadows Camp.  He embarked from Sydney on HMAT Wiltshire on 10th June arriving in Suez 17th July 1918 where he was engaged on rear area security tasks in the Sinai desert in the wake of the main British and dominion advance.  He commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Essex', 15 June 1919; disembarked Melbourne, 25 July 1919; discharged (termination of period of enlistment), Melbourne, 9 August 1919.

In March 1924 William married Gladys Jepson and they had 3 children.   William returned to farming at Lang Lang/Caldermeade (1949).  He retired to Dandenong and died in May 1966.  His ashes were interred at Lang Lang Cemetery.  Gladys died June 1999 and her ashes were interred with William.