Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

An article in the Courier Mail of Nov 2018 about Herbert Graham Hopkinson, known as Bert, has piqued my interest because he was a member of a Memerambi family. The article stated: KINGAROY peanut farmers wrote diligently to their brother as he fought on the battlefront in France during the First World War. Over the four years of the war, Private Herbert Hopkinson of the Australian Pioneers 4th Division swapped stories of firing shells in the trenches with stories of maize crops and ploughing the fields in Memerambi. Oh how I would love to see those letters.

The issue with the newspaper article is that they used a photo for Herbert Hopkinson, SRN 944, who returned to Australia in 1917 when Herbert Graham Hopkinson, SRN 3374, was KIA in 1918.

The Hopkinson family had arrived in Sydney from New Zealand on board the ship “SS Hero” on 10 Jan 1877. The passenger list included Mr & Mrs Hopkinson, Child (Fred) aged 2, Bernard aged 7, Maud aged 4 and Ainsley aged 3.

Bert stated in his Army enlistment papers that he was born in Sydney and was aged 38 years which makes his year of birth 1878. I have not found a birth record for him but it seems 1878 was not a great year for the Hopkinson family.

His mother Laura, also known as Elizabeth, admitted her sons Ainsley (5 ½) and Frederick (4 ¼ ) into the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children on 20 Jan 1878 and collected them 4 months later on 10 Apr 1878. She agreed to pay 2/6 per week for their care. She gave their home address as Hereford St, Glebe.

I have not been able to find any records in Australia for the father, Charles, or brother, Bernard. I have also not found a birth record for Frank Hopkinson.

Laura Hopkinson was living at 10 Wigram St Glebe in 1897 per the Sands Directory and was still there in 1910. Fred & Bert were also listed in 1903. Fred was a Machinist and Bert was a Draper.

Per the article in the Courier Mail, Bert and his brothers Fred and Frank arrived in Memerambi in 1910. The first electoral roll I have found for the family is in 1913 at Wooroolin Rd, Kingaroy – Fred, Frank, Laura & Maud. It is not until 1919 that the electoral rolls show their address as Memerambi – no street.

Bert enlisted 3 times in the army – 16 May 1916, 7 Jul 1916 and 20 Oct 1916 giving his permanent address as Memerambi and NOK as his mother. He gave his occupation as Draper then Storekeeper. I have not found him on any Qld electoral rolls.

Bert served in the 4th Pioneer Battalion and was “Killed in Action” on 8 July 1918 at Hamel, France and is buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery. He is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kingaroy RSL Roll of Honour, Kingaroy Stone of Remembrance as well as the South Burnett Anzac Hero’s website.