Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arthur Ernest Stonham was born in West Maitland, New South Wales on the 7th of February, 1900 and was the sixth child to parents Alfred Ernest Albert Stonham and Ada Sarah Grange. His father’s career as a teacher took the family to many different places around Sydney including small towns Narellan, Goulburn and Deniliquin, though Arthur decided to stay in West Maitland and make a living for himself. At just 16 years old, Arthur was appointed a junior clerk in the department of attorney-general and justice. After a long apprenticeship, the prospect and idea of a promotion for Arthur to the stipendiary magistracy had come into view.

Arthur’s older brother, Cyril John, enlisted in the AIF in May 1917 and just over a year later, when he was old enough, Arthur enlisted in the AIF in Sydney on the 6th of august 1918. Two months later on the 22nd of October, Arthur departed from Adelaide on the HMAT Boonah as a private with the NSW reinforcements. Whilst at sea, news spreadof the armistice, meaning Arthur’s ship had turned around after only reaching South Africa, meaning he was never directly involved with the war.[i] Shortly after arriving back in NSW and meeting up with his family, he had sadly received news that his older brother, Cyril John had passed away on the western front serving in the war.

On the 30th of April, 1921 at St Stephens Anglican church, Portland, NSW, he married Elsie Gladys Lake and 4 years later, in 1925, Arthur was sent to Kiama as a clerk of petty sessions and shortly after, on October 1926, he was transferred to Kurri Kurri, a town in NSW. The young and determined clerk, at only 25, carried out many extra duties due to his love and passion for his job and was important in transferring messages and information between the government and the community.

Stonham was then placed as a senior clerk in Sydney between the years 1930-1933 and afterwards served at Windsor, another town in NSW, for another 3 years. When maintenance work was very busy, he returned to Sydney as the first checking officer of the children’s court and was put to the test with many hard and difficult records.[ii] This included having to cope with many staff shortages and the unpopularity due to many people leaving for the start of World War II. In 1945, he was then sent to Inverell, NSW.

After a lot of tiresome work, dedication and commitment, in 1947 Arthur was finally appointed stipendiary magistrate for Mudgee. He then worked the same job in Penrith in 1948 and finally Sydney in 1951. He continued to live in Penrith with his loving wife, Elsie Gladys Lake and became involved with youth clubs and local welfare societies. Stonham became good friends with honorary major Frank Solomon Hansman and together, due to their collective interest in alcohol-related drink-driving car accidents and the rapidly increasing death rates due to car collision in Penrith, at the 1954 congress of the Australian road safety council held in Hobart, they called for compulsory blood tests targeting people who were believed to be driving while under the influence of alcohol.[iii] Following this enforced law, In September 1962 Arthur Ernest Stonham was promoted to chief stipendiary magistrate. While organising overstretched city courts, Stonham confronted the many believed contradictions of a public-service magistracy by attempting the reconciliation of Judicial Independence.[iv] Stonham, despite his age and very bad illnesses at the time, did not stop doing what he loved and attempted everything to make sure the world was a safe place.

After a long run, filled with movement and promotions, Arthur Ernest Stonham retired, at the age of 65 shortly after being admitted a barrister in 1964. Sadly, only one year after retirement, he died of myocardial infarction on the 22nd of November 1966 at 66 years of age, in his house in Penrith and was later cremated.[v] Although Arthur had never exactly affected the war itself, or made such a great impact himself, he died with a legacy of a man who never stopped trying and never stopped doing what he loved.

By Adrian Pasha

Sydney Technical High School

Bibliography

Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Arthur Ernest Stonham - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stonham-arthur-ernest-11782 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].

Memorial, T. (2018). Ernest Arthur Stonham. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2244544 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].

Anon, (2018). [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8094194&isAv=N [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].

Anzacsmacarthur.com. (2018). Anzacs of Macarthur - ANZAC Search. [online] Available at: http://anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/arthur-ernest-stonham/16.htm [Accessed 21 Aug. 2018].

[i] Anzacsmacarthur.com. (2018). Anzacs of Macarthur - ANZAC Search. [online] Available at: http://anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/arthur-ernest-stonham/16.htm [Accessed 21 Aug. 2018].
[ii] Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Arthur Ernest Stonham - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stonham-arthur-ernest-11782 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].
[iii] Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Arthur Ernest Stonham - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stonham-arthur-ernest-11782 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].
[iv] Anzacsmacarthur.com. (2018). Anzacs of Macarthur - ANZAC Search. [online] Available at: http://anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/arthur-ernest-stonham/16.htm [Accessed 21 Aug. 2018].
[v] Adb.anu.edu.au. (2018). Biography - Arthur Ernest Stonham - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stonham-arthur-ernest-11782 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].