Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Robert PRESTON was born in 1882 in Oakham in the East Midlands, the 4th of 7 children of William and Sarah Preston. Johns father and elder brother were bricklayers and in 1901 John was an apprenticed Mason.
In 1906 John married Emily Porter at Stamford just 11 miles from home. Their son George was born at Stamford 2 years later. In 1911 John, Emily and George were living at Bethnal Green in London and John was a Publican. His wife’s parents were publicans in Stamford, Leicestershire.
By 1915 John was living at Wooroolin and the electoral rolls state he was a Stonemason. In the same year he nominated his wife and child to immigrate to Qld but this never happened. Emily Preston in the Lambeth district of London between Jul & Sep 1915, I believe she is buried at Stamford Cemetery. It is possible her death was caused by a Zeppelin Raid over London. Germany’s aerial bombing campaign against Great Britain in the First World War, with London as its primary target, was the first sustained strategic bombing campaign in history. These raids, using airships, bomber aircraft, and seaplanes, ran from December 1914 to August 1918 and resulted in almost 5,000 casualties.
On 24 Oct 1917, John Robert Preston travelled to Maryborough from Qld and enlisted in the AIF giving his occupations as Farmer and stonemason. He gave his date of birth as 21 Nov 1892 when he was actually born 10 years prior in 1882. The age is correct in his army records of 34 years but not the year of DOB. He gave his next of kin as his wife and gave her address as “Cemetery Rd”, Stamford, Leicestershire and stated that he was aware she would not receive any supportive allowance since she was a resident in England. How sad that he stated she was living a Cemetery Rd….
John was assigned to the 26th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement and his unit embarked from Sydney, NSW, on board RMS Ormonde on 2 March 1918 and arrived in Southampton in May 1918. He was transferred to 49th Battalion and remained in the UK until his return to Australia in Sep 1919.
John returned to Wooroolin and he owned two of the Railway Allotments - 204 & 205. In my time these were some of the allotments owned by Bill (Feathers) McKay. He also owned the 500 acre Por 239v which now belongs to the Champney Family.
Sadly JR Preston died of natural causes at his home in 1928 and was found by an employee. John Preston was buried at Memerambi Cemetery and returned soldiers from the district were well represented at his burial.
It appears that son George was brought up by his mother’s family. He died in 1978 at Peterborough, Leicestershire. Wonder if he ever knew what happened to his father!
Just for interest I made a note of the events that occurred at Wooroolin whilst JR Preston lived there.
• 1915 Wooroolin Hotel burnt to the ground and new Grand Hotel built.
• Matthew Hurst was the Post Master from 1919, before that post was managed at the Railway Station.
• School of Arts was opened in 1922 (Stumping of hall in 1928)
• St Andrews Church of England built in 1921. JR Preston stated be belonged to C of E in his army records.
• GE Campbell was manager of the QNB.
• Rifle range opened in 1916.
• Commercial Hotel dismantled in 1927 and hall moved to back of Grand Hotel.