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Australia

Early Life

Charles Samuel Mugford was born on the 24th of September 1893, the first child of Samuel Clark Mugford and Clara Jane Suckling at Gladstone, SA. Charles’ father was a Methodist Minister.

Samuel and Clara had fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, they were 1893 Charles Samuel, 1895 Winifred Mary, 1896 Keith Alan, 1898 Clara Etty Maud, 1899 Frank Kenneth, 1901 Edith Marjory, 1903 Lancelot Suckling, 1905 Kathleen Gwen, 1907 Constance Jean, 1909 Mavis Lillian, 1911 Gordon Norman Clark, 1914 Eric Kenwyn, 1914 Rex Ernest and 1916 Dorothy Joyce.

Charles’ mother, Clara Suckling, was one of the earliest scholars at the Sturt Street School in Adelaide and eight of her children would also attend the school. Six of Clara’s sons became teachers and the other son, Frank, became a doctor. Charles would become a teacher at the Sturt Street School prior to WWI and his brother Lance was in his ninth year as a demonstration teacher at the school in 1933.

Schooling

Charles’ early schooling was probably conducted at a number of schools as his father moved frequently to undertake his role as a Minister.

In 1905 Charles was at the Sturt Street School and from 1907- 09 he was at Prince Alfred College. He passed his Primary Examinations in 1907 and his junior Examinations in 1908. Charles competed in the Senior Obstacle Race at the PAC Sports in August. 1909.

Charles passed his Senior Examinations in 1909 but the newspaper article giving the results did not list the school. A later entry in the Adelaide High School Magazine states that Charles was at AHS from 1909-1911, so he may have moved to AHS for the final term of 1909. Charles passed further Senior Examinations in December 1910 and 1911 (gaining Honours in Arithmetic and Algebra in 1911). Charles passed School of Arts/Education Department examinations in June 1911 and August 1912.

The move to Adelaide High School (formally The Pupil Teacher School prior to 1908) was an indication of Charles’ desire to become a teacher. Adelaide High School was where promising students gained some teaching experience while also completing their secondary education. The best would then go on to the Teachers Training College.

Charles was a member of the AHS Football First Eighteen (1910 & 1911) and Cricket First Eleven (1911).

The Reverend Samuel Clark Mugford was the Methodist Minister at Goodwood from 1907 until the Autumn of 1911. He was then transferred to Gawler West. Charles had played cricket for the church team, presumably when not playing with the Adelaide High School team. His future brother-in-law Ralph Neate who he knew from Sturt Street School also played for the church team.

Younger Sister Edith had an unfortunate accident in August 1912 falling from a railway bridge and fracturing her hip.

Education Department Appointments

Charles was appointed as a junior teacher to the Sturt Street School in 1912 and by January 1913 he had completed his Monitors Examinations. In January 1914, Charles was appointed as an Assistant Teacher to Hindmarsh School and later in August 1914, Charles was transferred as an Assistant Teacher at Gawler.

Teachers Training College and University of Adelaide

Charles was sent to Teachers Training College in 1913 and passed the Adelaide University subject, ‘Education’. He was also enrolled that the University in 1914 but did not complete any subjects. It was the policy of the Education Department to select the most promising junior teachers who had completed four years (3 years at Adelaide High School and 1 year of Practical Teaching at a school) and send them to the Teacher Training College for a one-year course where they would complete professional subjects, do more practical teaching and have limited access to University of Adelaide subjects.
The Education Department had in 1907 taken control of teacher training away from the Adelaide University. Under this scheme, student teachers paid no fees, received a small allowance and in an arrangement with Adelaide University, had still some limited access to take University subjects relevant to Teaching such as Education and Psychology. On completion of their total of five years of teacher training they were bonded to the Education Department for several years with the majority having to serve time in country schools.

University Sport

In 1913 Charles played in the SACA B Grade Cricket team for University at the end of the 1912/13 season. That seemed to be the only outing with University as he was back playing with Goodwood Methodist the following season.

In the winter he played football for University in the Amateur League. He also represented the PAC Old Boys in the Past v Present football match in July 1913.


World War I
On the 3rd of June 1915 Charles enlisted. He was 21 years and 8 months old, 5’4”, 123 lbs, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and very fair hair (SN 2913). On the 21st of September 1915, Charles embarked from Adelaide and arrived in Mudros, on the island of Lemnos on 29th of November 1915. The 10th Battalion had been decimated at Gallipoli and evacuated to Lemnos. Charles was a member of the 10th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements. From there he embarked on the ‘Seaug Bee’ arriving in Alexandria, Egypt on 25th of December 1915 and was taken on strength with the 10th Battalion. After service in Egypt, which would have primarily been 3 months of training, Charles left Alexandria on 27th March 1916 and arrived in Marseilles, France on the 3rd of April 1916.

In September 1916 Charles was ill with influenza and was sent to hospital in Boulogne. He returned to the field at Etaples and was taken on strength with the 32nd Battalion. In November 1916, Charles was again hospitalised, this time with Trench Feet, a common affliction in the wet conditions. He was returned to the UK and was in hospital at Taplow, Buckinghamshire. After recovering and a period of furlough, Charles transferred to the 70th Battalion on the 23rd of March 1917. He remained in the UK for a time, possibly for training and on 23rd September 1917, he was appointed Lance Corporal. On the 10th of October 1917, Charles arrived back in France.

From the 7th of December 1917 to 17th of January 1918 Charles was at the Instructional School and from 23rd of April 1918 to 27th of July 1918, Charles was on detachment to the 3rd Australian Infantry Brigade Headquarters. He was again detached to Brigade Headquarters from 28 September 1918. Charles returned to England in December 1918 and he was promoted to Corporal in January. On 16th of July 1919, Charles returned to Australia on the ‘Durham’ departing from Liverpool, he was discharged on the 9th of September 1919.

Professional Career

Charles returned to primary school teaching after WWI. He had the following appointments:
• Mount Gambier (1920)
• Mintaro (1921 – May 1924)
• Renmark West – (May 1924 – December 1926)
• Clare (January 1927- August 1929)
• Wallaroo (September 1929 – May 1935)
• Pennington (May 1935 – October 1937)
• Mt Gambier (October 1937 – December 1939
• Colonel Light Gardens (January 1940 - April 1941)
• Port Pirie (May 1941 – May 1945)
• Westbourne Park (May 1945 - Retired due to ill health 1951)

Charles, when Head Teacher at Renmark West School, was a member of the Renmark Institute Committee and involved with the Workers’ Educational Association (W.E.A.). These were different times and in July 1925 Charles was involved in cementing the floor of the new shelter shed at the Renmark West School. He was also involved in organising fundraising through school fetes. He arranged end of year concerts, Arbor Days, and encouraged children to improve their prospects by taking up remunerative hobbies.

At Clare, Charles was involved in organising the Clare and District Schools’ Exhibition in 1929. In August 1929 the people of Clare gave a public farewell to Charles and JHK Phillips (the article below has been edited to focus on Charles’s portion of the farewell).

At Wallaroo, Charles organised Visiting Days and School Concerts. His active involvement in the community is best described by the farewells given to the family by the School, RSA, the Methodist Church and the Cricket Club.

Charles was at Pennington for Arbor Day in July 1935 and he thanked the Woodville Council for supplying trees for the students to plant. He remained at the school until October 1937. A farewell social was held to mark his transfer.
Shortly after his arrival at Mt Gambier, Charles was involved in a two week teacher’s refresher course. During his term as headmaster at Mount Gambier Primary, the school had two visits from the SA Governor. The first visit was by Governor and Lady Dugan in June 1938 and the second by Governor and Lady Muriel Barclay-Harvey in November 1939. The School also celebrated Arbor Day and in April 1939 Rotarians visited the School during Youth Week. Charles remained at the school until December 1939. Charles was farewelled at the School Break-Up Function. He was described as being a father figure to the student and a ‘big brother’ to the teaching staff.

Charles was headmaster at Colonel Light Gardens from January 1940 to April 1941. After Easter, Charles moved to be headmaster at Pirie Primary School and was at Port Pirie for four years.

Charles then moved to the Westbourne Park School from May 1945 to December 1946. He was headmaster at Westbourne Park when the Hutley Memorial Library was opened in late 1946.

Family Life

On the 15th of April 1922, Charles (aged 28) had married Pauline Somers Neate (aged 24), the daughter of Mr & Mrs Ralph Neate, at the Methodist Church, Goodwood (SA Marriage Registration 291/174).

Charles’ father Samuel had been Minister at Goodwood Methodist and known the Neate family through a common association with the Church. Pauline’s brother Ralph had been a student at Sturt Street School with Charles, and both played for the Goodwood Methodist church cricket team was another family connection.

The couple commenced their married life at Mintaro. Their first child, a son, David Charles Mugford, was born at the Memorial Hospital, Adelaide on the 23rd of April 1923. A second son, Ralph Clark Mugford was born on the 6th of May 1925 when the couple were based at Renmark. A third son, Donald Frank was born at the Clare and District Hospital on 30th of December 1928. When Charles was teaching at Wallaroo, the couple’s only daughter, Helen, who was born at the Rose Park Private Hospital on the 22nd of January 1933. The final member of the family, a son, Brian John was born at the Wallaroo Public Hospital on the 24th of March 1935.

Charles and Pauline were married by Charles’ father, who by January 1938 had officiated at the marriages of 11 of his 14 children.

In April 1939 Charles and Pauline’s eldest son commenced duties with the Savings Bank of South Australia.

Charles’ mother, Clara passed away in 1938, and his father died in July 1942. Sadly his brother, Keith Alan Mugford, died 1949, age 53. At that time Charles and Pauline were living at 302 Goodwood Road, Clarence Park. Their eldest son, David, became engaged in 1949 and married in August that year. Second son, Ralph Clark married in 1951.

Cricket

After playing cricket during his student years, then from 1920 to 1940, Charles was also a valued member of many local cricket teams. On his first appointment to Mt Gambier, he played for Yahl, he bowled effective left-hand breaks and took 7 for 26 in a match against Mt Gambier. At Mintaro, he was selected to play in a Mid North Association match against Kapunda. In the Summer of 1928, in addition to regular season matches for Clare, Charles played for the ‘Returned Soldiers’ team as part of the ANZAC Day commemorations.

Charles was active in the administrative side of sport, while at Clare he was on the Management Committee of the ANZAC Day Sports and on the Sports Committee for the Back to Clare celebrations. Charles arrived in Wallaroo at the beginning of the 1929/30 cricket season and by the 1930/31 season he was captain of the Wallaroo Team, he also captained the Yorke Peninsula Cricket Association team.

On his second placement at Mt Gambier Charles played for the Kookaburras and by October 1938 his son David was playing in the same team.

When the family left Mt Gambier in early 1940 it was a great loss to local cricket. Charles’ performances were detailed in a newspaper article (see document). Charles had turned 46 in September 1939. This may have been the end of Charles’ cricket career as he said in April 1941 that he did not play in the 1940/41 season. At Port Pirie, Charles took up golf.

Other Interests

Further Education
While at Clare, Charles undertook further studies, passing Adelaide University examinations in Geometrical Drawing Grade II (1926), Economic History (1927), Economics (1928) and School of Arts and Crafts examination in Perspective Grade I (1928).

Church and Choir
Charles had a fine bass voice and had trained musically in his student years. Over the years he was involved with several choirs. In 1922, as a member of an Adelaide Choral Society, performed in Frederick H Cohen's, "The Rose Maiden", in the Adelaide Town Hall.

Charles attended the Clare Methodist Church and became involved in church and local choirs. He was a member of the Clare Coral Society and gave a successful rendering of 'The Glory of the Sea' at the concert for the Back to Clare celebrations in 1928. Charles was Superintendant of the Methodist Sunday School at Clare. At Wallaroo Charles was a member of the Methodist Choir.

Returned Soldiers Association
Charles was an active member of the Returned Soldiers Association. While at Clare he was nominated to represent the RSL on the Clare Soldiers’ Memorial Park Trust. In April 1929 he was one of just over 100 men who attended the district reunion held at Gladstone. Charles, who was a vice-president of the Clare Sub-Branch, was given a wallet in recognition of his service when he departed from Clare. While in Mt Gambier, Charles attended the reunion social in 1938 and 1939. He played in the Diggers’ cricket match, representing Mt Gambler against Kalangadoo.

At Port Pirie Charles was at the ANZAC memorial service in 1941 and was on the Sports Committee for the Patriotic Carnival in late 1941.

Death

A newspaper report in November 1949 stated that Charles had a bad breakdown in health and was at Daws Road Hospital. The report below stated that he had retired voluntarily from the Education Department in 1951 due to illness.

Charles passed away on the 20th of May 1953, aged 57, (SA Death Registration 797/2533) at his residence at 12 Catherine Street, Clapham. He was interred at the Centennial Park Cemetery, SA.

Pauline passed away on 17th March 1979 and her ashes were interred at Charles’ grave site. She had been living at Victor Harbor.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.