Henry Eoin Sydney MELBOURNE

Badge Number: S10696, Sub Branch: Burnside
S10696

MELBOURNE, Henry Eoin Sydney

Service Numbers: 9577, 262016
Enlisted: 4 January 1916, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Wing Commander
Last Unit: 11th Field Company Engineers
Born: Malvern, South Australia, June 1893
Home Town: Glenelg, Holdfast Bay, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Surveyor
Died: Natural causes, Adelaide, South Australia, 5 April 1976
Cemetery: Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Adelaide High School Great War Honour Board, Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll, Glenelg Moseley Street Uniting Church "Heroes of Two World Wars", Glenelg and District WW1 & WW2 Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

4 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 9577, Adelaide, South Australia
31 May 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 9577, 11th Field Company Engineers, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
31 May 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 9577, 11th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Suevic, Adelaide
13 Jul 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 9577, 11th Field Company Engineers

World War 2 Service

31 Oct 1945: Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Wing Commander, 262016
Date unknown: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Wing Commander, 262016

Biography

Early Life

Henry Eoin Sydney Melbourne was born on 25 May 1893 at Malvern to parents William Clifford Melbourne (1864 – 1924) and Elizabeth Agnes Braidwood (1862 – 1961) - SA Birth Registration 419/368. His siblings were older brother, Alexander Clifford Vernon (1888 – 1943) and younger sister, Julia Aileen (1895 – 1980) - See Appendix 1 - Family Tree.

From newspaper reports at the time of his marriage in 1926 it appears that H.E.S. Melbourne used “Sydney” as his preferred name.

Sydney’s father, a printer by trade, was active in Union activities and an early member of the South Australian Labor Party. He was on the Board of the Children’s Hospital and on the Board and one time President of the Workers Education Association. He was also active in Church affairs.

Schooling

Sydney went to Unley School where in 1905 he won an exhibition (scholarship). In 1906 he attended the Pupil Teacher School (Adelaide High School) where he passed his Junior Examinations in 1906, Senior Examinations in 1907 and Higher Public Examinations in 1908. In June 1909 he was awarded an evening scholarship to study at Adelaide University. In November 1909 Sydney passed Physics I at Adelaide University.

Early Career

According to a later newspaper report, Sydney joined the Lands and Survey Department where he worked for six years on the West Coast and in the South East where he gained practical experience in land sub-division and road location. In August 1912 Sydney won the Malvern Methodist Football Club medal for most unselfish player. Sydney became a member of the Institute of Surveyors.

World War I

Sydney enlisted on the 4th of January 1916 (SN 9577). Sydney was described as 5’ 9½“, 140 lbs, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and auburn hair. He enlisted as a Private but was promoted to Corporal on 1 May 1916. He proceeded overseas with the 11th Field Company Engineers onboard the HMAT Suevic which arrived in Southampton. On 25th November 1916 he left for France where he had a bout in Hospital in December. In either February or May 1917 Sydney became an acting Sergeant and later a Sergeant. From France, Sydney returned to England in November 1917 as he had been selected to attend Cadet School. Sydney qualified for a commission on 23 February 1918 and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant, a month later he left via Southampton for Rouelles, France. On the 24th of April 1918 Sydney was wounded in action. By the 5th of May 1918, Sydney was at the London General Hospital where the wounds in his left foot and thigh were being treated. He then transferred to Cobham Hall. After some time at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, Sydney returned to France a Lieutenant in September 1918. Sydney returned to Australia on the 9th of March 1919

University

After returning from WWI, Sydney recommenced studying at Adelaide University and at the School of Mines. He gained his Bachelor of Engineering at Adelaide University and Fellowship Diploma from the Department of Civil Engineering at the School of Mines in December 1920.

University Sport

Sydney played cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club, B Grade in the 1919/20 season.

Career

Sydney was an assistant engineer with the Irrigation Department, when in August 1921; he delivered a paper before the Adelaide division of the Institute of Engineers on the problem of railway location along the River Murray Valley. While based in the Riverland, Sydney played cricket for Barmera in the 1921/22 season. In February 1922, Sydney was appointed lecturer of surveying under the Chair of Engineering at Melbourne University. In December 1922 he ran the annual survey camp at the St George River, Lorne where practical outdoor work was conducted as part of the course.

In July 1924 Sydney was appointed to be the Engineer and Surveyor for the Burnside District Council, SA, and from August 1924, he was the consulting engineer to the National Roads Association of Australia (S.A. Branch).

Alexander’s father William Clifford Melbourne died in December 1924 (see Appendix 2 – Obituary see document).

Sydney was involved in a range of matters for the Council including Flood Water Management, Race Course traffic management, zoning, and the development of Tusmore Park. Once back in South Australia Sydney was actively involved in reunions of the 11th Field Company Engineers and celebrations of Waterloo Day. A Pen Portrait of Sydney was published in the News in December 1926.

‘A Burnside councillor, HES Melbourne, was adored in this period (1920/30); he spent his own money acquiring reserves and land for residents due to a lack of funds during the Great Depression. He presided over lean but reasonable budgets and oversaw the planting of trees and foliage to beautify the city. Gordon Allen, a local resident who succeeded Melbourne as a councillor, described Melbourne: "No Council ever had a better man." Melbourne also oversaw the building of the Mount Osmond golf course, but his vision of constructing a Country Club was never realised.’

In 1930 Sydney was appointed to the Board of Examiners of Surveyors. By March 1934 Sydney was the Acting District Clerk for the Burnside Council and in April 1934 he was appointed District Clerk, Engineer and Surveyor. Sydney was present when Burnside became a Municipality in May 1935. As a Justice of the Peace, he administered the oaths to the councillor’s as their roles had changed from District to Town Councillors.

Family Life

Sydney married Frances Lema Lillian Hotham on the 3rd of November 1926 in Victoria (Registration 1926/10137). On 26th May 1929 at Sister Rowe's Hospital, Adelaide the couple had a son (John Clifford Melbourne). At the time they were residing at Barker Grove, Toorak, SA.

Interests

In 1929 Sydney was president of the Toorak Tennis Club. He was at the foundation of the Mount Osmond Country Club in December 1929 and regularly played golf at the club. Sydney also played Bridge.
In January 1940 Sydney and his family were living at Barker Grove, Toorak. In May 1940 he was a member of the board of the Rotary Club of Adelaide.

World War II

In December 1940, Sydney joined the R.A.A.F. where he gained the rank of Wing Commander being engaged by the R.A.A.F. chiefly on aerodrome construction and important engineering works.

Some of Sydney’s activities with the R.A.A.F. are described in the booklet ‘Always First, The RAAF Airfield Construction Squadrons, 1942-1974’, by David Wilson. (see document).

Post WWII

After WWII, Sydney returned to his role as Town Clerk at Burnside. In March 1946 Sydney was appointed as a new member of the South Australian Housing Trust Board. In this role he was involved in the planning of the city of Elizabeth, having been on a study tour in England to observe the planning of new towns in that country.

‘Planning a Good City in Australia, Elizabeth as a new Town”, Mark Peel, provides some details relating to Sydney in 1956. (see document).

As newspapers for the period after 1954 have not yet been digitised , no further details of Sydney’s life are available.

His mother passed away in 1961 at the age of 99.

Death

Henry Eoin Sydney Melbourne passed away in Adelaide, South Australia on 5 April 1976 (aged 83). He was cremated at Centennial Park, Adelaide.

Sydney was survived by his wife, Lema, who passed away on the 5th of August 1987.

Legacy

John Clifford Melbourne attended St Peter’s College then followed his father to Adelaide University and the School of Mines. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering in March 1952.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.

Note – Biographies for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project were written in the period 2015-2019. Any references to the website https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au were correct at the time of writing, but are now redundant and the reader should look for the equivalent or updated information on the Virtual War Memorial Australia at https://vwma.org.au/










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