Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alfred was the son of George Frederick ALLEN & Margaret HARRISON and was born on the 30th of January 1892 at Dunedin, New Zealand.

His parents were married on the 28th of January 1885 Dunedin, NZ.

His father was the son of Joseph Weaver ALLEN & Rebecca Martha COX and was born on in 1862 in Melbourne, VIC.
His mother was the daughter of James HARRISON & Margaret Jane WRIGHT and was born on the 11th of June 1859 in Belfast, Ireland.

Alfred was the second child born into this family of 3 children.

His father was a chemist and they lived in Beleknowes, near Mornington, Dunedin.

Alfred was educated in Dunedin before the family moved to 30 Francis Street, Ascot Vale, Victoria prior to 1910.

Allen graduated in Applied Chemistry at the Working Men's College in Melbourne and gained employment as a student analyst with the Victorian Department of Agriculture.

Alfred married Myrtle Isla MAINE in 1915 in VIC.
Myrtle was the daughter of Frederick George MAINE & Harriet EVANS and was born in 1890 in Flemington, VIC.

At the age of 23, Alfred enlisted into the AIF on the 24th of August 1915 in Melbourne, VIC and was allotted the service number V10940 and posted to the Australian Medical Corps Depot in Ascot Vale.

On the 14th of June 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Park Camp and 4 days later he was transferred to the Ascot Vale Isolation Camp at the Ascot Vale Racecourse.

On the 18th of May 1918 they welcomed their first child into the family, Stanley George.

After 2 years at the Ascot Vale Isolation Camp Alfred discharged from this service to join the AIF overseas.

At the age of 26, Alfred then enlisted into the AIF on the 19th of September 1918 in Melbourne, VIC and was allotted the service number 1530 and posted to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in Sydney.

He embarked from Sydney on board SS Melusia on the 2nd of October 1918, disembarked in Rabaul, New Guinea 9 days later and was posted to laboratory work at Ran Kokopo Garrison, near the entrance of Blanche Bay.

After 4 months in New Guinea, Alfred embarked for Australia on the 24th of April 1919 on board SS Melusia and disembarked in Sydney on the 3rd of May.

Alfred was discharged from the AIF on the 17th of May 1919.

He then gained employment as an assistant pathologist with the Department of Public Health and then later a researcher at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), at Royal Park, where he worked on the production of tetanus antitoxin and insulin.

They moved to 1 Robb Street, Essendon where Alfred played hockey for the local team.

Alfred was a very talented Hockey player and represented Victoria at the Australian Hockey Championships in 1922 and 1923.

By 1929 they had moved to Nuriootpa, SA where Alfred saw an opportunity to solve the waste problems of wineries while adding value through distillation and became the founder and managing director of Tarac Industries.
Tarac transformed winegrape residuals into products such as grape alcohol, cream of tartar and tartaric acid.
During 1941-1945 he produced over 1 million gallons of power alcohol, which was used to keep the taxis running.

Alfred was also Worshipful Master at the Barossa Masonic Lodge and a PGS of the Grand Lodge of South Australia.
After a few years in Nuriootpa they moved to 50 Walkerville Terrace, Gilberton and his brother in-law Charles Evans MAINE to over the management of the company in Nuriootpa.

Sadly Myrtle died on the 28th of July 1938 in the Angaston Hospital and Alfred buried her in the North Road Cemetery.

In October 1942 he purchased a home at 153 North East Road, Manningham and in 1946 was the Vice President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, South Australian branch.

Alfred then married Gladys Annie VALE.
Gladys was the daughter of William Henry VALE & Emma Elizabeth GRENNESS and was born on the 23rd of May 1902 in Walhalla, VIC.
They sold their home in 1955 and moved to 27 Burlington Street, Walkerville and joined the Walkerville RSL.

Gladys died on the 20th of January 1974 in Walkerville and Alfred buried her in the Enfield Cemetery.

He then moved to Bickham Court, Dernancourt and died on the 4th of May 1981 in the Modbury Hospital and was cremated in the Enfield Crematorium and his ashes collected.

He was re interred in the St Martin's Anglican Church Cemetery, Campbelltown.

Military

At the age of 23, Alfred enlisted into the AIF on the 24th of August 1915 in Melbourne, VIC and was allotted the service number V10940 and posted to the Australian Medical Corps Depot in Ascot Vale.
He listed his wife, as his next of kin.

On the 14th of June 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Park Camp and 4 days later he was transferred to the Ascot Vale Isolation Camp at the Ascot Vale Racecourse.
He was promoted to 10.7.16 – Staff Sergeant on the 10th of July 1916 and then just over 2 years later he discharged from this service to join the AIF overseas.

At the age of 26, Alfred then enlisted into the AIF on the 19th of September 1918 in Melbourne, VIC and was allotted the service number 1530 and posted to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in Sydney.

Alfred embarked from Sydney on board SS Melusia on the 2nd of October 1918, disembarked in Rabaul, New Guinea 9 days later and was posted to laboratory work at Ran Kokopo Garrison, near the entrance of Blanche Bay.

After 4 months in New Guinea, Alfred embarked for Australia on the 24th of April 1919 on board SS Melusia and disembarked in Sydney on the 3rd of May.

Alfred was discharged from the AIF on the 17th of May 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.