11 Sampson Road
The land of 11 Sampson Road was once part of Sampson's Town. It was named after Dr John Sampson, who once owned the land, which was the primary location of Bunbury's Chinese vegetable gardens, which supplied the town with fresh food (reference; reference; reference). John Sampson had been sent to Australia to start afresh after some 'shortcomings' in England (reference).
Sampson Road had many drainage issues as it was naturally a swamp (reference; reference; reference). In 1929 Sampson Town was inundated with water after Bunbury experienced unusually heavy rainfall (reference; reference).
HECTOR AND ELLEN HASLAM
Given that the street addresses did not alter, 11 Sampson Road was occupied by Hector Albert Haslam, a bank accountant, and his wife, Ellen Boronia Haslam, in 1937 (reference).
Lieutenant Hector A. Haslam was the second son of Mr A Lee Haslam of Rochester, Victoria (reference). Hector earned the title Lieutenant after serving in the Australian Military Force. As a Lieutenant, he is included in an officer's photograph taken on 7 March 1918 in Belgium, Flanders (reference). He was part of the 51st Battalion and the original 11th Battalion at Gallipoli (reference; reference). Hector was a sportsman, playing tennis and golf regularly (reference).
Ellen (Nellie) Boronia Rodgers was the fourth daughter of the Rodgers of Katanning (reference).
Hector and Ellen were married in Katanning on 5 March 1919 at the Katanning Baptist Church (reference; reference). The wedding was recorded in the Great Southern Herald as being very pretty (reference). The church had been decorated by Ellen's friends in the colour scheme of the 11th Battalion with the altar rail draped in battalion colours with the inscription Anzac in gold (reference).
ANNIE AND GEORGE BARDSLEY
By 1943 Annie Ethel Bardsley was recorded to live at 11 Sampson Road as a housewife to George Wilfred Bardsley (reference).
Annie was born Annie Ethel Auguston in 1902, Bunbury and took her husband's last name when they were married in 1927 (reference; reference). Annie was the daughter of Frank Edward and Esther Mary Auguston (reference). She had thirteen siblings - Lilian Catherine, Alma, Edward, Victor, May, Elsie, Herbert, Lena, Leslie, Albert, Ray, Eileen and Daphne (reference). In 1920 Annie attended the funeral of Jean Wallace, a child of only five years old (reference).
In 1936 George was declared bankrupt (reference; reference). Eleven years later, Annie and George's marriage ended in divorce in 1947 on the grounds that George deserted her (reference). At the time of divorce George was living on Seventh Avenue, Maylands, Perth (reference).
George went on to remarry Cecilia Bannister in Perth in 1949 (reference). In 1953 he was working as a storeman in Maylands (reference). Over a decade later, George passed away in 1963 in Perth at 61 years old and was buried in Morley Park (reference; reference).
Annie died at the age of 90 in 1992 and is buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery (reference).
LILIAN MAY HALL
In 1949, Lilian May Hall occupied the house and worked as a telephonist (reference). Lilian was quite involved in the South Bunbury and Collie community while growing up (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). She attended many Children's Balls in Bunbury and entered their paper costume competitions, even winning a consolation prize in 1924 (reference; reference; reference). In 1927 she attended the ball dressed as a cook (reference). Other events she attended included St David's Parish Picnics in 1927 and 1928 (reference; reference). In 1928 at this Picnic, she participated in the high jump for girls under 11 (reference; reference). In 1928 and 1929, Lilian attended Girl Guide meetings (reference; reference). In 1930 she passed her Trinity College of Music London examination playing the violin (reference). In 1934 she attended St David's Bazaar - a fundraising effort on 28 December for the church (reference). At the Bazaar, Lilian was entered in a popular girls competition where she received 1062 votes (reference).
Residents of 11 Sampson Road
1937 Hector and Ellen Haslam
1943 Annie Ethel Bardsley
1949 Lilian May Hall
More information on Sampson's Town can be found in the article 'The Chinese in Bunbury (1890s-1910s) on the Streets of Bunbury website.