EDWARD WOODROW (1859-1937)
Edward Woodrow, the son of a prison guard, came from humble beginnings, but went on to serve fifty one years in the postal service both here in Bunbury and in Melbourne. He held numerous community roles in Bunbury during a time of great advancements in the town and a transition to Federation.
Edward (also known as Jeff), was born in 1859 at York, the youngest son of Edward Josiah and Mary Anne Woodrow (nee Grogan) (reference). His father, known as Josiah was a Principal Warder with the Convict Department and he brought his family to Bunbury in 1868 when the transportation system was ceasing.
Young Edward attended the Wellington Academy in Bunbury during 1868-1869 run by convict Stephen Stout (reference). In an advert for the establishment in 1870, after Mr Stout’s departure, the academy was listed as a classical and commercial school for sons of gentlemen with the usual subjects of english, french, classics, mathematics and drawing studied. Board and school fees were £40 pa (approximately $6440 today) (reference, reference).
In about 1875 Edward was involved in the construction of the Albany to Eucla telegraph line (reference).
From 1877 - 1904 Edward was Bunbury’s Postmaster (reference, reference). During this time he purchased land at lot P10 Stirling Street in 1883, which was previously a pensioner’s cottage built by convicts (reference, reference).
In 1892 he was elected to the Bunbury School Board (reference).
In 1893, in his capacity as Postmaster and responsible for the maintenance of telegraph lines, he was called to give evidence in the case against John Warboys who was charged (and found guilty) with wilfully damaging the telegraph line from Bunbury to Bridgetown (reference).
In 1894 he was temporarily made up to second Lieutenant for the Bunbury Rifle Volunteers (reference). This organisation was formed in late 1892 as part of the West Australian Volunteer Forces, with Captain T H Lovegrove in charge (reference). Edward had joined it on its inception as a private (reference). In recollections of the unit by Tom Shaw in 1954, he described their uniform as a red tunic, dark blue trousers with red stripe and a spiked hat. Tom enlisted quite by accident on the forceful but gentle persuasion of one of its officers, Newton Moore (reference). By 1896 Edward became its Captain, succeeding Captain Lovegrove (reference).
In 1897 Edward took Major Gover, of the Salvation Army, to court for not conducting a marriage within Church premises in which the banns of marriage were read, but after an appeal by Major Gover, he was found not in conflict with the marriage laws (reference).
In 1899 Edward and Thomas Paisley, Bunbury School master, ran unopposed for the two vacant positions of Municipal auditors, which Edward held for a year (reference, reference).
In 1901, Captain Woodrow, Sergeant Mitchell, WH Timperley (RM) and Dr Williams (Government Medical Officer) had the task of selecting ten fit men from thirty volunteers of the Bunbury Militia, to join the fifth contingent to proceed to South Africa, as part of the Boer War campaign, which had started on 11 October 1899 (reference, reference).
In the same year Edward, along with W H Timperley became visiting Justices for the Bunbury gaol, a position that he held until 1904 (reference, reference).
Edward was promoted to the rank of Major of the Bunbury Rifle Volunteers in March 1903 and was congratulated by Sir John Forrest, Minister for Defence (reference). A few months later the unit competed against the Bunbury Rifle Club, in nearest to the target. The civilian team won the day, with the volunteers being depleted due to their best marksmen serving in the Boer War (reference). These men returned to Bunbury with a reunion at the Cricketers Arms Hotel on 29 August 1903 and were praised for their efforts by Major Woodrow and Captain Moore of the South West Mounted Rifles, along with Sergeant Shaw, who had served with these men (reference).
Edward also held various community roles such as the secretary of the Bunbury Fire Brigade, a member of the Bunbury Yacht Club, Congregational Church and the Wellington Lodge (reference, reference, reference, reference).
Edward left Bunbury in 1904 on his appointment of Inspector-in-charge of the Eastern Goldfields Post Office in Coolgardie and in 1911 he was promoted to Chief Inspector of the Commonwealth’s Posts & Telegraphs in Melbourne, residing in St Kilda. He retired in 1925 after 51 years in the postal service. (reference, reference).
Edward died in November 1937 at his home in Mt Lawley. His wife Lucy predeceased him in 1934 (reference).
Woodrow Street, Carey Park was named in Edward’s honour.
Family
Edward married Lucy Ann Crampton, daughter of John and Frances Crampton (nee Moore) in 1880 in Bunbury (reference).
Lucy was born in 1855 in Picton and her parents were from well-known pioneer families, both of whom arrived in Australind on board the “Diadem” on 10 April 1842 (reference, reference). Sadly Lucy’s mother died in 1859 aged 21 and John subsequently married Clemena Gardiner in 1862 at Picton (reference). Clemena was the daughter of Reuben and Ann Gardiner, who also arrived in Australind on 8 December 1842, on board the “Trusty” (reference, reference). Lucy’s younger cousin was Newton Moore who was Mayor of Bunbury 1901-1904 and WA Premier 1906-1910 (reference).
Edward and Lucy had four children:
Alma 1883-1966
Sylvia Frances 1889-1922
John Newton 1895-1938
Claude Edward was born 1882 in Bunbury. He attended the Bunbury Boys’ School and in 1892 he was marked top of the class for standard IV, for which he received a prize (reference).
Claude, along with Willie Foster and Luke Smith assisted in the saving of adjoining shops to Maxted and Co in Stephen Street that burnt to the ground in 1899 (reference).
He was a member of the Bunbury Rifle Corps for 7 years and saw active duty for fifteen months as a Lieutenant in the 6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry in the Boer War, South Africa from 8 March 1901 (reference, reference).
On his return to Bunbury in 1903 he lived in Stephen Street and was a telegraphist (reference).
Later that year he gained a position with the South African Post and Telegraph Office (reference).
By 1908 Claude had returned to Western Australia and was employed as a telegraph operator for WA Government Railways, where, apart from four years service in World War 1, he worked until 1946 (reference).
At the time of enlistment in the 10th Light Horse Brigade in 1915, Claude was living at 188 Adelaide Terrace, Perth. Despite his age, 33, he was accepted into the rank of Lieutenant and left for Egypt on board the ship “Borda”. He was discharged from service in late 1918 due to illness acquired whilst serving. For an indepth account of Claude’s’ service record please see Jeff Peirce’s research at https://anzacheroes.com.au/anzac_heroes/woodrow-claude-edward/
In 1931 he was living with his parents at 57 Farnley Street, Maylands (reference). He resided at that address with his wife Eileen who he married in 1939, until his death in 1959 (reference). He is buried with his parents and sister Alma at Karrakatta Cemetery (reference).