V
Dennis Valentine (1822-1897)
Dennis was was a local bricklayer in Bunbury in 1885. Very limited information exists in the historical record on Dennis, whose name is also alternatively spelled Denis. He was born in 1822 at Manchester in England (reference). In 1869 he married Mary Neal in Bunbury (reference). In the South Western Times article ‘Recollections of Bunbury’ Denis is remembered as a principal bricklayer of the Bunbury area (reference). According to the 1894-1895 Post Office Directory he was living in Arthur Street (reference). Dennis had a daughter, Katherine, who married John Donovan and was a prominent Bunbury midwife (reference). His daughter was married in a ‘little church’ that he helped to build (reference). By 1948 this church was being used by the Sisters as a dormitory (reference). He also had another daughter named Mary Ann.
Dennis’ attempted suicide in 1892 was covered in all the major colonial newspapers (reference). At this point in his life he was considered elderly (reference). On 8 February 1897 he passed away at 75 years old and is buried in the Bunbury Pioneer Cemetery which is now in the sand dunes along the Back Beach (reference; reference).
VEALE, Daniel (1868-1897). He was a twin. He was the son of Nicholas and Julia. Daniel married Lily Cecilia Moulton (1873-). Lily was the daughter of Abraham and Esther Rose. She remarried Frederick HcAlinden, who was a coach driver on the Bunbury-Bridgetown route. Daniel was killed in a riding accident.
VEALE, Nicholas (1839/40-29/04/1898). Nicholas was born in Ireland and died in Bunbury. He was the son of Nicholas and Mary. Nicholas arrived on 11/08/1867 on the ship Palestine with his wife. Nicholas married sometime between 1866 and 1867 to Julia Foley (1841-20/01/1926) in Ireland. Julia was possibly the daughter of Daniel and Catherine. She arrived in 1875. Their children were Mary Ann (1867-), Patrick (1868-), Daniel (1861-1897), K, Louisa, Michael, John, Thomas, William, Fred and William, who died in 1886 of an accident while tree climbing. Nicholas was an officer's servant, appointed Police Constable at Fremantle in 1867, Bunbury in 1877 and Guildford in 1878. He resigned in 1881. He was a baker at Bunbury and took up pastoral leasehold at Donnybrook and 320 acres of freehold land (Wellington Location 55) in 1883. He was the licensee of the Anchor and Hope Hotel at Bunbury. His religion was Roman Catholic.
VENN, Harry Whitall (27/10/1844-08/03/1908). He was born in South Australia. Harry was the son of R.C. Venn of Melbourne. Harry arrived on 02/05/1865 on the ship Warrior at Fremantle and then to Nickol Bay. He departed Melbourne on 23/11/1866 on the ship Gem. He married Charlotte Shenton (10/12/1853-18/06/1936) on 10/12/1874 in Perth at the Wesley Church. Charlotte was the daughter of George and Ann Catherine. Harry was a member of Denison Plains Company North West Settler between 1865 and 1875. He owned Roebourne Town Lots in 1866 to 1867. He was the Maitland River Justice of Peace. Harry held 100 000 acres leasehold. In 1879 he bought a large estate at Bunbury. He was a member of the Wellington legislative council from 02/12/1880 to 12/1890 and a member of the Wellington legislative assembly from 12/1890 to 03/1896. He was the commander of Railways and director of public works. He contested for a seat in Federal Parliament in 1903. He visited the Eastern Colonies in 1886. He travelled to London and returned in 1888.
VERNER, Carl (1842-). He was an expiree, meaning he was a convict who completed his sentence. Carl arrived on 22/12/1866 on the ship Corona. He was employed as a ticket of leave sawyer at Bunbury in 1876. He was Jewish.
VINES, Frederick Castell (1840-11/11/1868). Frederick was born in England and died at sea. He arrived on 28/11/1862 on the ship African. He married Emily Jane Bussel (08/1841-1911) on 05/08/1864 in Busselton. Emily was the daughter of John and Charlotte. Their children were Mary Capel (-1949) and Frederick Bussell (1867-1950). Frederick was a surgeon on the ship African. He left the ship to become a medical officer at Bunbury. He employed five or six ticket of leave men on occasions from 1863 to 1867. He took his family to England on 23/01/1868 on the ship Fitzroy but died at sea during the return voyage to Western Australia. He was a member of the Church of England.
VINES, Mary Capel. She was the daughter of Frederick Bussell. Mary married in 1896 to Frederick Montray Richardson in Bunbury.
Frank Lay alias Ernest Voltaire
Known as Voltaire the Ventriloquist, he arrived on 11/11/1877 on the Rob Roy from Albany to Fremantle (reference). He was a famous ventriloquist and entertainer who visited the country districts of the colony in Western Australia, as well as the Eastern Colonies (reference; reference).
Voltaire visited Bunbury in March 1878 (reference). He was said to have attracted a great crowd when he visited (reference). A month before he arrived in Bunbury a ticket of leave man named William Thompson robbed him of a vest, gold albert chain and watch and a purse containing £2 (reference). For this, William was sentenced to seven years penal servitude (reference).
Voltaire fell very ill in 1880 when he was in New South Wales (reference).
VON BIBRA, Francis Lewis (15/04/1818-31/08/1900) Francis was born in Guernsey and died in Sydney at his daughter's home. He was the son of Francis Ludwig (Louis) and Elizabeth. Francis arrived in the 1850s. He married Elizabeth Palin. He remarried on 16/10/1869 to Mercy Everett (1829-1919) in Bunbury. Mercy was the widow of James of Australind and died in Sydney. Francis and Elizabeth's children were Francis Carl (1845-), Emest Augustus, William Fredrick, Isabella, Leopold Arthur (1858-), Eliza Ernestine, and Bertha Elizabeth. Francis and Mercy's children were Chades Lewis (1871-1945) and Amy (1872-1943). He was a grazier and station owner at Dirk Hartog Island and Tamala with his brother. He was a Fremantle ship owner from 1868 to 1870. He employed twelve ticket of leave men on occasions between 1856 and 1872. He was a storekeeper in Bunbury in 1870. In 1872 he was pearling in Shark Bay. In 1873 in Perth he worked as a farmer and stock owner. He purchased Burswood island. In the 1890s he prospected at Southern Cross for gold. He was educated in England and was a member of the Church of England.