1.
Permission to reproduce her research has been kindly given by Avis Leigh of Victoria, Australia. I have added some details and links to individuals where information is available elsewhere on this site, but if you would like further information, or have any other details to add, Avis would be very happy to hear from you.
Please also visit her website: The Pickering Heritage
Victor Henry Brew, born in Collingwood, Victoria, 28 January 1900, was the youngest child of James Brew, a civil servant who was born in America, and Emily Emander Hancock (married 1878). His siblings were Margaret Ellen 1878-1920, Alexander James 1881-1938, James 1883-1962, Albert Edward 1885-1963, Emily 1887-?, Mary Jane 1889-1969, Alberta Louisa Matilda 1893-1960, William Thomas 1894-1969, and Charles Edward 1897-1976.
Victor married Ethel Pickering (born 1901), the eldest child of William Stanley Pickering (born in Castlemaine, Victoria, in 1879) and Catherine Hamilton Pickering (nee Westgarth), in Hamilton, Victoria, on 30 September 1919. As both were under 21 at the time, they had to produce written permission from their fathers to marry in the registry office in Melbourne. Their marriage was witnessed by N. S. Brew & E. Brew.
They lived at Traralgon for some time before moving on to various places and jobs. Victor is remembered by his son Stan as a very clever man. Stan said his father held certificates in civil engineering, in motor and diesel engineering and worked as an engineer in road and bridge building. He was on such work near Morwell when Stan was born in 1921.
Vic's next venture was with his brother Charles, with whom he had a net fishing license for Port Phillip Bay for a time. Later, the two brothers went rabbit-trapping in the Mallee for Percy Brodley of Brunswick. Due to the extreme rabbit population, the business was very successful; at one stage Percy had between fifty and sixty men working for him. Vic also had a freezer works at Ultima. He is recorded in the "Ultima Centenary 1892-1992", on page 280, under "Tradesmen and Business People in the 20s & 30s" as having an ice-works and rabbit-trapping business.
Stan also recalls his father played and coached football at Ultima. After Ultima the family moved to Mentone and then to Chelsea, where they lived the rest of their lives. Vic continued to do various jobs, one being road contracting at Chiltern. During the depression, Vic worked for O'Gimpen, who had a number of variety stores similar to Myers. He drove for them and maintained their trucks, and in the war years converted them to duel engines to use both petrol to power kerosene. Vic was often away on contract work, coming home only on weekends.
Victor also served as a Warrant Officer in the AIF during World War II, and three pictures of him are held by the Australian War Museum.
Ethel unfortunately suffered from the 'Pickering curse' of hip problems, and was confined to a wheel chair when in her early fifties. She died on 25 January 1964 while living with her son Bobby and daughter-in-law Margaret at Noble Park. Vic later remarried and lived on until 1986.
Ethel and Vic had five children:
|
1. |
Oswald (Ossie) Charles Brew, born in Boort, Victoria, on 5 February 1920 and died 29 January 1996. In August 1942 he married Jean Annie Dunnumson, who was born 30 November 1922 and died in 1981. He enjoyed brewing his own beer, which he proudly called "Brew's Brew" and was reputedly a 'good drop'. He worked in butchering most of his life but also served with the 2/2nd AIF during World War II. |
|
| Oswald enlisted in the Australian Army in Caulfield, Victoria, on 29 June 1940 and was discharged on 9 November 1945 with the rank of Corporal. A photo of him with his troop in Malanda, Queensland, in 1943, is held by the Australian War Memorial. He and Jean lived in Carrum, Victoria, and had six children: | ||
Carole Anne Brew, born 10 October 1946. She married Kenneth Jackson Harris on 17 December 1966 and has two children
David Victor Brew, born 16 June 1948. He married Elsie Dorothy Black on 23 October 1973 and has two sons
Janet Margaret Brew, born 25 August 1950. She gave birth to a son in 1969, who was given up for adoption, but reunited with her in 1990. She also had a daughter in 1970 who died at just three days old. On 8 January 1971, Janet married Francis Patrick Bailey (born 15 October 1946), and has two children
Neil Edward Brew, born 30 March 1952. He married Jan and has two children
Ian Charles Brew, born 22 November 1955
Paul James Brew, born 26 December 1963. He married Lisa (born 1969) and has one daughter
Stanley Henry Brew, born in a tent near Morwell on 18 October 1921. Stan has been told he was tossed aside as dead when born. Fortunately someone saw a movement, picked him up and he was taken to hospital. The doctors said he had a leaking heart valve and would not live twelve months. He was hearty and healthy at his 80th birthday celebrations in 2001!!
Stan started school at Barraport then went to Ultima. He started his working life at the age of 12 in a grocery store owned by Cliff Carver and Ryan, where he spent a few years. At 16 he was working on farm in Swan Hill for Bruce Lang, then he went to Korman Textiles. After about a year, his employer sent him and another young lad to New Zealand to work in the industry there. When World War II broke out, Stan joined the New Zealand Navy. After the war he returned to New Zealand and worked for Auckland auctions, which dealt in new and second hand furniture.
In 1949, he returned to Australia, and found employment as a driver for the Cheltenham Co-operative Society. Also working in the office of the Co-Op was a certain Patricia Diggle, who was born in Ballarat on 13 November 1933. Stan and Pat married on 18 June 1954 and had two daughters:
Debra Brew, born in 1956, who is a teacher and a keen horsewoman, and has not married.
Julie Brew, born 26 December 1958. She married Peter John Cass (born 29 June1961) on 26 January 1985 and has three children
Alan Victor Brew, born in Chelsea, Victoria, on 17 August 1923. A very large man known to many as a gentle giant, he served with the 2nd AIF during World War II, but never married. He enlisted in the Australian Army in Western Australia in 4 January 1943 and was discharged on 1 July 1946. On 9 September 1969 he was working on contract, logging timber at Upper Beaconsfield. The team had stopped for lunch and Alan started to say something about fixing the truck. As he didn't finish the sentence, his boss turned around and found Alan had died suddenly of a massive heart attack. He lived with his brother Bobby, his family and their mother, at 81 Callander Road, Noble Park. He was just 46 when he died.
Robert (Bobby) James Brew, born in Chelsea, Victoria, on 25 April 1926, and died 24 June 1997. Robert served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. He enlisted in Port Melbourne on 1 August 1944 and was discharged on 16 September 1946 with the rank of Able Seaman. His posting at discharge was to HMAS Shropshire. He worked for Telecom a total of 44 years, before retiring at the age of 58, due to ill health. He married Margaret Line (born on 20 February 1940) on 16 June 1962, and had two children:
Sharyn Brew, born 1 April 1963, who is a swimming teacher. She married Timothy Cawley in 1984 and had three children, although their first died at under two years of age. The marriage dissolved and Sharyn married secondly Kevin Martin, with whom she also has a son
Robert Brew, born 5 June 1964, who works for Telstra. He married Diane Van de Venne on 6 October 1985 and has two children
Albert Edward (Bert) Brew, born in Chelsea on 3 January 1929. He was known as a bit of a 'dare-devil' kid, who got into scraps and worried his parents. He worked at a variety of jobs, the main ones being with Myers and Telecom. He also leased the Bairnsdale Hotel for a time. Albert married Janet Lorraine Smith at Tatura. Janet was born on 10 October 1937. They had three children:
Julie Michelle Brew, born 25 August 1959 at Tatura. She married Nicholas McGrath in 1981 and has two daughters
Megan Gaye Brew, born 2 September 1966 at Tatura. She went to Western Australia where she met and married David Chadwick, and has one son
Aaron Victor Brew, born 9 May 1967 at Tatura
Alexander James Brew was born in Yarram, Victoria, in
1881, and died in Korumburra, Victoria, in 1938, aged 57 (Cert. No. 1938/16495). He married Daisy Jane James in the
Presbyterian Church in Korumburra on 26 August 1918 (Cert. No. 5776). Daisy was born in Bena, Victoria, on 29 May 1901 and
died in Bendigo, Victoria, on 2 September 1984. Her father was Thomas McMillian
and her mother Sarah Jane James (born in Bungaree Springs, Victoria, 25 May 1879).
However, Daisy was reared by her stepfather, William Miles (born in Mulgrave,
Victoria, 14 July 1875), as if she were his own daughter. Alexander and Daisy's
children were:
Mary Jane Brew married Charles Henry Grant, a Railway Ganger, in 1909 (Cert. No. 6120). Charles was born 23 February 1885, and died in Chelsea, Victoria, on 18 June 1952, aged 67.
Charles
was the son of James Thompson
Grant and Mary Anne Marchment, who were married in the Manse of the Avoca
Presbyterian Church on 19 April 1871. James was born
in Glasgow, Scotland, on 16 October 1839, the son of John Grant and Mary
Thompson. Mary Anne was born in Norwood, South Australia, on 9 February 1852.
At the time of
their marriage Mary Ann was living at Natte Yallock. James resided at Moonambel,
where he was listed as a contractor. James and Mary lived in Moonambel until
1879 when they moved to St. Arnaud. In 1882, James obtained a job with the
railways, whilst Mary earned an allowance as a gate keeper. James died of a
cerebral haemorrhage & dysentery in St. Arnaud on 15 December 1898, aged 59
years. He is buried in St. Arnaud Cemetery. Mary died in St. Arnaud on 11 January
1915 and is buried with him.
Elsie Olive Irene Grant, born 1910
Elva Florence Grant, born 1911
Leonard Charles Grant, born 1913
Lillian Valma Grant, born 1914
Ruby Mary Grant, born 1916
See also the website of Dale Watts of Yeungroon, Victoria: The Family of Mary Ann Grant nee Marchment