The Beale Family of Templestowe
The approach of our bicentennial year has prompted at least one family member around the country to ask two main questions: Where did the .......... family come from Where did the ..........family live ?Although the bicentennial year was not the motivating force for my searches on the Beale family, it certainly has provided continuing impetus to find out more remote details, wherever they may be located.
Settlements grow by migration and through high birth rates. Lewis Beale was one of these migrants who departed his Lambeth, London, birthplace in 1867 and who came to the Bulleen/Templestowe areas to work as a woodcutter. Why this area you ask ? Probably the presence of an older half brother and his family in Bulleen meant an easier start to life in the colony.
Somehow, somewhere and at sometime, Lewis Beale met Lydia Eliza Hicks. (She was the fifth child of Thomas and Eliza Hicks who had arrived in December 1841, as bounty immigrants from Bristol, Gloucestershire.) Immediately following their June 1875 marriage at St. John's Church of England Heidelberg, Lewis and Lydia went to live in a rented home owned by John Chivers on Cemetery Road, where they paid rates of 1 pound 1/-.
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| Beale Family House |
Lewis, I am told, took his dray load of timber into the areas near Kew, which were hungry for timber as a fuel source. Between 1877 and 1890, there were ten children born - five boys and five girls, see family tree below. Only one infant death occurred, that of Lydia in 1884, and this family was indeed fortunate. Sometime in 1879, Lewis and Lydia moved from John Chivers' land, but I cannot find evidence of their exact locations, until the 1890 Rate Book entry, which reveals they were renting land owned by John Smith - 69 acres in Newman's Road.
All nine children would have walked to Templestowe School No. 1395, where they all achieved their Standard of Education or Grade 6. It is interesting to read the school records (which are in desperate need of preservation) and to find that the children often commenced in pairs - the older waiting back a year.
The school and rate records give Lewis' occupation at varying times as woodcutter, labourer, farmer and gardener. Sadly on 2lst October 1892, Lewis was widowed by the death of Lydia. The older children, Thomas, Laura, Lewis and Benjamin went out to work and helped the family finances. Lydia's older sister, Elizabeth who had married James Smith (their home survives in Atkinson Street) is said to have helped the family and along with the many kind neighbours, the family survived the difficult years of the 1890's.
Sometime following Lydia's death, Lewis purchased 2 acres in Cemetery Read, (now Poote St.) which had been owned by James Eccleston. This land, included a house and garden, and was on the south west corner of Williamson's Rd. and Foote St. and a photo shows the home early this century.
In the 1890's depression, many young Templestowe/Doncaster men journeyed to Western Australia seeking employment. Three Beale boys went to the Bunbury/Collie areas, and for several years they worked as timber cutters for the railways. Benjamin was to spend much of his life here, Lewis (junior) returned and established his orchard in Serpell's Road Templestowe, where he propagated the 'Beale' peach. George returned to orcharding. Thomas had selected land at Mt. Fatigue, in South Gippsland. Lewis junior and Joe are the two Beale boys most photographed in sporting teams for Templestowe.
Lewis remained interested in his family and was able even in his later years to visit his son in Western Australia and to journey to South Gippsland.
On 14th October 1914, he died at the Melbourne Hospital and was buried at the Templestowe Cemetery.
Australia was at war and Joe his youngest son was granted leave to attend his father's funeral.
I have answered the two questions, how about you ?????? A plea - a copy of your family history to the Society's library, so we all can read about the growth and development of the Templestowe and Doncaster areas.
Coleen Boyer writing in 1987 09 DTHS Newsletter
All nine children would have walked to Templestowe School No. 1395, where they all achieved their Standard of Education or Grade 6. It is interesting to read the school records (which are in desperate need of preservation) and to find that the children often commenced in pairs - the older waiting back a year.
The school and rate records give Lewis' occupation at varying times as woodcutter, labourer, farmer and gardener. Sadly on 2lst October 1892, Lewis was widowed by the death of Lydia. The older children, Thomas, Laura, Lewis and Benjamin went out to work and helped the family finances. Lydia's older sister, Elizabeth who had married James Smith (their home survives in Atkinson Street) is said to have helped the family and along with the many kind neighbours, the family survived the difficult years of the 1890's.
Sometime following Lydia's death, Lewis purchased 2 acres in Cemetery Read, (now Poote St.) which had been owned by James Eccleston. This land, included a house and garden, and was on the south west corner of Williamson's Rd. and Foote St. and a photo shows the home early this century.
In the 1890's depression, many young Templestowe/Doncaster men journeyed to Western Australia seeking employment. Three Beale boys went to the Bunbury/Collie areas, and for several years they worked as timber cutters for the railways. Benjamin was to spend much of his life here, Lewis (junior) returned and established his orchard in Serpell's Road Templestowe, where he propagated the 'Beale' peach. George returned to orcharding. Thomas had selected land at Mt. Fatigue, in South Gippsland. Lewis junior and Joe are the two Beale boys most photographed in sporting teams for Templestowe.
Lewis remained interested in his family and was able even in his later years to visit his son in Western Australia and to journey to South Gippsland.
On 14th October 1914, he died at the Melbourne Hospital and was buried at the Templestowe Cemetery.
Australia was at war and Joe his youngest son was granted leave to attend his father's funeral.
I have answered the two questions, how about you ?????? A plea - a copy of your family history to the Society's library, so we all can read about the growth and development of the Templestowe and Doncaster areas.
Coleen Boyer writing in 1987 09 DTHS Newsletter
Joe Beale was born at Templestowe on 1 September 1887, the eighth child of Lewis Beale and Lydia his wife [nee Hicks]. DP1283
Bower, Coleen. 2008, Joseph Beale : his World War I experiences from a collection of postcards and letters to and from Templestowe, 1914-1919 / by Coleen Bower [Coleen Bower] Blackburn, Vic
https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4761290. Revised edition published 2015
Club Legend, Joe Beale, taking a lazy 13 wickets for the match including 8/22 in the second innings!! It's performances like these and his time serving his country in World War 1 as to why Templestowe Cricket Club Champion Award is named after Joe.
https://www.facebook.com/TemplestoweCricketClub/photos/a.265071636949095.58483.262214877234771/1553461358110110/?type=3&theater
Extract from Templestowe – A Folk History. By Hazel Poulter Purchase from http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/shop/templestowe-a-folk-history-by-hazel-poulter
p60 Standing in the top row from left to right are Tom Cashen, Jim Cashen, Bert Chivers, Alf Chivers, Gilbert Smith and Joe Beale. Seated in the middle row are Leo Fitzsimons, Mick Cashen, the umpire Walter Bilson, Ted Sheahan, and Lew Beale. In the front are Jim Sheahan and Jim Hodgson.
Joe and Lew Beale were the sons of Lewis Beale who came to Templestowe in 1875. Joe had an orchard in Porter Street right next to the recreation reserve. Lew's property was on the north west corner of Church and Serpens Roads. Joe's and Lew's maternal grandfather Tom Hicks, settled in Temple-stowe in 1841 and the first local school was held in his barn in the 1850's.
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