Stuart William Kinder (b 1887)

parents Enoch Kinder & Matilda Maud Crask


born 12 July 1887, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia[4]
died 1934, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia[7]
buried 18 September 1934, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia[8]



Stuart William Kinder

Stuart was born on 12 July 1887 at his parents' home at 31 Evelyn Street in St Kilda[4].  He was their 14th child!

Stuart was only 4 years old when his father died from injuries received from the Windsor railway accident in the year of Stuart's birth.  As a youngster, he moved around from house to house with his mother.  They must have been very poor.  Nevertheless, Matilda did her best to school her children at home.  Stuart started as a Fruiterer and then gained his apprenticeship as an Electrician.  Perhaps he worked with his younger brother, George Herbert who was also in the electrical trade?


Marriage

Stuart married Alison Mavis Barlow on 23 September 1907 at the Methodist Church in Balaclava, Victoria[2].  He stated his occupation as a Fruiterer living in Sandringham, Victoria.  Alison also stated that she was living in Sandringham at the time of their marriage.  The marriage was witnessed by Stuart’s mother, Matilda Maud and his sister, Frances Ruby Kinder.  



Alison Mavis' name is clear on the marriage certificate but she was not always known as such.  She was born on 25 September 1885 in Dubbo, New South Wales and registered as Alice Mary[3].  She may also have been known as Elsie Mavis.  Were all these names hers or did she create them as she went along?  Oddly, for reasons only known to herself, she always celebrated her birthday on 7 August[4].


Alison Mavis / Alice Mary / Elsie Mavis birth certificate

Alison's parents were Thomas Edward Barlow and Elizabeth Barnes.  Sometime between 1887 and 1891, the Barlow family moved to Melbourne[5].


Where Did They Live...

The Sands & McDougall Directories of 1908 and 1909 show Stuart living in Station Street, Sandringham, Victoria possibly working as a Fruiterer.  The same directories of 1910, 1911 and 1912 show him living at 68 Denham Street, Hawthorn.  This was the home of his uncle/aunt, Alfred Kinder and Annette Turner[1,6].  In 1913 and 1914 they rented a house at 61 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield[10].  They lived at 182 Hotham Street, East St Kilda in 1914[6].  They may have then moved to 61 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick, Victoria.  The Sands & McDougall Directories of 1914 and 1915 show him there.   In 1916, he is shown living at Younger’s Avenue, Caulfield, Victoria.

Stuart, Alison and their first 4 children went to Banaba Island (formerly Ocean Island) probably in late 1918 or early 1919 and Stuart worked as the Chief Electrician for the Pacific Islands Phosphate Company which was mining phosphate on the island.



Scenes from Banaba Island

The family home
Alison Mavis Barlow, ca1919

A fancy dress party
Photos courtesy of Helen Muldoon


Stuart and Alison stayed on Banaba for a couple of years returning to Australia in 1920.  They returned for Stuart to take up a position with the Geelong Cement Works and so established a Kinder family base around Geelong which exists until today.  In 1925, the Sands & McDougall Directory shows him living at Fyansford Road, Geelong.  In 1928-31, the family lived at a home on Government Road,Geelong[6].


Alison Mavis Barlow and children at the beach, early 1920s
Stuart William Kinder holding son, Alan Stuart


Passing On

Stuart William died in 1934, aged just 48 years.  He was cremated at the Fawkner Crematorium & Memorial Park, Victoria on 18 September and his ashes were scattered[8].   It is said that he died of a heart attack in a room at the Australia Hotel, Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria.  He may have been in the company of woman other than his wife at the time.


After Stuart died, Alison worked for a time as a Cook in 1936 at Bassett Station in Branxholme, Victoria and later shet lived at 51 Elgin Street, Carlton from 1943 to 1949.  This may have been her last address[6].

Alison Mavis died on 27 January 1952 at Geelong.  She was buried on 30 January 1952 at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.  She lies in EAS-COE-13-807-361, Reg 22957[4,9].


Alison’s gravestone at the Eastern Cemetery, Geelong
Thanks to Helen Muldoon


Additional Links if you are interested in Banaba Island and it history.......

http://australianmuseum.net.au/banabans-and-their-story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaba_Island
http://www.banaban.com/contents/en-us/d107_banaban-living-on-banaba-today.html
http://insidestory.org.au/caught-between-homelands


References
  1. Sands and McDougall Melbourne & Suburban Directory.
  2. Stuart Williamd Kinder & Alison Mavis Barlow marriage certificate.
  3. Alison Mavis Barlow (as Alice Mary) birth certificate.
  4. Helen Muldoon - personal communication.
  5. Bll Barlow - personal communication.
  6. Australian Electoral Rolls.
  7. Victorian BMD Index
  8. Fawkner Crematorium & Memorial Park records
  9. Geelong Eastern Cemetery records
  10. City of Caulfield Rate Book 1913, page 32 & 1914, page 35