William John Mathews (1909 – 1996)

Table of Contents

A genealogical presentation of the life and times of the ancestors and descendants of William Henry Mathews (1880 – 1964) and his wife Sarah Louisa Florence Mitchell (1889 – 1972).

THE MATHEWS FAMILY LINEAGE

William John MATHEWS (1909 – 1996) William John (aka WJ or simply Jack) was born on the 30th of November 1909, his parents William and Florence residing at 39 Fawkner Street, South Yarra at the time. His arrival was certainly a delight to his paternal grandmother Emma who was also living with the family at this time. William's memory of this house and indeed his parent’s next house (at 53 York Street Middle Park, St Kilda West) would be non-existent. Nor would the birth of his younger brother Russell Alexander on the 21st of May 1911. He would however recall the family moving to 7 Docker Street, Elwood, where on the 1st of April 1916 he was introduced to a new brother Oliver Wellsley. Jack’s education commenced at Elwood Central Primary School and then continued at Melbourne Grammar School. By now his parents had moved yet again, this time to 101 (was 92A) Lewisham Road, Prahran, which certainly helped his daily school commute. When the family made their final residential move to 2 Church Square, St Kilda (St Helens) in 1926, Jack fell out of the catchment zone for Melbourne Grammar and transferred to Caulfield Grammar School to complete his education. This he did attaining his Leaving Certificate with honours. At the age of 19, and uncertain of his career pathway, Jack continued his education at South Melbourne Technical College, where he attained a pass in 1st Year Practical Chemistry. The following year he began a four-year teacher training program at Melbourne University whilst still living at home with his parents. The 1936 Australian Electoral Roll records William John as a teacher at Massey State School on the Watchem-Warracknabeal Road, approximately 20 km northwest of Donald. The same roll records another teacher at the Massey State School named Mary Agnes McCARTHY (1911 - 1993) – a 25-year-old woman destined to become William's wife.

WJ Mathews is farewelled from Massey State School.
The Argus, 4 September 1937.

After spending three years in his first appointment, the Massey community farewells William, who is presented with a wallet of notes. It can be assumed that the school also loses Mary McCarthy at the same time for their marriage is registered [1] the following year.

Mary Agnes McCarthy (aged 15).
Photograph taken prior to the family leaving Koroit for Melbourne in 1926.

Given society's religious mores at the time, any marriage between Protestant and Roman Catholic faced significant hurdles and the union between William and Mary was no different. William had proposed whilst his parents had been holidaying overseas, perhaps knowing his parents’ acceptance (particularly his mother's) would not be forthcoming. Whilst Mary had accepted William's proposal, her mother - a staunch Roman Catholic - had refused to give her blessing unless William converted to Catholicism. This did not happen, but a marriage contract was signed in the early months of 1938 at a civil ceremony. As William’s next teachers’ appointment was at Somers Primary School, the newlyweds headed to the Mornington Peninsula.

William Mathews – the tennis player and teacher.
Somers, 1938 to 1942.
Left: The Argus, 24 August 1938. Right: The Age, 2 October 1942.

Somers Primary School was one of the Education Department's newest schools having been established the year before William and Mary arrived and whilst William relished the challenges it provided, Mary who was now just a “stay-at-home” housewife, took little pleasure from her change of lifestyle. Their marriage was headed for disaster, not helped in any way by Jack joining the local branch of the Citizen Military Forces in 1940. Having experienced a little of Army training and discipline from eighteen months of Grammar school cadets, William (V39514) was appointed a probationary Lieutenant in March 1941, a probationary Captain in October 1942, and a full Captain in May 1943. William and Mary's separation was confirmed in the Australian Electoral Roll of 1942 which recorded William as a teacher at Somers, whilst Mary was a clerk living with her mother and younger siblings at 94 Westbury Street, St Kilda.

William Mathews' Army enlistment.
Australian Military Forces, 16 March 1943.

William's teaching tenure at Somers Primary School finished at the end of 1942 and he immediately enlisted in the Australian Military Forces being attached to the Australian Intelligence Corps as a Captain. In June of the same year Captain W.J. Mathews (VX133275) attended the LHQ School of Military Intelligence seeking promotion to the signals wing. After only achieving a mark of 45 (20th in his class), he failed and was re-assigned as a cypher officer, the examination board assessing that he had “found difficulty in deductive aspects of intelligence work, (his) manner reticent, and (that he) did not mix easily with the rest of the class”. In January 1944, William found himself in hospital where he was diagnosed with a radial inguinal hernia. The army subsequently deemed him medically unfit, and he was released from service in November of the same year. Upon discharge, William’s forwarding address was noted as 2 Church Square, St Kilda, that of his parents. During the second world war, the education department had difficulty finding staff, so when somebody of William’s experience became available, his services were quickly deployed. William was assigned to Murrumbeena State School in 1945 and moved to a house at 5 Victory Street, Murrumbeena.

William Mathews is promoted at Murrumbeena State School in 1949. The Argus, 24 May 1949.

For William 1949 brought a new teaching contract with a promotion. This also coincided with a residential relocation - hardly surprising given his father’s penchant for change - to a four-bedroom weatherboard house at 22 Brett Street, Murrumbeena. William was now involved with another woman, as late the previous year, he had become acquainted with a 28-year-old married lady named Gladwys Ada CULHANE (nee Davies; 1920 - 2006) whose relationship with her husband had come to an end. When Gladwys' divorce was granted she moved into 5 Victory Street, Murrumbeena [2] registered as Gladwys Ada Mathews. Victorian Rate Book entries for the City of Caulfield in December 1950 show William John and Gladys (sic) Ada Mathews to now be joint owners of 22 Brett Street, Murrumbeena. William desperately wanted to marry Gladwys (now calling herself “Gwen”) but William’s first wife Mary refused a divorce resulting in a stalemate that continued to be unresolved until 1955. When his divorce was finally granted, William and “Gwen” married and the couple moved into a new home at 36 Brett Street, Murrumbeena. A year later the couple welcomed the arrival of a son. William’s posting at Murrumbeena State School finished in 1964 and he was transferred to North Dandenong Primary School. The family’s Murrumbeena house was sold, and they purchased a farm on Brown's Road, Devon Meadows. Upon his retirement in 1969, William took to poultry farming with a modicum of success. He lived until he was 86, surviving his younger brothers by over 20 years. Gladwys Ada “Gwen” Mathews survived her husband by ten years, both being cremated at the Springvale Cemetery.

References Victorian Marriage Index, 1837-1950. The marriage of William John Matthews (sic) to Mary Agnes McCarthy was registered (Ref No. 10336) somewhere in Victoria in 1938. Given that she was born a Catholic and had very strong family ties, the marriage would most likely have occurred in Melbourne where her mother and siblings were resident at the time. The Australian Electoral Roll of 1949 has Gladwys Ada Mathews registered as a stenographer at 5 Victory Street Murrumbeena.