[Index]
William John ELWORTHY (1923 - )
Children Self + Spouses Parents Grandparents Greatgrandparents
Living
Living
Living
Living
 William John ELWORTHY (1923 - )

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Living
 Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (1891 - 1967) Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY (1866 - 1935) James Baker ELWORTHY (1833 - 1889)
Henrietta Sophia Jane LARGE (1846 - 1915)
Leah Christian ISAAC (1865 - 1930) John ISAAC (1827 - 1895)
Elizabeth (Lizzie) KING (1821 - 1905)
Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893 - 1987) Frank HANSEN (1856 - )



Hannah Maira Ellen Jane FITCH (1871 - 1927) Edward FITCH (1830 - 1910)
Janet Elizabeth MACKAY (1832 - 1907)
b. 11 Dec 1923 at Harden, New South Wales, Australia
m. Living Living or Recently Deceased
Near Relatives of William John ELWORTHY (1923 - )
Relationship Person Born Birth Place Died Death Place Age
Grandfather Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY 18 Jan 1866 Tumut, New South Wales, Australia 19 May 1935 Cooma, Monaro, New South Wales, Australia 69
Grandmother Leah Christian ISAAC 15 Aug 1865 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 03 Feb 1930 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 64
Grandfather Frank HANSEN 16 Dec 1856 England
Grandmother Hannah Maira Ellen Jane FITCH 03 May 1871 Daylesford, Victoria, Australia 1927 56

Father in Law John Francis (Frank) Russell BRAY 01 Feb 1881 Tweed River, New South Wales, Australia 04 Sep 1959 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 78
Mother in Law Evelyn Haidee LOWE 28 May 1889 Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia 29 Jul 1942 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 53

Father Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY 31 Jan 1891 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 23 Jan 1967 Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia 75
Mother Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN 18 Apr 1893 New South Wales, Australia 06 Aug 1987 Wynnum, Queensland, Australia 94

Self William John ELWORTHY 11 Dec 1923 Harden, New South Wales, Australia

Wife Living or Recently Deceased

Son Living or Recently Deceased
Son Living or Recently Deceased
Daughter Living or Recently Deceased
Daughter Living or Recently Deceased

Brother Frank Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY 30 May 1919 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 20 Dec 2000 West Gosford, New South Wales, Australia 81
Sister Nancye Leah ELWORTHY 19 Apr 1922 Harden, New South Wales, Australia
Sister Living or Recently Deceased
Brother Robert Fitch Ross ELWORTHY 13 Feb 1928 Crowther, New South Wales, Australia 07 Oct 1990 Albury, New South Wales, Australia 62
Brother Macarthur Arthur James (Cookie) ELWORTHY 16 Aug 1933 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia abt 2008 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 75

Daughter in Law Living or Recently Deceased
Son in Law Living or Recently Deceased
Son in Law Living or Recently Deceased

Grandson Living or Recently Deceased
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Grandson Living or Recently Deceased
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Granddaughter Living or Recently Deceased
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Granddaughter Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson Living or Recently Deceased

Aunt Eileen Christian ELWORTHY 19 Oct 1892 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 10 Sep 1956 Canberra, ACT, Australia 63
Uncle Rodolph Leopold Pierce (Tony) Fane DE SALIS 08 Aug 1886 Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia 21 Feb 1957 Canberra, ACT, Australia 70
Uncle James Baker ELWORTHY 07 Jul 1894 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 01 May 1965 Balmain, New South Wales, Australia 70
Aunt Doris Henrietta (Dobbie) ELWORTHY 17 May 1896 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 21 Nov 1975 Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia 79
Uncle Douglas Ian FREW-BROWN 1901 Blantyre, Scotland 30 May 1961 Leeton, New South Wales, Australia 60
Uncle John Douglas ELWORTHY 15 Jun 1898 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 01 Mar 1942 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 43
Aunt Heather Lillian Jane CRAIG 20 May 1903 Kiama, New South Wales, Australia 02 Jan 1995 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia 91
Aunt Olive Agusta HANSEN 1895 New South Wales, Australia 1967 Burwood, New South Wales, Australia 72
Uncle Charles H O'BRIEN
Uncle Frank Edward HANSEN 1898 New South Wales, Australia 1955 Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia 57

Cousin William Arthur Fane DE SALIS 09 Jun 1916 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 26 Nov 1999 Canberra, ACT, Australia 83
Cousin Eric James Fane DE SALIS 18 Mar 1918 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 14 Feb 2002 Canberra, ACT, Australia 83
Cousin John David DE SALIS 23 Oct 1923 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia
Cousin Jean ELWORTHY 22 Oct 1925 18 Jun 1992 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 66
Cousin Living or Recently Deceased
Cousin Leah Doreen ELWORTHY 17 Dec 1930 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 25 Apr 1961 30
Cousin Living or Recently Deceased

Niece Living or Recently Deceased
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Nephew Living or Recently Deceased
Nephew Living or Recently Deceased
Niece Living or Recently Deceased

Sister in Law Beatrice Betty BRAY 15 Aug 1911 Stokers Siding, New South Wales, Australia 20 Aug 1998 Wynnum, Queensland, Australia 87
Sister in Law Ellen Mary BRAY 01 Mar 1913 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 07 Jun 1915 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 2
Brother in Law Reginald David BRAY 05 Nov 1914 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 1984 70
Sister in Law Barbara Evelyn BRAY 09 Dec 1917 St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia 22 Jul 2003 Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia 85
Sister in Law Haidee Joan BRAY 27 Oct 1920 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 06 Jan 1994 73
Brother in Law Peter John BRAY 24 Apr 1923 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia
Brother in Law Rodney Grahame BRAY 15 Nov 1924 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia 02 May 1971 Main Beach, Queensland, Australia 46
Sister in Law Living or Recently Deceased
Sister in Law Joan Maree STONEY
Sister in Law Living or Recently Deceased
Brother in Law Frank Baylis MACKENZIE 14 Dec 1919 Tumut, New South Wales, Australia 11 Feb 1988 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 68
Brother in Law Roland Ian LOGAN 09 Mar 1925 Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland, England 29 Apr 1995 Manly, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 70
Sister in Law Living or Recently Deceased
Sister in Law Rosemary Heather CARMICHAEL 06 Dec 1937 Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia 06 Jun 2002 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia 64
Events in William John ELWORTHY (1923 - )'s life
Date Age Event Place Notes Src
11 Dec 1923 William John ELWORTHY was born Harden, New South Wales, Australia
24 Nov 1942 18 Enlisted - RAAF Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia
12 Nov 1945 21 Discharged
23 Jan 1967 43 Death of father Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (aged 75) Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia 13924/1967
06 Aug 1987 63 Death of mother Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (aged 94) Wynnum, Queensland, Australia
Personal Notes:
When Fred and Vi's second son William John was born at Harden on 11 Dec 1923, things were looking up in Australia. During the year population reached 5.75 million; new papers were published in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane; work began on Sydney Harbour Bridge; the NRMA was founded and regular radio broadcasts began from Station 2SB (later 2BL) and 2FC.
Like his siblings Bill did correspondence lessons then went to the tiny Bengarralong school where Miss McEvoy gave him extra help to get to high school at Tumut. With other 'train kids' who went up Monday mornings and returned horne on Fridays, he boarded at Miss Kindred's for 13/6 a week!
Moving to Sydney Bill got a job at EMMCO, at first making munitions (mostly nose cones for shells). On the recommendation of his Uncle Frank Hansen, he was transferred to Production and Planning but much to the firm's disappointment Bill joined the RAAF as soon as he turned 18.
He did groundstaff training as a fitter at Evans Head and Forest Hill. Transferred to aircrew he trained for three months at Bradfield, then Temora and was sent to Canada for service flying at Camp Borden near Toronto. Air crews were in desperately short supply. Two courses were run concurrently, with 80 men graduating every three months! They were not ready for the Aussies and the boys had to cool their heels at Saskatchewan for three months.
Bored with the mundane tasks they were assigned and given a couple of weeks leave he and a friend took off to the US for a look. In Beverley Hills they were invited to drinks by film actor George Montgomery and his wife, singer Dinah Shore.
By the time the Aussies got their wings the war in Europe was coming to an end so the airmen carne back to Australia to do an advanced training refresher course at Uranquinty. One day Bill scared the wits out of his mother, flying low over Burrenderry and saluting friends in Gundagai! Just a few weeks later, the war finally ended and he was discharged.
Bill decided he preferred farming to city life and for a time share-farmed wheat with his Uncle Jim at Burrenderry and Braemar. He applied for land under the Soldier Settlers' Scheme and won Cooloon a 1115 acre block at Wantabadgery between Junee and Wagga. For four years Bill batched on the property battling the ubiquitous rabbits and working very hard to get the place in order.
On the block was a large well-built and attractive house; just the place to bring a bride! At St Jude's, Randwick on 17 Feb 1950, Bill married a nursing friend of his sister Betty - Noella Ann BRAY born at Byron Bay.
Noella was educated at Stoker's Siding Primary School and Murwillumbah High, then did a secretarial course and worked in the office of a sawmill. She began her nurse training at Prince Alfred in Sydney and became friends with Betty Elworthy. At the end of the year the young nurses had seven weeks leave, divided between Burrenderry, where she met Bill, and Kynnumboon. Noella left nursing at the end of second year, did various secretarial jobs then went back to the sawmill office.
When the newly-weds went to Wantabadgery there was still much work to be done on the place. They both pitched in fencing and trying to control the rabbits which were in plague proportion at that time and had wreaked havoc. As Bill said "Some of the paddocks were like tabletops". He planted sub-clover and used about 100 tons of fertiliser a year.
All the hard work paid off and eventually they bought a further 400 acres, ran 3,500 sheep and about 100 cattle as well as growing stock food such as lucerne and oats.
They did have time off for sport occasionally. Bill was a member of the National Rifle Association and at the Junee range at 900 yards scored 10 Bulls - the top score!! Noella was also a keen shot and took out the ladies' 300 yard trophy.
In December 1972 they sold the property, auctioned plant and stock then bought a large caravan intending to spend 6-12 months touring about. They spent Christmas at Kingsc1iff in the Tweed area, not far from where Noella grew up. After a much-needed six months break, Noella joined the nursing staff at
Kewarra, a Coolangatta nursing home, and Bill began work in a real estate business at Cooloongatta to gain experience while studying externally for his NSW and Queensland licences. He then began the partnership of Uncle's Real Estate which continued for 12-13 years.
During this time he bought two farms at Cudgen and began putting in custard apples, planting in excess of 200 at each of three plantings. On one property they built Burro Crafts which Noella ran for some years, selling her own work and consignment stock from local craftspeople - and Devonshire teas.
On the same property in 1982 Bill and his son Stephen (with some labouring help) built a lovely brick home with quite magnificent views over the whole Tweed Valley and this is their current home. Apart from the custard apples, their orchard has 55 macadamias, avocados, lychees, pecans, grapefruit, oranges, mandarins, papaws and grapes as well as a few other exotics.

Service Record
Name ELWORTHY, WILLIAM JOHN
Service Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number 73206
Date of Birth 11 Dec 1923
Place of Birth HARDEN, NSW
Date of Enlistment 24 Nov 1942
Locality on Enlistment GUNDAGAI
Place of Enlistment SYDNEY, NSW
Next of Kin ELWORTHY, FREDERICK
Date of Discharge 12 Nov 1945
Rank Flight Sergeant
Posting at Discharge 5 Service Flying Training School
WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display
Prisoner of War No
Source References:
2. Type: Book, Abbr: Devon to Down Under, Title: Devon to Down Under, Auth: Bettie Elworthy, Publ: Bookbound, Date: 1997
- Reference = 224ff (Name, Notes)
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