| | 1. Stella Isabel Monger
b. 6 Dec 1884, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia 
d. 1957, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Age 72 years) |  | 2. Thomas Hawthorn Monger
b. 2 Oct 1886, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
d. 13 Jul 1963, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Age 76 years)
| | | 3. Roy Richmond Monger
b. 4 Aug 1890, Richmond, Victoria, Australia | | + | 4. Cyril Harvey Monger
b. 31 Mar 1893, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | 5. Frank Roulston Monger
b. 10 Sep 1895, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
d. 22 Apr 1967 (Age 71 years)
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| Notes |
- FATHER'S MOTHER
Notes by Ida S. Monger, daughter of Thomas Cox Monger & Annie Roulston
"Early in 1838 my grandparents left England, arriving at Port Jackson in September of the same year. My grandma did not like Sydney, which was very dry and wild then. She thought Port Phillip would suit them better, so they sailed south almost at once.
Landing at the Yarra in April 1839, Grandma was overjoyed to see green grass for the first time since leaving England. She had married at eighteen and was then twenty-two and the mother of three children, one of whom had died. She was a tiny woman, and though never pretty, had an outstanding personality and was an excellent judge of character. She soon made all who knew her love and respect her. She was indeed a wise woman. My father used to tell us how she could cope with the illnesses of either the whites or the blacks, of whom she had no fear. She was known to them as "White Lady" and that name they gave her to her end.
Her first home was in Great Lonsdale Street, then in Little Collins Street, where my father was born in 1841. He used to tell us how his mother took much pride in her earthen floored downstairs kitchen. He remembered too her worry over the typhoid fever epidemic that was raging. As water was delivered in barrels once a week grandma set to work to make calico covers for her own household barrels, and some for her neighbours also. When these were tied on no insects could get into the water.
She refused to live at Eastern Hill, as it was too far in the bush. At that time she had seven young children to care for. She was one of the first adherents of the Collins Street Baptist Church. My father, then a lad of ten, used to tell an amusing story of catching his sister, one of the first to be baptised there, being submerged. He called out "Look mother, he is drowning our sister". He was punished by not being allowed to go to his sister's wedding some time later.
Grandma was a noted needlewoman, making all her family's clothes and often assisting others who needed help. As a cook she was known far and near - her parrot pies were always remembered by her family. None left her home empty handed.
In 1857 a move was made to Dandenong. Here at the Dandenong Police Paddock friends of hers had the school for the blacks. Grandma assisted and taught many of the blacks to read the Bible. One of them, Charlie, being smarter than the rest was given a penny when he could read a verse. Soon he was reading so well that he demanded silver money each time. She, however said "No, Charlie, you are getting too expensive!" That puzzled Charlie who said, "What mean you, White Lady?"
My grandma and one of her daughters successfully fought a big typhoid epidemic at Dandenong. Both whites and blacks went down to the disease, the well often abandoning the sick and fleeing in fear. These two frail women worked night and day nursing, feeding and attending to the sick. Early in 1920 Mr. Matthew Bowman told me about their courage and faithfulness. "My mother", he said, "thought that one of them would get the fever but neither did. Those sick folk worshipped your grandma and aunt." He was well on in his eighties and his family were early residents in Dandenong.
In 1867 the family went by road to Gippsland. The long trek tired my grandma greatly. The rough roads, the snakes, the river crossings and the conditions so different from any she had experienced before. They lived chiefly in Sale but had timber mills on the Tambo river. Grandma was called in for all cases of sickness and accidents. The men employed messed together, a huge lubra being in charge. Once, when father and his brother were returning from school for their six weeks holiday, grandma told them to bring Mary a present. One took 14 yards of gay material the other yards of yellow and red butter muslin for a turban. Grandma had to be costumier for many in preparation for a Christmas Day party, the boys being the special guests. Mary sitting at the head of the table rapped it sharply with her knife handle and told the men, "See you behave yourselves. We have company for tea. " They all loved Mary.
Grandma always made her own candles and always had a bevy of natives at her back door begging for candle ends. These, she discovered were regarded as sweets. On one occasion while sitting sewing by the fire, a huge native entered and sat on the floor, and said he was going to kill his lubra, as she had gone bush with another native. She pleaded and reasoned with him, telling him he shouldn't kill her, that she would come back. She did, and this native was my grandma's friend ever after.
Once when dressmaking she had to leave the room. On her return, this native was struggling to get the dress on. She saw the funny side and passed him a bonnet. This he donned and capered about, very pleased over it all. She used to say they were all just children, but a special brand.
Gippsland brought forth big problems regarding food, the drays at times getting bogged on the bad tracks. Grandma, however, always seemed to be able to cope with the difficulties. Butter came from Denmark in casks and was used with care.
Grandma went blind before she died in her own home in Sale in 1897, a dearly loved and gentle little lady, she was truly what the natives termed her - "the White Lady." [1]
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1888 - 1954 (65 years)
Has 38 ancestors but no descendants in our family tree.
1886 - 1963 (76 years)
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Thomas Cox Monger (ID:I2378)
