Chapter 23 : The Descendants of Arthur Robertson Junior

While his brothers and sisters moved away from Port Campbell, Arthur continued living there until his death in 1925. His daughter Mime lived at Port Campbell all her life and many of Arthur’s’ descendants still live in southwestern Victoria. Mime’s son, Arthur Ward, had nine children and her adopted daughter, Isla Ward Magilton, had six children, so there are many descendants in this line.¹

Isla WARD (1904-1990) - married name MAGILTON

The adopted daughter of Willimina Robertson and Christopher Ward, born at Camperdown in 1904. Whether her adoption was a formal or informal arrangement is not known. Up to the time of her marriage she certainly used the name Ward rather than Michel.

Isla Ward and Eddie Magilton on their wedding day, 15 June 1926.

Isla’s natural parents were Chris Ward’s sister, Minnie Ward, and William Michel.² We know little about William Michel except that he was probably born in Melbourne about 1880 and may have died in Queensland. Minnie and William were married in 1902 and had four children, George, Gilbert, Isla and Dorothy. It seems the marriage was an unhappy one and sometime around 1909, Minnie left Victoria for Western Australia, taking her two sons with her. Isla was already living with her uncle and aunt. Dorothy, who was born at the Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, was given up for adoption soon after birth. In Western Australia Minnie supported her children by working as a maid and cook. In 1914 Minnie married Walter Bracegirdle and the marriage certificate records Minnie as a widow. Minnie had six more children with Walter.

It seems unlikely that Minnie had much contact with her own family after going to WA as her father’s will written in 1917 “includes the information that if Minnie Michel does not claim her share of the will within seven years, then her share will be paid to Isla Michel.”³ The use of the surname Michel for Isla in her grandfather’s will suggests this was still legally her name and her adoption by Mime and Chris was an informal arrangement.

From an early age Isla demonstrated an accurate ear for music and by the age of four she was able to tell if someone was singing off key. As she grew older she developed into a fine mezzo-soprano and she was praised for her clear diction. She sang duets with her brother Arthur.⁴

Isla married twice. Her first husband was Eddie MAGILTON (19057-1944). They had six children, Merle (1927), Raymond

page 172

(1928), Noel (1929), Audrey (1931), Leonard (1934) and Marion (1940). After Eddie’s death, Isla married Francis NICHOLSON (1901-1974).

A group picture taken at the Port Campbell School break-up party in 1948 includes both Isla and Willimina.⁵ Isla died on 19 August 1990 and is buried at Port Campbell.

Arthur Christopher WARD (1905-1996)

Only son of Willimina Robertson and Christopher Ward, born at Port Campbell on 12 December 1905.

Arthur’s names came from his maternal grandfather and his father. It seems his two grandfathers, Arthur Robertson and Peter Ward, did not get on with each other. Peter Ward refused to call his grandson Arthur, and “being an old Navy man - called him ‘Nelson’.”⁶

With his father’s death in 1918, Arthur had to take on much of the responsibility for running the family farm. Despite this, his teenage years, when his cousin Frances Ward lived with the family, were happy ones.⁷ In the biography of Rutherford Robertson in Chapter 25, I relate a tale he told to me about Arthur and a bull.

Arthur Ward and his wife Jessie Port

Arthur took singing lessons and after the milking was done he would ride his pony some twenty-one miles to attend these lessons, then back home again in the dark. He won the bass solo award at Ballarat. Arthur is mentioned in Fletcher’s book as providing an ‘item’ during the 1939 celebrations for the second anniversary of the Baptist Church at Waarre.⁸ Arthur told his son Chris about trying to harmonize with grandfather Arthur and about the sermons Arthur Robertson Jnr used to preach.

In 1927, Arthur married Jessie PORT (1897-1977) at Geelong. Jessie was the daughter of John Port and Sarah Cole. They had nine children, Chris (1928), Charlie (1929), Eric (1930), Mima (1932), Gus (1933), Gladys (1934), Gwen (1936), Merna (1937) and Joy (1941). Chris recalls a woman who worked for the family saying, ‘Spare me from singing husbands and crying children’.⁹

Arthur ran the family farm with his mother. Son Gus eventually bought the farm from his father. A second block of 19 acres was considered useless until the lack of trace elements in the soil was recognized. In 1948 Gus helped Arthur clear this block and plant pasture for dairying.¹⁰

Arthur died at the age of ninety in 1996.

page 173

Ward Family, mid 1940s
Left to right: Merna, Charlie, Gladys, Gus, Arthur, Joy, Chris, Jessie, Mima, Gwen, Eric.

Ward Family, mid 1940s
Left to right, back row: Eric, Arthur, Jessie, Charlie, Mima, Chris, Gus.
Front row: Gwen, Merna, Gladys, Joy.

page 174

Gus and Judith Ward, Port Campbell 2001 in front of the picture of the Stone house painted by Gus’ first wife, Valerie Bailey.

Notes

1 Matthew Magilton has been researching the Ward/Magilton side of the family and I would be happy to put anyone interested in those families in touch with him.

2 Correspondence and shared information from M. Magilton, 1999 to 2002

3 Letter from M. Magilton, March 2001

4 Telephone conversation with Raymond Magilton, 30 October 2002

5 J. Fletcher, ‘And We Who Followed’, p.523

6 Letter from Chris Ward, February 2000

7 Ibid

8 J. Fletcher,‘And We Who Followed', p 470

9 Letter from Chris Ward, February 2000

10 Interview with Gus Ward, April 2000

Garry Gillard | New: 26 March, 2019 | Now: 5 September, 2022