Peter & Blanche Whittaker

 

Peter Whittaker was born in 1868 in Altrincham, Wilmslow, England.  He arrived in Brisbane in March 1891, where he joined the Royal Australian Artillery the following year.  In 1904 he resigned with the rank of Corporal.

He married Blanche Bushell in 1898.  They had four children – two sons, Eugene and Norman,  and two daughters, Hilda and Myra.  The family lived in Tennyson Road, Mortlake in a house called “Alameda”.

In 1917 he worked as a labourer on The Old Tyser* and later as a fireman at Australian Gas Works until moving on to the Mortlake AGL.

He was an active member of the Concord community and was instrumental in persuading the Council to install the punt from Mortlake to Putney.  He fought hard for this and was rewarded by having Whittaker Street, Mortlake, (between Hilly Street and Tennyson Road) named after him.

He was a Justice of the Peace for Queensland and later New South Wales.   Also a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, NSW.

He died on 12th August, 1938.

His son Norman served in WWII, became a POW and worked on Burma Railway.  He was an accomplished musician, playing the cornet and bugle.  He joined Burwood Band and won solo soprano cornet in Champions of NSW.  He was secretary of the Concord Citizens Band, which performed regularly at Cabarita Park and elsewhere.

His bugle is in the Melbourne Museum.

Supplied by Ada Booth (daughter of Hilda)

 

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