Other Family Members of Richard Rawson (b 1891) & Annie Eileen Pitman (b 1891)
The first born, Jessie Cairnes Rawson (b 1914), married Edmund Harold Gray in 1939 in Lismore, Victoria. I think he was a New Zealander, but I have no other details about him at this stage. They had a child, Alan Noel Gray, who was born at Middle Park, a Melbourne suburb, in 1939 but who died in 1940. It seems that Gray left Jessie about this time. Jessie went on to have a difficult life. She developed schizophrenia and spent time in and out of institutions until dying in April 1988. She had a long and strong friendship with Ian (Snow) Wilson who, from my own experience, was a very kind and compassionate man. Despite her health difficulties, my aunty was a generous person. I have recently found she was engaged in 1934, but that obviously fell through. She also worked for a time at the Post Office managed by her father - have a look at the way young women were treated in the workforce at that time, (and see her engagement details). Astonishing.
Richard Pitman Alan Rawson (Alan to all) was born in November 1915. He worked as a Postal Assistant in his father's Post Office at Derrinallum, before joining the Citizen Air Force in July 1940 and then transferring to the RAAF in 1948. His work for the Services was in the fields of radio and telegraphy. He spent some time in Japan as part of the Occupying Forces after WW2, and he was discharged from the RAAF as a Warrant Officer in December 1960. He married Veronica Elizabeth Smith in July 1940, and they had two children, Nola and Karyn. Alan loved a punt, and was for some time an SP bookie. He maintained his interest in radio outside work and was a ham (or amateur radio) operator with contacts throughout the world. "Gregarious" is a very good word to describe my uncle.
Charles Bryan Rawson (known to all as Bryan) was the third child born in October 1917. He worked in the Post Master General's Department, as a draughtsman I think. He never married and lived much of his life at home with his parents.
Neville Peter Rawson (b 1932) (known as Peter) was born in Yarrawonga in 1932, (his mother Annie Eileen Pitman going home to be with her parents for the birth). Peter lived his early years in Derrinallum where his father was the Postmaster. The notes that follow are based on information provided by Peter in January 2012.
Peter's first school was Derrinallum State School in 1938, and after that he was at Boort State School and Boort Higher Elementary School from 1939 to 1948. He remembers these days as the "happy days".
When his family moved to Kilmore, Peter attended Assumption College throughout 1949. "It was a bloody nightmare for a developing atheist, and the only non-Catholic in a school of 300 students." He still does not understand why he was sent to this school given his parents had no religious affiliations. "I played football and cricket for the school and received my Intermediate Certificate which was enough in those days to qualify me for a job in the bank."
In 1952, like all men of my age, I did three months National Service at Puckapunyal with the 15th National Service Battalion, and then several years in the CMF which gave me the equivalent of six months full time service. I was not meant to be a soldier.
I married in 1955 and had two children before I was divorced in 1977.
I joined the State Savings Bank of Victoria at Kilmore on 20 February 1950 and served with the Bank for 38 years. In June 1972 I became a Relieving Manager and worked mainly in country Victoria, avoiding the metropolitan area whenever possible. I towed a small caravan for a lot of the time to save on expenses. 1972 was a big year for other reasons. Mum died in December, I met Irene Halden, who is now my wife (Irene & Peter below Ca. 1980), Carlton won the Premiership and Whitlam became Prime Minister. Irene & Peter Ca. 1980
When Irene came to live in Melbourne we lived next to my brother John and his wife Liz (Josiah John Rawson and Elizabeth Rose Sutherland) in Greensborough, and we were married in Greensborough on 3 November 1979. We purchased a house in Kell Court, Greensborough on 13 June 1976, before moving to Wonthaggi in 2001, a move neither of us regret.
My first permanent branch was Essendon in 1985, and on my first day I found my office decorated in red and black streamers with a big picture of Tim Watson on the wall. Obviously I was well known throughout the Bank as a 'Blues' supporter.
I retired at Preston Branch in 1985 at the age of 55, and was glad to give it away. In that year I went overseas for several months with my brother John.
Peter was always a keen, and good, fisherman and runner. "In my running career I completed the Frankston to Melbourne Marathon in 1984 in 4hrs 3 minutes and 3hrs 59 minutes in 1985. I also ran in three or four half-marathons and many fun runs. After a back injury in the mid-1990's I had to turn to walking and I have been a member of the Wonthaggi Beach and Bush Walking Club for three years. We walk around 10-12 km every Tuesday at various places in South Gippsland.
Jessie Cairnes Rawson (b 1914)
About 1945
Richard Pitman Alan Rawson
1956
Charles Bryan Rawson (b 1917)
About 1955
Neville Peter Rawson
1956
Peter and Irene Victoria Halden
About 1980