Gertrude

GERTRUDE - first child of August Hein and Annie Graf

Gertrude (`Gert') was born in the nineteenth century (27 July 1895) in possibly rugged and definitely rural conditions in outback Queensland, at Sleepy Creek near Roma. One can only imagine the circumstance for her mother working a remote selection of land with very little support. Childbirth was a very different process to that we see in the 21st century.

[Tom and Gert]

Gertrude journeyed the length of Australia with her parents and turned five during the journey. She saw six siblings born and was undoubtedly a great support to her mother. She married Tom White, a local farmer in Mt Gambier, at the age of 28. She had her first child, Robert, at age 30, her second, Marie at 32 and her last, Florence, at 34.

Gertrude died in 1982 aged 86 years and is buried in the Carinya Gardens Cemetery Mt Gambier with her husband Tom, who died two years later aged 87. Their daughter Florence died in 1991. Robert lived with his wife Noelene in Tom and Gert's old farm in Mil Lel until 1917 when he went into a care facility. He died in July 2018 at the age of 92. His wife, 14 years his junior, stayed on at the farm for two years after his death and in 2020 moved to an aged care facility in Mt Gambier (Boandik House). Marie, currently 92 (September 2020), was widowed in 2013 and continues to live on acreage on the outskirts of Millicent where she leads an independent life.

Gertrude ‘Gert’ Ruby HEIN, b. 1895 Roma, QLD, m. 1924 Thomas Henry WHITE (1896 - 1984 (87)), d. 1982 Mt Gambier (86), lived in Mil Lel.

Three Children

Robert Francis (“Bob”) WHITE, b. 1925, m. 1961 first cousin Noelene HEIN (Andrew Hein’s 3rd daughter), d. 2018.

    • Vivienne Carol WHITE, b. 1963.

    • Yvonne Fay WHITE, b. 1965.

    • Christine June WHITE, b. 1966.

Marie Aileen (“Ailee”) WHITE, b. 1927 m. Keith McINTOSH (d. 2013).

    • Stewart McINTOSH, b. 1956 – unmarried, no children.

    • Debbie McINTOSH, b. 1959, m. Bruce MENZIES – 2 children

Florence May ("Bebe") WHITE b: 1929 d: 1991 m. Lionel Newman STANES (b: 1926) – 5 children.

  • Michael John STANES, b. 1952, m. Fiona Donovan, 3 children.

  • Anne (Annie) Cecelia STANES, b. 1954, m. Darryn Hannah, no children.

  • Peter Damien STANES, b. 1956, m. Kathleen Blandon (div), 2 children.

  • Susan (Sue) Mary STANES, b. 1961, m. Colin Hastie, 2 children.

  • Nicholas Anthony STANES, b. 1962, m. Karen Stone, 3 children.

Florence and Marie White, taken in Mount Gambier, 1945.