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Known as "Jack", he became the head of the Wyndham Meatworks in the far north of Western Australia.The WA government began construction of the meatworks in 1913 to service the Kimberley and adjacent Northern Territory cattle stations. WWI interrupted the construction, but in 1919 the meatworks finally opened, and they were the mainstay of Wyndham's economy until 1985. Jack was the "black sheep" of the family. In 1914 he married Lizzie (Jane Elizabeth Herbert) against his father's wishes. There is some suggestion in the family that she may have been part Indian or Aboriginal. His father, Frederick, was strictly a Victorian upperclass Pom and despised the Welsh, Irish and colonials, so this would have been an anathema to him.
Wedding at Carbarup.
OBORNE-HERBERT.
A very pretty wedding was celebrated on Wednesday, June 17, at the home of the bride's grandfather, Mr. I. Williams, of Bock's Hill, Carbarup, the contracting parties being Mr. John F. Oborne, eldest son of Frederick W. Oborne, of Mortigallup, and Miss Jane Elizabeth Herbert, eldest daughter of Mr. William G. Herbert, of Mortigallup.
The bride, who was given away by her father, looked very pretty in a dress of cream striped silk voile, trimmed with all-over lace, with the usual wreath and veil, as wore by her mother. She was attended by her sister, who wore a dress of white muslin embroidery, trimmed with pale blue streamers, and white felt hat trimmed with silk. The bridegroom was accompanied by Mr. G. H. King who acted as best man. The Rev. W. G. Hyde, of Mt. Barker, officiated at the ceremony.
After the ceremony the guests adjourned to the big dining room, where the wedding breakfast was served. The usual toasts were honored. The happy pair received a number of valuable and useful presents and left by the next evening train for Perth, where the honeymoon is being spent.
- Albany Advertiser Wednesday 1 July 1914
Jack and Lizzie had four children:
Freda Elizabeth Oborne (1915-1977)
John Wyndham Oborne (1918-1977)
Norman Kimberley Oborne (1919-1943), and
Stanley William Oborne (1926-2009).
The second names of John and Norman suggest that the family was in Wyndham by the time the meatworks opened in 1919.
Jack died young, at 43, from a burst appendix. Family lore is that he died on the State ship bringing him back to Perth from Wyndham. Western Australia had established the State Shipping Service in 1919 as the successor to the State Steamships Service to link the state - there weren't any railways or highways and only a skeletal air service to the Pilbara and Kimberlies. The State ship linked the ports.
However, the newspaper obituary indicates that he died in hospital. The West Australian of 13th June, 1928, reported that "KOOLINDA FROM DARWIN. The State motor ship Koolinda reached Fremantle yesterday morning and was afterwards berthed at Rood's Jetty". The passenger list included "Oborne and three children". (Perhaps Lizzie and their youngest child were already in Perth). By the 5th July, when Jack died, Koolinda was back in Broome.
OBORNE. On July 5, 1928, at St. John of God Hospital, Subiaco, John Frederick, beloved husband of Jane Elizabeth Oborne, and father of Freda, John, Norman, and Stanley Oborne, of 46 Glyde Street, East Fremantle; aged 43 years.
- The West Australian, Saturday 7 July 1928
FUNERAL NOTiCE. OBORNE.— The Friends. of. the late Mr. John Frederick Oborne, of 46 Glyde-street, East Fremantle; and late of Wyndham, are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place. of in terment, the Church of England Cemetery, Fremantle. The Funeral will leave Messrs. Arthur E.Davies'and Co.'s Private Mortuary, 81 Market street, Fremantle, THIS (Saturday) AFTERNOON at-2.30 o'clock, arriving at the' Cemetery at 2.50 ARTHUR E. DAVIES and CO., Undertakers, Fremantle and Claremont, Tel. B225 and F177.
- The West Australian Saturday 7 July 1928
(Another State ship, Kyabra, had departed Fremantle on 3rd July for Carnarvon. She appears to have been a stock carrier and I haven't found a passenger list.)
The extent of the schism between Jack and Frederick can be judged by the fact that Frederick forbade his wife, Adeline, to attend her son's funeral. Such was the cultural difference between the English class system and Australian egalitarianism.
Lizzie died in 1984 and is memorialised at Fremantle Cemetery.
My Father's Cousins
John Oborne enlisted into the AIF in 1940 (Service Number - WX2034) and was in one of only 3 battalions formed in the United Kingdom. In June 1940 a troop convoy carrying almost 8,000 Australians, sailing to Middle East to join the 6th Division, was diverted to Britain.
John Oborne - photo attached to his military records in the National Archives of Australia.
In January 1941 the brigade was transported to the Middle East. John's 2/32 Battalion was sent to reinforce the Ninth Division at the seige of Tobruk in late April/early May where he was wounded in action. The Ninth Division was withdrawn from Tobruk in September.
Wounded in Action.-5278, A Sgt. Pearson, E. S., Inf., Claremont; 6481, L/Cpl. Riebeling,. E. C. Inf., Collie. 7721, Taylor, F. .1., Inf., Jarrahwood;'5265, A/CpJ. Oliver. L D. Inf.. West Perth; 7005. Jarvis. H.. Inf., Victoria Park; 5160. Cpl Hutton, L... Inf.. Perth; 6424. Dal- gleish, J. F.. Inf.. Geraldton: 4474 Budge, A. S.. Inf., Burnakura, via Reedy's; 8264, Arnold. T. C.. Int.. Laverton. 7644. Lieut. Head, J: M.. inf.. Claremont. 3404, Lieut. Cop pock, H. T., Inf.. Mt. Hawthorn: 3303. Morrissey, A J.. Inf.. Perth; 2162. A/Sgt. Richards, E J . Inf.. Cannington; '1978, Peterson. V.. Inf., Kalgoorlie: 1859. Millar, tí. D.. Inf.. Perth: 2046. King, H. E.. Int,Fix this text York; 2034, Oborne, J. W., Inf., Tenterden; 4687. Hewitt, L. J., Inf.. Perth; 7136, Hall, E.. Inf.. Bea- consfield; 4994. Hackett, W. E.. Inf., Subiaco; 4688, Hunt, F. J., inf., South Perth: 6986, Hall, C. J.. Inf., Beaconsfield; 3893, Hanby, C. A. Inf., Perth; B388, French. W. G.. Inf, Reedy's; 6092. Duckworth, A.
- Sunday Times Sunday 24 August 1941
In July 1942 the Ninth was rushed to El Alamein to halt the German/Italian offensive. On 17th July the Ninth attacked and the 2/32nd captured the Trig 22 and linked with the 2/43rd but the Germans resisted fiercely and counter-attacked with tanks. During this and in a subsequent attack on 22 July, the 2/32 suffered heavily: nearly half its number were either killed or wounded and over 200 men became prisoners of war. The fighting continued for several days in this 1st Battle of El Alamein.
John was captured and became a prisoner of war in Italy. He escaped to Switzerland and was repatriated back to Australia in November 1944.
When the Italian Armistice was signed some 20,000 allied POW including 2,000 ANZACS were "on the loose" in the North Italian mountains. Many members of the AIF fought alongside local Italian partisans, fed and succoured by Italian peasants, who took enormous personal risks in doing so.
John is listed as Osborne in this database.
He is also mentioned in Katrina Kittel's "Shooting Through. Campo 106 escaped POWs after the Italian armistice".
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Norman Oborne (Service Number - WX4922) also joined the AIF and became a Lieutenant with the 2/28 Battalion.
Norman Oborne - photo attached to his military records in the National Archives of Australia.
The 2/28th was an all-Western Australian Battalion which became part of the Ninth Division. In January 1941 it was convoyed to Egypt where, in July 1942, it took part in the Battle of El Alamein. However, Norman had been evacuated earlier with scabies and tinea. The 2/28 suffered heavily at the Battle of Ruin Ridge during El Alamein. Reaching their objective, they were cut off, surrounded and over-run by the Afrika Corp . Sixty-five officers and men from the battalion and its support units were killed or wounded; nearly 500 were captured and became prisoners of war. From those who participated in the attack, only 92 men remained.
In February 1943, the battalion returned to Fremantle. Norman married Joan Miriam Gamble that month, before the division transferred to New Guinea.
In the Australian War memorial, this photo exists of Norman Oborne leading his platoon out of training in Queensland prior to deployment.
KAIRI, QLD. 1943-07-31. SECTION OF THE 2/28TH BATTALION, 24TH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE ON PARADE, LED BY LIEUTENANT N. K. OBORNE, GIVES "EYES RIGHT" TO VX47819 BRIGADIER B. EVANS DSO, BRIGADE COMMANDER IN THE "CEREMONIAL COMPANIES" MARCH PAST.
The 2/28th participated in the 9th Division amphibious landing at Red Beach, about 10 miles north-west of Lae, in early September. (This was the largest Australian amphibious landing since Gallipoli in 1915). While the 9th Division moved west along the shore of Huon Gulf, the 7th Division struck south-east along the bank of the broad Markham River. The two divisions would converge at Lae. With the 24th Brigade carrying out a parallel movement inland, the 9th Division crossed the Burep River and faced the rushing waters of the Busu, which prevented entry into Lae. Swollen by tropical downpours, the river presented a difficult barrier. It became clear that engineers, even under covering fire, could not build a bridge across the river without bringing up heavy equipment. A daylight frontal assault was led by the 2/28th Battalion, on 9 September, and after ferocious fighting, the Australians dug in on the Japanese side of the Busu.
Norman was wounded and died on the 14th September 1943. Lae fell two days later.
During my researches, several members of the family referred to him as a "well-liked young Lieutenant" - presumably words written by his C.O. in a letter to the family. He was buried in the Lae War Cemetery.
OBORNE, Lieut N. K. (returned ME). -In loving memory of Norm, died of wounds. New Guinea, September 14, 1943: darling husband of Joan and Daddy of Suzanne.
OBORNE, Norman K. (Lieut.) Always a lonely heartache, often a silent tear. but beautiful memories will ever remain of the one we loved, our dear Son and Brother (returned ME), who a died of wounds in New Guinea, September 14, 1943. Lovingly remembered by his mother, sister Freda, brothers, John (AIF interned, Switzerland), Stanley (AIF).
Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
(Photo taken by my daughter, Ellen, 2011).
My researches indicate that Joan never remarried.
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