Two soldiers who were buried at Mount Duneed Cemetery in 1915 both died of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis before they left Australia. They were Charles Henry Challis and Joseph Paul Lugg.
Born at Mount Duneed in 1878 Private Charles Henry Challis, who enlisted on 13 July 1915, a farmer from Connewarre died in the Bendigo Hospital on 10 September 1915 aged 37. He was the son of Harry and Sarah Ann (nee Porter) Challis.
His brother Private Edwin Challis, a foreman who lived at Connewarre was born at Mount Duneed in 1882. He was wounded in action on 14 June 1918. After re-joining his unit he died from injuries caused by an accident on a farm on 18 December 1918. He was buried at the Maubeuge Communal Cemetery.
A third son Private Sydney Gordon Challis, a farmer, enlisted on 17 April 1916. He was born at Mount Duneed in 1896 and was declared killed in action on 11 April 1917 by Court of Enquiry.
Private Francis Henry Challis a former farmer born on 8 December 1883 at Barwon Heads was a railway employee married to Elsie May and living at Sandringham prior to enlistment. He was declared killed in action on 12 May, 1917 by Court of Enquiry in the vicinity of Bullecourt. He had one son. He was the son of Francis Henry and Jessie Elizabeth Challis.
Private William Jacob Fuller, a farmer from Connewarre, was declared killed in action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He had been missing for nineteen months. He was the 25 year old son of Robert and Susanna (née McLeary) Fuller. He is remembered on his parents gravestone in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.
Percy George Graham, son of John George Graham and Caroline Matilda née Vagg, was killed in action at Gallipoli on 2 May 1915. Before enlistment he was a farmer from Connewarre. He is remembered at the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey and also on his parents headstone in the Methodist section at Mount Duneed Cemetery.
Charles Altmann, son of John Altmann and Louisa Wheelhouse (née Schneider) of Mount Duneed, was killed in action at Gallipoli on 29 November 1915 at the age of 24 years. His brother Alfred Altman enlisted in 1915 in Nagambie but was discharged in the following year as medically unfit after diptheria followed by post diptheritic neuritis affecting his sight and legs.
Burials at Mount Duneed Rosanna Brown (2 January, aged 80) Elaine Gogoll (18 January, aged 42) William Fuller (25 April, aged 25) Sarah Graham (30 July, aged 57) Charles Challis (17 September, aged 38) William Scott (7 October, aged 63) Harriett Betts (2 November) David Hopgood (4 November) Joseph Lugg (10 November, aged 18) | At a meeting held in the state school on 31 May, 1915 it was unanimously decided to change the name of the settlement of Germantown. The names suggested and receiving the highest number of votes were: Cornwall — 31 Marlborough — 19 Dudley — 12 Other names suggested were Devon, Dennys Sussex and Grovedale. On 2nd July the South Barwon shire decided the new name would be Cornwell and submitted the name to the Public Works Department. As the matter concerned the post office and railway station, both of these departments were to be consulted. After the name Cornwall was rejected the council decided the name Grovedale would be submitted. It was the name of an old established farm in the district and no other such name could be found for any postal town in Australia. The name was not approved until February 1916. Burials at Germantown Anna Kaerger (4 March, aged 94) Olive Grossman (13 March, aged 19) E Sechtig (22 December, aged 84) |