100 years ago — a few items from newspapers and cemetery records:
1915 was not a particularly good year. A monumental drought had caused the crops to fail, the wool clip to be low and the price of chaff to rise. The Great War was continuing longer than expected and the Spanish flu and meningitis epidemics were a constant fear.
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.
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.
 Trooper Joseph Paul Lugg, labourer, from Aireys Inlet died of meningitis on 8th November at the Alfred Hospital. His father had died on 29 August 1904. His mother was Agnes Louisa (nee O'Meara) Lugg. |  2145 Private John Alex McDonald, 6th Battalion. A farmer from Connewarre, Victoria, Pte McDonald enlisted on 21 September 1914. On 15 June 1915, Pte McDonald was recorded as wounded and missing. He was later pronounced by a Court of Enquiry as killed in action on 8 May 1915 at the Gallipolli Peninsula. Pte McDonald's remains were later located and exhumed from the Turkish Cemetery at Pine Ridge in August 1920 and reinterred in the Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli. |
Rev George Allen Stewart
On 6 September 1915 Rev George Allen Stewart, aged 36 years, died of wounds at Alexandria. He was a Presbyterian Minister and Corporal in the 6th Reinforcements, 14th Infantry Battalion. He was the third son of John and Mary Stewart of Dhuliebeeil, Mount Duneed. He was buried at Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, Egypt. On Sunday morning 10 September a marble tablet was unveiled in the Pyramid Hill Presbyterian Church erected to the memory of the late Corporal George Stewart, who was a previous minister of the church. The brothers of the deceased soldier Mr AM Stewart of Lake Charm and Mr J Stewart of Mount Duneed were present at the ceremony. His name was listed on the Mount Duneed State School Honour Roll.
 from Geelong Advertiser 24 August 2015 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) |
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