A once magnificent vault that still inspires awe
One of the larger Mausoleums, or now more commonly known as a Vault, is the one in the old Presbyterian area
of the Necropolis for the family of John Paul.
So, who was the person and
his family that command such a large, albeit a little disheveled and worn looking vault? It seems there was money in shipping goods.
JOHN PAUL
John was born in 1839 and
arrived as a free settler, a young single man. He had shipping in his blood and
set up a business in the Darling Harbour area with Charles John Potts and
marketed it as “Potts
and Paul Ships Chandler and Provision Agents” from about 1863. The area was one
of rapid expansion, the busiest part of the Harbour and the centre of shipping
business in the port of Sydney. He married Helen Carmichael in September 1868
and together they went on to have six boys.
At the time, although trains
had first begun to operate in 1855, travel by ship on the waters was a
lucrative and necessary trade.
It was reported in The
Bulletin, Sydney on 7th February 1880, that the firm could outfit a vessel in
one day or less for a twelve-month voyage. They provided everything in the way
of preserved goods, compasses, etc. all kinds of coils or rope and stacks of
chains and enough cables to fit out a small fleet. They stocked enormous tanks
and casks of different oils and devoted an entire floor to a rigging loft where,
after the ship's measurements were taken, the rigging could be prepared in the
minutest detail. A sail loft was where all sails in various sizes were
prepared. Anchors could be purchased from a nearby location weighing up to two
tons. By the time of the article's publication, they had an extensive warehouse
in Brisbane, Queensland.
Later he founded the firm of
Paul and Grey Ltd, Ship Handlers & Provisions Merchants in Sussex Street
Sydney and held a government contract for the supply of goods required. He was
the head of the company until his retirement. John was interested in all
shipping concerns and activities and was a member of the League of Ancient
Mariners.
John and his family lived in
the Strathfield area from 1891 to 1903 in a property called
"Agincourt" which he built. It went on to be purchased by the
pharmacist Washington H Soul. In the meantime, John moved to better premises
and spent his later years at a property in Wolseley Road Point Piper.
It seems John was a man with the necessary skills to develop his being in the right time and place.
As such he was able to have
his sons educated at the best schools and almost all became Doctors, two
medical and two Doctors of Dental Surgery.
When John Paul died in 1925,
only two of his sons were still alive.
His eldest John Ebbenson
Paul, born in 1869, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a ships
chandler. He married Mary Hogan Buckle, the daughter of Francis Buckle, Timber
merchant and steamboat proprietor in 1893. John died in October 1918.
Frederick Parnell Paul, was
the second son born in 1873 and became an engineer. He never married and died
young aged in his early 40's in June 1917.
Albert Raymond Paul, the
third son, was born in 1875, and became a dentist. He married Sarah Lenthall in
1911. Albert joined the Australian Infantry Forces in September 1915 and was
taken on strength with the 55th Battalion in April 1916. After training he
participated in fighting in the area of the Somme and received a back injury.
In November he was admitted to hospital but returned to fight again however he
died at the casualty clearing station on 4 December 1916 of volvulus, an
internal obstruction. He lies in the Heilly Station Military Cemetery in
France.
Walter Oscar Paul, born in
1880 was the fourth son. He trained to be a dentist. Walter married Gwyneth
Olley Jones, the daughter of Richard Jones, one time Chairman of the Australian
Jockey Club, in 1913. Walter later became an orthodontist and divorced Gwyneth
in 1933. He became a known art collector and went on to remarry in 1961. Walter
died in 1970.
Charles Norman Paul, the
fifth son, trained as a doctor. He married Louise Morell in 1914 after spending
time in Vienna and London studying. His specialist subject was dermatology and
was a pioneer in radium technology. In 1918 Charles published "The
influence of Sunlight in the Production of Cancer of the Skin" which was
based on his Sydney Hospital experiences. He later added further information
from research in 1933 and his manuals established an international reputation.
It was however some decades before fair-skinned Australians heeded his warnings
against "reckless exposure to sunlight".
Charles Paul was knighted in
1938 in recognition of work in the field of dermatology. During his lifetime he
served on many Medical Boards and was head of many others. He was devoted to
public service but was reluctant to take on other viewpoints and was
subsequently not a very popular man. He died in 1959 following the effects of a
stroke and was cremated.
George Augustus Paul, the
sixth son, also trained as a doctor. During WW1 he went to England and joined
the Royal Army Medical Corp with the rank of Captain. He married Alice Ruby
Janet Weir Lindsay, a nurse, in 1915. George had a practice in Macquarie Street
Sydney. He was killed in a car accident on 23 September 1921 in which he was a
passenger whilst heading to the Menangle residence of Colonel Macarthur Onslow
to attend a dance there. It appeared that the driver, Dr Bullock, missed a turn
and the car swerved into a narrow ditch and overturned. George was badly
crushed and died almost instantly; Dr Bullock escaped with just severe
bruising. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Tragically his
wife was murdered in 1927 in her residence in Wollstonecraft by Rene
Androne Charles van der Velde who shot her and then turned the revolver upon
himself.
At the time of the Vault
being built it would have been seen as an Art Deco masterpiece with its white
walls, green brass door and surrounds. The copper roof would have shone
brightly in the sun. Even though it looks a little tired now you cannot fail to
see its sheer size and magnificent design.
For today's blog I have
accessed Ancestry.com, conducted many google searches and utilised articles
found in Trove.
I expect John Paul would
never have dreamt of the riches he found in this country when on board sailing
for a new life. The right man at the right time will almost always see a
business venture flourish. Due to this he could afford to have his sons
educated at the best colleges and the results are here for all to see.
If you have any comments regarding this blog, please add them below or at the Group Facebook page found
under
rookwoodcemeterydiscoveries
or contact me via
lorainepunch@gmail.com
Until next week
Interesting
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this restored
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