Harold William Slater BONHAM [244] ^603,604,605

   Another name for Harold was Harold William SLATER.

  General Notes:

ur: 78 McBride Ave Wonthaggi. Harold spent only 6 days at Seahaven Hostel Inv. before his death.

According to Harold's mother, he was born with a heart condition and was the first Glaxo (powdered baby food) baby in Australia. He was fed the formula whilst he was in hospital after his birth.

Harold was born prior to the marriage of his mother to John Bonham. On 25 January 2018, with the help of DNA matches with his daughter Nancye and Grand daughter Coral, some good luck and a great deal of research, it has been established that Harold's biological father was in fact a man named Harold Halstead. Further information is being researched at present, but as Coral and Nancye have strong DNA matches with several people down the Wright, Coup and Halstead lines, and Harold Halstead has been placed in the right place at the right time, there would seem no doubt he was Harold Slater Bonham's biological father. FURTHER RESEARCH IS CURRENTLY BEING CARRIED OUT

I can remember Harold Bonham's occupations as Fisherman at Lakes Entrance and Corinella, poultry farmer at Garfield, shop keeper at Iona, Pallet maker at Longwarry saw mill, Caretaker of the Cardinia Creek Boat Club near Koo-Wee-Rup. I can also remember him milking cows on his farmlet at Garfield and putting the milk cans out on the side of the road for the milk factory to collect. Other occupations included Truck Driver, quarryman, soldier.

Harold lived at Burnley until about 1919, Campbellfield, Broadmeadows East, Inglewood until 1930, Moe until 1936, Trafalgar Until October 1936, in Wangaratta working at the filtration plant in 1937, Garfield until March 1940, Jindivick until June 1946, Corinella until June 1953, Poowong for 5 months in 1954, Fish Creek until April 1954, Fish Creek, Iona until January 1956, Lakes Entrance from 1957 until January 1961, Catani February 1961, Scoresby from 1963 to October 1964, the Iona Post Office from 1964 until July 1968, the farm at 14 Mile Road, Garfield from 1969 until October 1972, The Cardinia Creek Boat Club near Koo-Wee-Rup from 1972 until February 1975, the farm at Garfield from 1975 until July 1987, 18 George Street Warragul from 1987 until Aug 1995, 8 Mary Street, North Wonthaggi from 21 August 1995 and finally 78 McBride Avenue Wonthaggi until the time of his death.

Harold was a very private man. He retired when he was 65 and always had a magnificent vegetable garden wherever he lived. At Garfield, then Warragul, and finally at Wonthaggi.

Despite his heart condition, he enlisted in WW2. He enlisted in the Militia Forces in 1932 and gave his address as Post Office Broadmeadows and his occupation as baker. His Army No was 183946. He enlisted in the regular army 28 April 1941 and his number was VX54407. His address at that time was given as Princes Highway, Garfield and his occupation as Quarryman. He was graded as a Group II baker and was sent to New Guinea, and the Middle East, but suffered from serious bouts of malaria and was eventually returned home and discharged. He would rarely talk about his service in WW2 in the 3/3 RAE, with only very scant details being passed on to his family. He never joined the RSL or participated in their activities. In the years before his death, he lived in a small house in Wonthaggi opposite the Cenotaph. On Anzac Day he would walk out to the fence and watch the proceedings, this is the nearest he ever got to participating in Anzac Day.

He was referred to as Pa by all his grandchildren.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence: 411 Nepean Road, 1936, Mordialloc, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - grocers assistant

2. Residence: Contingent Street, 1937, Trafalgar, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - truck driver.

3. Military: World War 2 service number VX54407, 1939-1945. ⁶⁰⁷

4. Residence: Princes Highway, 1942, Garfield, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - poultry farmer.

5. Residence, 1949, Jindivick, VIC, Australia.

6. Residence, 1949, Longwarry, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁸ occupation - farmer

7. Residence, 1954, Corinella, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - fisherman.

8. Residence, 1954, Longwarry, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - farmer.

9. Residence, Abt 1955, Fish Creek, Victoria, Australia. ⁵⁹¹

10. Residence, Abt 1959, Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia. ⁵⁹¹ Fisherman

11. Residence: Cathies Lane, 1963, Scoresby, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ Occupation - labourer.

12. Residence: Main Drain Road, 1963, Iona, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - storekeeper.

13. Residence: 14 Mile Road, 1968-1980, Garfield, Vic, Australia. ⁶⁰⁶ occupation - farmer.

14. Residence: Cardinia Creek Boat Club, South Gippsland Highway, 1972-1975, Koo Wee Rup, Vic, Australia. ⁵⁹¹ caretaker and boat maintenance. These dates are approximate only.

15. Residence: 18 George Street, 1991-1998, Warragul, Victoria, Australia. ⁵⁹¹

16. Residence: 8 Mary Street, 1998, Wonthaggi, Vic, Australia. ⁵⁹¹

17. Residence: 76 McBride Avenue, 1998, Wonthaggi, Vic, Australia. ⁵⁹¹

Harold married Gladys Elsie WILSON [243] [MRIN: 82], daughter of Frederick Abel WILSON [1266] and Sylvia Pearl Victoria ROBINS [1265], on 7 Nov 1936 in Trafalgar, Vic, Australia.⁵⁸⁵ (Gladys Elsie WILSON [243] was born on 23 Jan 1916 in Coalville, Vic, Australia,⁵⁸⁶ died on 2 Oct 2006 in Wonthaggi, Vic, Australia ⁵⁸⁷ and was buried on 6 Oct 2006 in Bunyip, Vic, Australia ⁵⁸⁸.)