Family History Research - William And Edith Wauhop (East Fremantle)
William Wauhop (b 1887 - d 1971) and Edith Willambury (Wheelock) Wauhop (b 1887 - d 1974)
Mayor and Mayoress of East Fremantle 1944-1964
118 Duke Street East Fremantle
William Wauhop was born in Bendigo, Victoria in 1887. He was one of five children born to Isaiah Wauhop (1862-1955) and Grace Wauhop (Denis) (1863-1934) from East Fremantle and John (Jack) Wauhop (1888-1966), Ellen (Nell) Wauhop, Hugh Wauhop (1896-1961) and Isaiah Wauhop (1889-1959).
In 1900 when William was 14 the family moved to Western Australia. He served his apprenticeship to engineering blacksmiths at the Fremantle Foundry and then joined the Fremantle branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. For about 10 years he represented the society on the A.L.P (Australian Labor Party) Council.
Once his apprenticeship was completed in 1907 Wauhop travelled to Carnarvon. In 1910 along with Mick Sawtell he was involved in establishing a branch of the A.L.P., where they nominated a candidate Mr W.J. Butcher who later won the election in the firmly established Gascoyne Liberal seat.
At the time there was very little union activity in Carnarvon outside the Shearer’s Union. Wauhop established a union to take in all workers in Carnarvon that included the municipal employees, shop assistant and general workers. Wauhop was elected as their first president.
On 25 October, 1911, William married Edith Willliambury Wheelock from Carnarvon. Edith was the daughter of Charles Thomas Wheelock and Jessie Wheelock (Nevin). The couple were married in the Congregational Church in Carnarvon in front of family and friends.
Together they had three children, Edith May (1921-1973), Grace Nevin (1912-2001) and William Gerald (1914-1976). In 1961 William and Edith celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. In a newspaper article Edith talked about how the couple first met. “... Mrs Wauhop was in charge of Carnarvon’s post office and telephone exchange. I used to spend evening after evening talking to each other over the wires. So when we were officially introduced some months later at a party we already knew each other well… ”
In 1914 William and Edith moved to Duke Street in East Fremantle close to William’s parents Isaiah and Grace.
When William and Edith moved to Fremantle they again joined the Australian Labor Party. During this time the political and industrial sections of the Australian Labor movement were separate. He was a member of the committee that drew up the amalgamation scheme that combined the two divisions and was elected President two years later. He was prominent in the Fremantle wharf disputes of 1917 and 1919. Wauhop wrote an article published in the Westralian Worker on the 3 May 1940 titled ‘Fremantle Labor Consolidation in 1917’ about the history of the amalgamation.
Wauhop was a delegate to the State Executive in 1915 and served for seven years. He was secretary of the East Fremantle A. L. P from 1915-1922, a founder and President of the Fremantle and District Road Boards of the A.L.P, and President of the Fremantle District Council and represented that council at numerous State Labor conferences. In an article in the Truth newspaper on the 8 October, 1927 titled ‘Bill Wauhop’ wrote the following description about his character “...known by no other name but just plain “Bill” he has well earned a popularity in all circles. He has every attribute of a good manager and organiser and is the main responsible by his association…”
Although Edith was busy raising children and a family as many women at the time were, she was also an active member of the Australian Labor Party. In 1942 Edith was nominated to the Fremantle Labor Party roll of honor for her work in the community.
In an article published in the Westralian Worker for 5 October 1943, describes how Edith joined the East Fremantle Australian Labor Party and later she joined the Fremantle Women’s Labor Organisation and the Red Cross at the outbreak of the war in 1914. The article goes on to describe how “...Mrs Wauhop has always taken an interest in the Labor Women’s Central Executive and has represented Labor organisations at the Annual conference of Labor Women…Mrs Wauhop is an amiable person of a retiring disposition who does not court publicity but has always been a good helpmate to her husband in labor matters and interested in the movement for its own sake…”
In 1942 Wauhop attempted to go into State Parliament. In October, he was nominated to fill the Federal Senate vacancy caused by the death of Senator E. B. Johnston. He lost the vote to Mr Charles George Latham.
In 1922 Wauhop then moved into local government and became a member of East Fremantle Municipal Council. In September 1944 Wauhop was elected mayor to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr H. J. Locke. He served as a councillor and mayor of East Fremantle for 21 years from 1944 to 1964. William Wauhop along with Vic Ulrich served a total of 44 years as a councillor and mayor. They were both honoured with the title of Freeman of the Town.
Wauhop was a member of and worked with ‘The Fremantle Uglymen’s Association’. The organisation was originally established to help those in need and suffering the effects of World War 1 and then expanded to include charitable causes such as an infant health clinic and underprivileged children.
Wauhop was secretary of Alpine Taxis, a Justice of the Peace, member of the Fremantle Hospital Board and Chairman of the Licensing Court. In 1965 William was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his community work. Throughout his lifetime William had a street and park named after him in East Fremantle. In 1960 a wing at the Fremantle Hospital was also named after him.
Wauhop as a labor member of East Fremantle council was instrumental in establishing a 40 hour working week for the council’s employees. The East Fremantle council was one of the first councils to do this.
William died on the 17 September, 1971, aged 84. Edith died several years later on the 12 March 1974, aged 82. They were both cremated and memorialised at the Fremantle cemetery.
References
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240639580?searchTerm=bill%20wauhop&searchLimits=
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148420327?searchTerm=wauhop%20john&searchLimits=
https://fremantlestuff.info/people/wauhop.html
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9013274
Death
(Obituaries)
Charles Thomas Wheelock (died 15 May 1916)
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75411950?searchTerm=wheelock%20carnarvon&searchLimits=
Jessie Nevin Wheelock (died 12 July 1946)
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76432486?searchTerm=wheelock%20carnarvon&searchLimits=
Early
Years And Work In The Australian Labor Party
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149623653?searchTerm=wauhop%20jack&searchLimits=
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240639580?searchTerm=bill%20wauhop&searchLimits=
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/208134922?searchTerm=bill%20wauhop&searchLimits=
President of Australian Labor Party Fremantle Branch
Article written and published by William Wauhop ‘Fremantle Labor Consolidation in 1917’
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149619521?searchTerm=bill%20wauhop&searchLimits=
Wedding
William Wauhop and Edith Williambury Wheelock
Mayor and Mayoress of East Fremantle from 1944-61
https://fremantlestuff.info/people/wauhop.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_East_Fremantle
General Information and Photographs on William
and Edith Warhop (Council photographs
Golden Wedding Anniversary)
https://fremantlestuff.info/people/wauhop.html
Wauhop Street East Fremantle
Photograph William Wauhop (Battye Library)
Fremantle Hospital Wing
https://www.fhhs.health.wa.gov.au/About-us/Our-History
Ugly Men’s Association
https://fremantlestuff.info/organisations/uglymen.html
Death
William Wauhop (circa 1887- died 17 July, 1971
aged 84)
Cremated and ashes scattered in Fremantle Cemetery Palmyra WA
https://www.myheritage.com/names/william_wauhop
Fremantle Cemetery
http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=FC00003028
Edith Williambury Wauhop (Wheelock) (died 12
march 1972 aged 82)
Cremated and ashes scattered in Fremantle Cemetery Palmyra WA
http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=FC00004120
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49000345?searchTerm=wauhop%20darts&searchLimits=
Mrs Edith Wauhop
Mayoress of East Fremantle and Labor Woman’s Honour Role Nomination
118 Duke Street East Fremantle
Edith Willambury Wheelock was born in 1891 at Gascoyne River in Western Australia to Charles Thomas Wheelock (b 1858 - d 1916) and Jessie Nevin Wheelock (b 1863 - d 1946). She was one of seven siblings, May Elizabeth (b 1886 - d 1886), Darcy Logan (b 1888 d 1962), Jessie Neethan (b 1893 - d 1946), Charles Edward Gerald (b 1900 - d 1964), Annie Mary (b 1914 - d 1952), Teresa Grace and (b 1898 - 1972).
Prior to marrying and moving to Fremantle, Edith worked at the Carnarvon Post Office and in the telephone exchange.
On 25 October, 1911, William married Edith Willliambury Wheelock from Carnarvon. Edith was the daughter of Charles Thomas Wheelock and Jessie Wheelock (Nevin). The couple were married in the Congregational Church in Carnarvon in front of family and friends. Together they had three children, Edith May (1921-1973), Grace Nevin (1912-2001) and William Gerald (1914-1976).
When William and Edith moved to Perth they moved to Duke Street in East Fremantle close to William’s parents Isaiah and Grace.
In 1961 William and Edith celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. In a newspaper article Edith talked about how the couple first met. “... Mrs Wauhop was in charge of Carnarvon’s post office and telephone exchange. I used to spend evening after evening talking to each other over the wires. So when we were officially introduced some months later at a party we already knew each other well… ” They moved to Fremantle following their marriage in 1914.
Although Edith was busy raising children and a family as many women of the time were, she was also an active member of the Australian Labor Party. In 1942 Edith was nomination to the Fremantle Labor Party roll of honor for her work in the community.
In an article published in The Westralian Worker for 5 October 1943, describes how Edith joined the East Fremantle Australian Labor Party and later she joined the Fremantle Women’s Labor Organisation and the Red Cross at the outbreak of the war in 1914.
Wauhop became a council member of East Fremantle Council. In September 1944 Wauhop as a councillor was elected mayor to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr H. J. Locke. He served as a councillor and mayor of East Fremantle for 21 years from 1944 to 1964. William Wauhop along with Vic Ulrich served a total of 42 years as a councillor and mayor. They were both honoured with the title of Freeman of the Town.
William died on the 17 September, 1971, aged 84. Edith died several years later on the 12 March 1974, aged 82. They were both cremated and memorialised at the Fremantle cemetery.
Fremantle Women’s Labor Group 1941 which includes a photograph of Edith Williambury Wauhop.
http://john.curtin.edu.au/diary/primeminister/1941.html
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148420343?searchTerm=wauhop#
