Samuel Charles Atchison
Samuel Charles Atchison was born in 1877 at Bass Point; the sixth child of Samuel and Clorinda Atchison. Samuel Charles Atchison was the only young man in the district to be killed in the Boer War in South Africa in 1899.
Samuel’s father had died in 1897 and a letter from Major General G. A. French, NSW Military Forces 24th February 1900, came to Clorinda with the sad news she had also lost her son ‘killed whilst worthily doing his duty in action against The Boers at Arundel, South Africa’.
Shortly after Private Samuel Atchison’s death the Shellharbour community gathered at the Shellharbour School of Arts, initiating steps for a memorial to S.C. Atchison of the Scottish Rifles, Sydney.
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Samuel Charles Atchison (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
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The Boer War Memorial at Little Park (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
The marble monument was erected by public subscription on 30 May 1900. It stood on the hillside in Little Park Shellharbour Village until erosion made it necessary to move it to the flatter area in 1957.
It was later relocated to Caroline Chisholm Park in Addison Street and incorporated with both the World War memorials and the memorial to the wreck of the Cities Service Boston.
Source: Gillis, Dorothy 2009, ‘150 Years of Shellharbour City Area’, Tongarra Heritage Society Inc. Photograph donated by David O’Meley
Edward Haslam Thomas
Edward Haslam Thomas was born 25 August 1864 at Shellharbour. After leaving school he worked as a licenced surveyor and a mining surveyor. Edward was a keen sportsman and enjoyed shooting, fishing and tennis in particular.
He served in the armed forces during the Boer War in South Africa with the rank of Captain. He developed a great love of the country and made several trips there afterwards.
He married Hope Curtis and they had one daughter Diana who worked as a nursing sister. Edward spent all his life at Shellharbour and died there 31 August 1947.
Source: Thomas, Stan, 1968, ‘One Hundred and Thirty Years’.
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Boer War Medal (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
Frederick and Thomas Brownlee
Frederick Brownlee was born to John Brownlee and Mary Jane Cronan 5 February 1868 at Albion Park. He worked as a farmer prior to enlisting in the Boer War and leaving for South Africa. He served admirably and was promoted to Sergeant-Major.
Thomas Brownlee, Frederick’s brother, also enlisted and liked South Africa so much that he stayed there after the war, eventually marrying and having two children. He died in 1918.
Group of officers, nurses and men of the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station 1919. The Australian War Memorial
Albion Park Rifles. Frederick Brownlee second row, fourth from the right. (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
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Frederick Brownlee War Medals (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
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Frederick Brownlee War Medal (Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries)
Frederick Brownlee lived in Albion Park his whole life, and when he died 17 July 1952 at 84 years of age, his obituary stated ‘he was a quiet and well liked man who never married and was noted for his gentleness and character’. (Kiama Independent 26 July 1952)
Descendants of the Brownlee family still have Frederick’s Boer War medals in their possession.
Source: Nunan, Wendy & Terry, 2010, ‘St Paul’s Catholic Cemetery Saint Paul’s Parish Albion Park’. Photographs donated by Wendy Nunan.
