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Record #5526
Name :
: Walter HITCHIN (1912 - 1992)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 20 Jul 1912   Notes : Source: Fairbridge Kids

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 8 Aug 1992   Notes : Source: MCB WA
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Lincolnshire, Lincoln

Sep qtr, 7a 917, mmn FIELDS
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialAustralia, Western Australia
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: Mar 1921
Country
: Australia

Ship
: Omar

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Fairbridge Homes
NotesA birth registration was found for Walter Hitchin: Year of Registration: 1912; Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep; Mother's Maiden Name: Fields; District: Lincoln; County: Lincolnshire; Volume: 7a; Page: 917. Parents: George Hitchin and Annie Fields, married 1890, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

In 1921, W. Hitchens, 8, arrived at Fremantle, Australia, in a group of 14 children (no sending agency listed).

In 1990, the wedding of Walter Hitchin, 77, and Peggy McCallum, 77, was reported:

"Orphan couple united after 65 years

by Quentin Gillespie

As children, Peggy McCallum [EDITORS NOTE: Probably Miss M. Starkey, on the same voyage] and her fiance, Walter Hitchin, spent four years living under the same roof -- both at sea and on land.

But they never met until last Easter.

The pair, who both live in Hamilton Hill and are both aged 77, will exchange vows on July 20, four months after a friend brought them together.

Walter, a former Busselton dairy work, will marry for the first time on his 78th birthday.

He says marriage so late in life is unremarkable considering he had time only for work until retiring a year ago.

In 1921, he and Peggy were within metres of each other for three months on board the SS Alma [sic] which brought them from England.

They were among a group of orphans destined for the Kingsley Fairbridge farm near Pinjarra.

However, the watchful captain steered the children on a safe course -- the boys on one side of the hip, the girls on the other.

Segregation was part of the farm's spartan lifestyle and didn't end until children were sent to private homes to earn their keep.

Walter went to work for a Busselton dairy, a job he kept for 63 years until retirement, and Peggy entered farm service.

The couple were 'reunited' by a mutual friend, Jack Maude, another Fairbridge lad.

Plans for a quiet registry marriage were scotched by Peggy's family.

Her eight children and 15 grandchildren will help celebrate before the newlyweds head south for a honeymoon in Busselton." 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-03-11 20:04:57 / From original database

Additional Contributions from : mollipops1

Last Updated : 2009-03-11 20:16:32 /

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IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
5526 HITCHIN, Walter1912ENG, LIN, Lincoln Mar 1921 : Omar AUS Fairbridge Homes