 1896 - 1954 (57 years)
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| Name |
Robert Leland Garfield Holman |
| Nickname |
Lel or Lal |
| Birth |
19 May 1896 |
Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Residence |
1905 |
Nelshaby, South Australia, Australia |
| Residence |
07 Oct 1907 |
Wanilla, South Australia, Australia |
| The property was called Ashley Farm and was located 25 mules north west of Port Lincoln at Wanilla. |
| War Service |
28 Apr 1916 |
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
- Private Robert Leland Garfield Holman, Service Number 2351, as part of the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 15 - 20 Reinforcements, Embarked aboard the troop ship HMAT Bakara (A41)
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| Military Honours |
1919 |
- Robert Leyland Garfield Holman was awarded the following decorations for his service during World War I
1914/15 Star
British War Medal No. 12839
Victory Medal No. 12761
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1914-15 Star
The 1914?15 Star was authorised in 1918 and was awarded for service in specified theatres of war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. A recipient of the 1914 Star could not also be awarded the 1914?15 Star.
Eligibility
The 1914-15 Star may be awarded to those who saw service in a prescribed Theatre of War between 5 August 1914 and 31… |
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British War Medal
British War Medal, Left to Right Obv and Rev Sides
Instituted by King George V in 1919 to mark the end of World War I and record the service given. The qualification period was later extended to cover post-war mine clearance and service in Russia during 1919 and 1920.
The British War Medal was awarded for service in a theatre of war between 5… |
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Victory Medal
Left to Right: obv Face and Rev Face
The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. Each of the Allied nations issued a ?Victory Medal' to their own nationals with all of these having the figure of Victory on the obverse as a common feature. Australians were awarded the medal… |
| Residence |
1919 |
Kyancutta |
| Six months after getting married Lel and Dolly moved into their new house on their block No18 in the Hundred of Wannamanna, one mile from the newly established township of Kyancutta. |
| War Service |
15 Jan 1919 |
Adelaide |
| Extract of First World War Nominal Roll |
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Extract of World War I Nominal Roll
This Extract of the World War I Nominal Roll shows Robert Holman Service number 2351, giving details of his embarkation and return to Australia. |
| War Service |
11 May 1919 |
| World War I Military Service Record |
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The First World War Military Service Record - Robert Leyland Garfield Holman
This PDF document contains Robert Leyland Garfield Military Service record of World War I |
| Residence |
1928 |
5 Grove Ave Forest Gardens, South Australia |
| Now known as Everard Park |
| Death |
8 Jan 1954 |
Adelaide Repatriation Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Burial |
Centennial Park, South Australia, Australia |
| Person ID |
I4770 |
Tucker Family Tree | The descendants of James Tucker |
| Last Modified |
26 Sep 2009 |
| Father |
Robert John Holman, b. 28 Oct 1868, Bald Hills, South Australia, Australia d. 13 Apr 1942 (Age 73 years) |
| Mother |
Eliza Rosanna Hawkins, b. 7 Oct 1871, Inman Valley District Yankalilla, South Australia, Australia d. 5 Sep 1906, Naperby, South Australia, Australia (Age 34 years) |
| Marriage |
4 Jan 1894 |
Wesleyan Church Napperby, South Australia, Australia [1, 2] |
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South Australia Marriage Registrations, Robert John Holman and Eliza Rosanna Hawkins.
Eliza Rosanna Hawkins, daughter of William Clement Hawkins age 22 yrs, married, Robert John Holman, son of James Holman, age 25 yrs, at the Wesleyan Church, Napperby, South Australia, Australia, 04 September 1894. |
| Family ID |
F0734 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Agnes Hilda Siviour, b. 9 Apr 1895, Redhill, South Australia, Australia d. 30 May 1983 (Age 88 years) |
| Marriage |
22 Mar 1919 |
Presbyterian Church, Cummins, South Australia, Australia |
| Children |
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| Family ID |
F1461 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
8 Jul 2022 |
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| Documents |
 | The Family of Clement and Jane Hawkins
Back row, L to R: Hartley Hawkins, Millie hawkins (Angel), Ethel Hawkind (Dow), Friend hawkins, Minnie Hawkins (n. speed), Charlie Smith
Middle Row LtoR: robert J Holman, Eliza Holman (n. Hawkings), Effie Holman, Miriam Jane Hawkins (n. Tucker), francis Hawkins, Lilly Smith (n. Hawkins)
Children at front: Cyril Holman, Tom Holman, Jack Hawkins,… |
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| Notes |
- Lel or Lal as he was fondly called by relatives and friends lived at Nelshaby South Australia. When his mother, who had not been well for some time, became seriously ill, 9 year old Lel rode his horse to Crystal Brook show to find his mother's relatives. Eliza died soon afterwards.
His father had already selected a block of farming land at Wanilla about 25 miles north-west of Port Lincoln with the intention of taking his sick wife to a drier climate. After his mother's death, Lel went to live with his mother's sister Ethel and husband Bill Dow, a teacher at Dodlawirra, South Australia. His father went on with his plans to settle with his children at Wanilla in 1906. He built a house there on what is still known as Holman's Hill. He called the property Ashley Farm. He gathered up his family and travelled there in the Ruparra with Captain Thompson from Wallaroo to Port Lincoln arriving at their new home on the 7th of October 1907.
In 1908 he was sent back to stay with the Dow family again for 6 months to complete his schooling. By the next year a school was built at Warunda where his brothers obtained their education, travelling 14 miles a day in a horse and trap.
In 1912 Lel and his brother Stan took a share-farming job North East of the small township of Cummins with Mr. Culley. As there was no house on the property, the boys slept in the stables on makeshift beds. The mattresses consisted of Hessian or jute bags sewn together. These were filled with chaff or straw and supported with forked sticks on each corner. They reported proudly having consumed 17 loaves of bread a week. In 1913 when a house was built, their father who had not been able to make a living on Ashley Farm Brought the rest of the family to the Culley farm. It had become too wet at Wanilla with 40 inches in one yar. However by 1914 there were drought conditions in most parts of the state, so Lel's relatives (from Telowie North east of Port Pirie) Fred Holman travelled his team of horses to Ashley Farm where there was an abundance of feed from a self sewn crop. This task took from the 6th until the 21st of October.
While Living on Culley's farm, Lel met Dolly, "The Girl next door". Her father had taken up 14,000 acres of virgin land in the Hundred of Stokes. Culleys farm was part of that block. Prior to enlisting in the 1st A.I.F. in 1916, lLel became engaged to Dolly. He served with the 95h Light Horse Regiment in Egypt, was invalided home in 1918 and married Dolly.
Lel and Dolly lived in Adelaide for 6 months while a house, built of local limestone, was being erected for them on their Block No.18 in the Hundred of Wannamanna, one mile from the newly established township of Kyancutta. Once settled into their home on the farm Lel and Dolly became involved in the social affairs of the district: they both played tennis, enjoyed dancing and Lel was patron ot the football club for some time.
Due to war service, Lel's health was deteriorating. In 1926 Mr Longmire, who was looking for land for his sons, asked Lel to put a price on his farm. Le, not really sure that he wanted to sell just then, put what he thought was an unrealistically high price on it, 8 pound per acre, never expecting it to sell. To his surprise it did! So in 1927 they moved to Adelaide where they stayed with Dolly's sister, Catherine (Mrs Ben Cox of Maylands). By the end of the year, they had moved to Norwood, where they rented a few rooms. Lel found some light mechanical work and in 1928, he bought a house at 5 Grove Ave, Forest Gardens (now Everard Park). In 1929 Lel had a major internal operation for the removal of a large portion of his intestine. After that, needing very light work, he took a job with Sam Honeychurch driving a Packard Hire Car. Meanwhile his Maxwell car was replaced by a maroon Chrysler Six tourer, in which the family spent many afternoons after Sunday School, driving through the Adelaide Hills or visiting family or friends.
In 1934 Lel purchased two Packard's and a licence from a hire car proprietor. Requiring only one care he sold the 1928 heavy six cylinder. The other, a straight cylinder, Lel drove himself and proudly took his place on the Returned Soldier's Stand in Pirie Street in the City. Hence began 20 years of R.L.G. Holman's Hire Car Service. Dolly was a dedicated "on call" helper in their home, taking telephone bookings in what was to become a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week business. IN 1937, Lel sold the Packard and bought a 7 passenger 1935 Buick registration 385 which was both his pride and joy and the family car.
By about 1940 a 7 passenger Cadillac Reg No 3858 was bought and so began "The Luxurious Streamline Motor Cadillac Buick Service" for weddings, country tours, funerals etc. Business cards were printed and a driver was employed to drive the Cadillac, with casual help from nephews. The hire cars, always black, were kept meticulously clean and shiny: the introduction of vacuum cleaners was a great boon - especially for picking up confetti on Sunday mornings.
After World War II began in September 1939, petrol was rationed, so eventually it was necessary to put a gas producer unit on the back of the Cadillac. In 1942, Lel bought a 1927 model 7 passenger La Salle, also fitted with a gas producer. In December 1943, a 5 passenger La Salle Reg No. 66 was purchased mainly to enable its petrol allowance to be used by the Buick, as Lel resisted stoically the concept of a gas producer on his beloved car. In March 1944 no.66 was lengthened to become a 7 passenger and by June that year the business card read "La Salle-Buick Service" with a photo of the La Salles and the Buick on the reverse side. Although the hire car stands in the city were used, by fare the majority of the work was arranged by Dolly over the phone. They had a system working whereby Lel would dial their home number to ask if there was a job in the area. He could hear Doll's voice, even through she couldn't hear his, so if she said "yes I have a job for You", he would put in a penny and receive the instructions. If she said "No Work: come home" they would hang up, saving many miles and the cost of a call!
A 1936 model 7 passenger Buick joined the fleet a little later. It was bought from "The Melrose Estate" retaining its number plate 5678. He retained this fleet of cars until his death in 1954. During the war years the Grove Ave house became "open house" to many servicemen from their extended rural family. This sharing was a great source of joy for Lel and Dolly.
Their main forms of recreation in these latter years were cards and the pictures. They were avid bridge players and for many years they had permanent seats at the Roxy Picture Theatre. Lel's deteriorating health was attributed to lung cancer: this was confirmed late in 1953 and died at the Adelaide Repatriation Hospital on the 8th January 1954. (The Tucker Family in Australia, 1992)
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| Sources |
- [S1] Cynthis Henley-Smith, The Tucker Family in Australia, (Gillingham Printers Pty Ltd Adelaide, South Australia), 1992, 312 (Reliability: 3).
- [S493] Genealogy SA, trading as the South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society, findmypast, South Australian Marriages 1842-1937 Transcription, (findmypast), 4 Jan 1894, Clare Registration No. 178/49 (Reliability: 3).
See attached copy of South Australia marriages 1842-1937, Marriage Transcription Eliza Rosanna Hawkins and Robert John Holman. Registration district Clare, Registration No. 178/49.
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