Ernest Oswald Free (1881-1964) and
Adeline Ellen Bennett (1887-1961)

(last updated 6 June 2023)

I: Life and Times

Born in 1881, Ernest spent his early years on his parents' farm at Corack East and then, following the death of his father William Free in 1890, with his widowed mother at Watchem (where he was working as a labourer at the time of the 1903 election). In November the same year he had an application for allotment 145 at Corack East recommended by the local Land Board. On 6 February 1906 Ernest married Adeline Ellen Bennett (1887-1961) at the nearby township of Donald (the couple's wedding photo is shown on the left). Born at Watchem in 1887, Adeline's parents were Jonathan Bennett (1857-1948) and Eliza Emily Tout (1867-1950) - pictured on the right - who, the 'Bennett Family Tree' on Ancestry tells us, were married at Moonambel in the Pyrenees region of Victoria in 1884 and had fifteen children in addition to Adeline: Elizabeth Jane (1885), John William (1889), Albert Edward (1891), Ann Eliza (1893), Charles Henry (1895), Herbert James (1897), Clara Matilda (1899), George Thomas (1900), Robert Morton (1902), Francis (Percy) (1902), Harold Jonathan (1904), Alexander Talbot (1907), Walter Gordon (1908) and Ivy Irene Bennett (1913) - another child was still-born in 1888.

Adeline's father, Jonathan Bennett (1857-1948), was born at Drysdale on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsular, one of eleven children of William Bennett (1827-94) - who was a native of Somerset and emigrated to Australia in the early 1840s - and Ellen Chowns (1827-67) who came from Oxfordshire. Married at Geelong on 22 February 1849, William and Ellen lived and worked at Drysdale where Ellen died in 1867 and William in 1894. They are buried together in the local cemetery there (Methodist Section 1-807-284). Adeline's mother, Eliza Emily Tout (1867-1950), was born at Moonambel, the youngest daughter of John Tout (1821-87), who came from Devonshire in England, and Jane Elizabeth Woolley (1831-89) who hailed from Kent. Eliza is said to have met Johnathan while she was looking after his sister. 'She was 17 years old when they married he was 27 and had white hair and a beard making him look many years older'. After their wedding at Moonambel on 12 October 1854, they lived at Watchem where Jonathan worked as a farmer and carrier (the 1924 and subsequent electoral rolls describe him as a gentleman). They both died at Mildura, Jonathan on 13 January 1948 and Eliza on 27 June 1950, and are buried together in the Red Cliffs Pioneer Cemetery.

In 1910 Ernest bought 440 acres at Watchem from a W. Hayes, having earlier sold his block at Corack East. In September the same year, the Donald Times reported that 'Mr and Mrs E. O. Free have suffered a sad loss by the death of their little son [William Edward] 5 and 1/2 years of age. The little fellow had been ailing about a fortnight. His parents first took him to Woomelang, where he remained for about three days, and he was afterwards taken to the St Arnaud hospital where he passed away on Saturday morning last, the cause of death being peritonitis. The remains were interred in the Presbyterian portion of the Watchem cemetery'. William was one of six children Ernest and Adeline had at Watchem. The others, whose lives and families are detailed in Part II, were Lillian Elizabeth ('Doll') Free, born in 1906, Ernest John ('Mick') Free (1907), Mary Eliza Free (1909), George Robert Free (1910), Amy Maud Free (1912) and Elsie May Free (1914).

Their grandson Des Menzel tells us that, in 1917, Ernest and Adeline and their growing family moved from Watchem to Pallarang located near Cowangie in the northwest Mallee region. 'During their journey', he continues, 'Adeline gave birth to another daughter Mavis Free, born at Speed in Victoria on 6 March 1917. They settled on a farm at Pallarang where they farmed for many years and the children attended the Pallarang State School (pictured below). The Free home was always a welcome haven for family and friends with many fond memories of the families getting together to celebrate Christmas and other special occasions'. Des adds that he thought Adeline 'was the driving force of the family'. Ern, by contrast, was 'quite a subdued, quiet man smoking his pipe out on the verandah'. Des wonders whether in later life in particular Ernest's mind was burdened by 'the sad memory of his father William's death' at Corack.

Ernest and Adeline Free and family at Watchem in around 1913. L/R: Ernest John ('Mick'), Ernest Oswald, George Robert,
Lillian Elizabeth ('Doll'), Adeline Ellen nursing Amy Maud, Mary Eliza and William Edward Free. Pallarang State School.

The Australian electoral rolls indicate that Ernest's older brother, Benjamin Free (and his wife Maud), either joined the family or settled at or near Pallarang at around the same time and remained there until after the Second World War. While we can only surmise, it is likely that Benjamin moved to Pallarang following a dispute with a local merchant and a falling-out with his mother Eliza. As reported in the Donald Times on 14 May 1917 this involved a court appearance in which the local magistrate had 'to determine the ownership of goods seized by Waddell & Co. from Benjamin Free, of Watchem. Miss Pomeroy appeared as the claimant. After a lengthy argument the bench found in favour of the defendants and allowed £6/1/- costs against the claimant. In a second claim by Mrs Bruce (mother of Free) the claim for furniture was allowed, but with regard to a horse, the bench decided it was the property of Free and found in favour of defendants'. Fay and Des Menzel tell us that Benjamin 'had allotment 41 in the parish of Duddo in the North West Mallee approximately 5km west of his brother Ernest Oswald's farm'. Records held by them also indicate that he and Maud had a daughter, Mavis Free, who was born in 1907 and attended school at both Watchem and Pallarang where she was first enrolled in 1919. A photo of Maud and Mavis is contained on the Free family photos webpage.

Des Menzel tells that in the years following the war, the running of the farm was increasingly done by Ernest and Adeline's eldest son Ernest John Free (pictured below). Always known as 'Mick Free', he had served in the Australian Army between 1942 and 1945. On returning home, he 'continued to work and manage the farm until his sudden death as a result of a heart attack on 25 January 1960'. Mick's unexpected death 'was a huge sad loss for Ern and Adeline and they decided to sell their farm and move into the township of Cowangie where they had a new home built'. Sadly Adeline died a year later and Ernest Oswald, who was becoming increasingly frail and 'unable to care for himself', went to live with his daughter, Amy Maud Menzel nee Free and her family at their farm near Danyo in north western Victoria. He died at the Murrayville Hospital on 3 March 1964 and is buried alongside Adeline and Ernest John ('Mick') Free in the Cowangie Cemetery.

Ernest and Adeline's eldest son, Mick Free, never married. He was also the only child of Ernest and Adeline to be buried with them at Cowangie. As we have seen, his younger brother, William Edward Free, died before the family moved into the area and is buried at Watchem. The remainder of Mick and William's siblings all grew into adulthood, married and eventually left Pallarang to live and die in other places in Victoria and South Australia. Click here to read of their respective lives, times and families.

The photo on the left is of VX78092 Pte Ernest John ('Mick') Free. That on the right is of Free,
third from the left in the rear row, with members of his unit.