Annie Simmons
Image: Eileen Redden
FatherJohn Phillips b. 25 Jul 1863, d. 6 Aug 1925
MotherEllen O'Loughlin b. 26 Mar 1869, d. 24 Jun 1951
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Annie Eileen Phillips was born on 25 September 1906 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria.1,2 
She married William John Simmons, son of Henry Thomas Simmons and Rebecca McGee, on 9 July 1928 in East Melbourne, Victoria.3,4,5 
She died on 2 March 1980 in Preston, Victoria, at age 73.6,7 

Family

William John Simmons b. 1903, d. 21 Jan 1993
Children
ChartsO'Loughlin, Michael, descendant chart
Phillips, James, descendant chart

Story

Annie Eileen was born in Bacchus Marsh on 25 September 1906. She was the eighth child of Ellen and John. She was also known as Billie.

Her nickname came from being a bit of a tomboy. She enjoyed helping her father with woodchopping and similar activities.1,8,2
 
When Annie was born, her father worked for the railways in Bacchus Marsh, and they lived in likely a railway house in Turner St.

All the children attended St Bernard's school or St Joseph's Convent school.9
 
In 1890 four sisters of the order of St Joseph's, arrived from Sydney to act as educators. A house was purchased for them to use as a convent and high class ladies' school. In time, a detached schoolhouse was erected at the site and it was then that the students were relocated for the last time to our current site in Gisborne Rd - St Bernard's School.

Our beautiful convent was erected in 1900 with classes being held in the downstairs area and the upper floor being used as convent and boarding school. The attached chapel was built in 1905.

St Bernard's was the first Catholic school to be run by the Sisters of St Joseph, founded by Saint Mary MacKillop. Mary would often visit the convent on her journeys between Sydney and Melbourne and past students fondly remembered her handing out boiled lollies to the children.10
 
In 1908, the family moved into the gatehouse on Vallence Rd.

The gatehouse was next to the railway line on the north-east corner of the Vallence Rd crossing (this crossing was removed in 2004). It was a small four-roomed house, and the older boys slept in a tent in the back yard.

The children would play with any children nearby or who were known through school or St Bernard's church. There was a strong connection with all the Vallence families with a number living nearby including Nell, Eddie, Amy and Harry, who were just over the railway line. Lifelong friendships were known between the Phillips children and Vallences. And Mary married Bill Vallence.

The wide age range of the children, nineteen years to the day between the eldest and youngest, created an interesting household. Larry was working as a hairdresser before Eileen was born. He married when Eileen was just three, and made her Auntie Eileen at age four, before she started school.

During and following the First World War, the children gradually started leaving home.

Larry was first to leave the gatehouse, around 1914. About five years later he was followed by Tess and Tom. Last to leave home from the gatehouse was Mary in 1923.11,10,9,12,13
 
Sunnyside
When their father died in 1925, the children still at the gatehouse, Jack, Joe, Jim, Annie, Danny and Eilie, moved with their mother to a recently completed house on Vallence Rd. This house was on the north-facing side of a hill and they named it 'Sunnyside'. In later years, nephews and nieces all referred to it as 'the house on the hill'. It was a twin weatherboard house with a covering between the two sections.

It is possible Jack and Joe stayed in the gatehouse for a couple of years after the others left, as Jack is shown as still at the gatehouse in 1926 and 1927, and Joe was still in Bacchus Marsh.14,13,15,16,17,18,19,20
 
In 1928, Annie was living in Brunswick St, Fitzroy where she was a 'typiste'.21,5
 
Marriage and Family
Annie Eileen Phillips and William John Simmons were married at St Patrick's cathedral in East Melbourne on 9 July 1928. They had three children.5,4,3
 
After they married, they lived in Port Melbourne, in Albert St (1931), Princes St (1936), then McCormack St (1937). All three children were born around this time.22,23,24
 
In the electoral roll for 1931, William has no occupation shown. In 1936, he is a labourer and in 1937 a storeman.5,22,23,24
 
During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, Bill lost the milk round job he was doing. He went on to the 'Susso', the Australian slang term for 'sustenance' (welfare) payments.8,25
 
Dad served in the army in World War Two. When he went to sign up they initially said no, as he had two fingers on his right hand joined. But he persisted and asked what about being in the band; they said yes.

Towards the end of the war, Margaret and I were at the cinema and a newsreel came on. Dad was on the screen. He was marching. They were in India on their way to Australia but had to swap ships because the military wanted the one they arrived there on for something else. [Pat Simmons]8,26,27
 
William John Simmons initially enlisted in the Australian Army at the Melbourne Town Hall on 10 June 1940, but didn't sign the oath until eight days later in Caulfield. His service number was VX28059 and he was assigned to 2/14 Battalion. He named Annie as next of kin. He was discharged at Heidelberg Military hospital on 10 July 1944.28,27
 
By 1942, the family was living at Penola St, Preston. Annie and Bill remained in their Preston home for the rest of their lives.29,8
 
Annie bought her meat from Preston butcher Donald McDonald. Donald's sister, Irene 'Sis' Phillips, was married to Annie's brother Tom.30
 
Ellen Phillips with her three oldest daughters, Annie, Mary and Tess.
Back: Annie, Mary & Tess (Phillips); front: Ellen Phillips (O'Loughlin)
Image: Roylyn Phillips
In the electoral roll for 1949, William is a waterside worker. Daughter Pat could not recall her father doing this work.31,8
 
All four Phillips sisters were together in Preston in 1951.
Mary Vallence, Tess O'Loughlin, Annie Simmons & Eileen Redden (all Phillips), Pat Simmons' wedding, Preston, 1951
Image: Eileen Redden
Annie Simmons died in Preston on 2 March 1980, aged 73. She was buried at Preston cemetery.32,6,7
Preston cemetery
Image: BillionGraves

Citations

  1. [S357] Annie Eileen Phillips, birth registration no. 23661, 25 September 1906.
  2. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Annie Eileen Phillips entry, birth registration no. 23661, 1906.
  3. [S278] Pat Brown, personal communication, 25 August 2014.
  4. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Wm Jno' Simmons and Annie Phillips entry, marriage registration no. 7955, 1928.
  5. [S594] William John Simmons and Annie Phillips, marriage registration no. 7955, 9 July 1928.
  6. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Annie Simmons entry, death registration no. 5478, 1980.
  7. [S406] Deveney-Dow Family Tree, Ancestry, 'Annie Eileen Phillips' entry, viewed 1 March 2015.
  8. [S278] Pat Brown, personal communication, 22 July 2020.
  9. [S318] Bacchus Marsh & District Historical Society, personal communication, 3 November 2013.
  10. [S2] 'History', St Bernard's Parish Primary School, online, St Bernard's Parish Primary School, Bacchus Marsh, August 2021, viewed 12 September 2021.
  11. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Corio, subdivision of Bacchus Marsh, 1908.
  12. [S38] Lynette Dow, personal communication, 18 December 1996.
  13. [S331] Joan McClure, personal communication, 11 December 2013.
  14. [S32] Laurie Phillips, personal communication, December 2013.
  15. [S44] Roylyn Phillips, personal communication, 13 March 1996.
  16. [S37] Margaret Deveney, personal communication, 11 March 1996.
  17. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, Commonwealth division of Ballaarat, Victorian division of Bulla, subdivision of Bacchus Marsh, 1926.
  18. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, Commonwealth division of Ballaarat, Victorian division of Grant, subdivision of Bacchus Marsh, 1927.
  19. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Ballaarat, subdivision of Bacchus Marsh, 1926.
  20. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Ballaarat, subdivision of Bacchus Marsh, 1927.
  21. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Yarra, subdivision of Fitzroy South, 1928.
  22. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Melbourne Ports, subdivision of Port Melbourne, 1931.
  23. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Melbourne Ports, subdivision of Port Melbourne, 1936.
  24. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Melbourne Ports, subdivision of Port Melbourne, 1937.
  25. [S246] 'The Susso', Wikipedia, online, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 25 July 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Susso
  26. [S278] Pat Brown, personal communication, 5 january 2021.
  27. [S632] 'Simmons, William John', B883 Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, control symbol VX28059, service record, 18 June 1940.
  28. [S500] 'Simmons, William John', DVA's Nominal Rolls, service summary, Second World War, service no. VX28059, viewed 24 July 2020, https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran
  29. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Batman, subdivision of Preston, 1942.
  30. [S278] Pat Brown, personal communication, 15 May 2013.
  31. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Darebin, subdivision of Preston, 1949.
  32. [S422] BillionGraves, online cemetery data, Annie Simmons entry, 1980.