Tom Redden
Image: Rene Barnes
FatherHugh Redden
MotherMary Agnes McDonald
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Thomas Redden was born on 7 September 1909 in Carlton, Victoria.1,2 
He married Eileen Phillips, daughter of John Phillips and Ellen O'Loughlin, on 20 April 1935 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria.3 
He died on 10 April 1983 at age 73.4 

Family

Eileen Phillips b. 17 Jan 1911, d. 7 Jan 2001
Children
ChartsO'Loughlin, Michael, descendant chart
Phillips, James, descendant chart

Story

Thomas was born in Carlton on 7 September 1909. He was the child of Mary and Hugh. He was known as Tom.

In some records, he is Thomas Joseph Redden.1,2,5
 
Tom went to school at St Patrick's in Ballarat.6
 
Marriage and Family
Eileen Phillips and Thomas Redden were married at St Bernard's church in Bacchus Marsh on 20 April 1935. They had five children, with one early death.

Her bridesmaid was Dot Williams, a cousin of Ruby (wife of Jack Phillips, Eileen's brother). Eileen's brother Danny was in the wedding party.3,6,7
unknown, unknown, Tom Redden, Eileen (Phillips), unknown, Dan Phillips, Apr 1935
Image: Rene Barnes
Family Life
Tom and Eileen farmed at nearby Balliang and this is where the couple started their married life.8
 
Eilie's harp: A few months after Tom and Eilie married, Reg and I were holidaying at Balliang for our Christmas holidays. Auntie Eilie was learning to play a small harp type instrument that was a wedding present. She wasn't making much headway with it. Uncle Tom got the giggles, and Reg and I joined in. Auntie Eilie did the melon and sent Reg and I off to bed, and I guess maybe uncle Tom's honeymoon was over. [Laurie Phillips]9
 
Tom originally used a horse-drawn harvester, but by the time he and Eilie married he used a tractor, probably a 'Fergie'. As well as wheat and sheep, there were a few cows and chickens for barter. Every Thursday morning a man would come to collect eggs, cream and a shopping list, and go to Geelong. He would return in the evening with fruit, vegies and groceries. Eilie said 'Looking back, it was a good life'.6
 
How fast will it go, Tom?: Tom Redden had a big car. With Tom and Eilie in the front, and the visiting Reg and Laurie in the back on their way to church, the boys would ask 'How fast will it go, Tom?' Tom would duly oblige by planting the foot, much to the delight of the two in the back. When they got back to school after the holidays and were asked 'what did you do for Christmas?', they would recount the story of how they went screaming along in their uncle's car at 60 miles an hour. [Laurie Phillips]10
 
Tom and Eilie's oldest three children, John, Terry and Hugh, were born in Bacchus Marsh. Noel died of cot death at six days old. The youngest two children, Pat (Patrick) and Julie, were born in Geelong. Tom and Eilie lived in Geelong for about 12 months.

The three boys went to school at St Joseph's in Geelong.8
Mary Vallence (Phillips), Tom Redden, Eileen Redden (Phillips), Bub Phillips, Ellen Phillips (O'Loughlin), John Redden, Danny Phillips (seated), 16 Millbank St, Bacchus Marsh c. 1937
Image: Eileen Redden
Roylyn Phillips, Terry Redden, Joy Phillips, John Redden
Image: Roylyn Phillips
Back: John Redden, Bev Phillips, Terry Redden; front: Joy Phillips, Pat Redden, Roylyn Phillips
Image: Roylyn Phillips
Eileen, Pat & Julie Redden, Balliang Vic
Image: Pay & Moyna Redden
Pat & Julie Redden
Image: Pay & Moyna Redden
For several years, the family lived in Ellerslie just outside Mortlake in western Victoria. Tom continued his farming there after they moved from Geelong.11,12
 
From East to West
Around 1954, the family decided to move to Western Australia, with their first home being near Mt Barker just north of Albany.

The family all travelled from Mortlake to Adelaide by caravan, then Eilie and some of the children went by ship, and Tom took the others across the Nullabor.13
Terry Redden, (friend of Terry), Eileen Redden (Phillips), Julie Redden (front), John Redden (back), (friend of Terry), Tom Redden at their Porongurup home near Mt Barker
Image: Eileen Redden
When asked to name the places where the family has lived, Eilie once responded with this list: Balliang (Vic), West Geelong, East Geelong, Ellerslie (near Mortlake), Carburup (near Mt Barker, WA), Mt Barker, Porongurup, Kulin (150 km east of Williams), Mt Barker, Albany, Nanarup (near Albany), Rolystone (Perth suburb), Kelmscot (Perth suburb), Bedfordale (Perth suburb), High Wicombe (Perth suburb), Lesmurdie (Perth suburb), a different place in Lesmurdie, Denmark (the town in WA near Albany, not the country!). John moved independently at one stage.14,15
 
Thomas Joseph Redden died in Western Australia on 10 April 1983, aged 73. He was buried with son Terry at Allambie Park cemetery in Albany.4,5
 

Citations

  1. [S136] Moyna Redden, personal communication, 5 December 1998.
  2. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Thos Redden' entry, birth registration no. 25513, 1909.
  3. [S279] Thomas Redden and Eileen Phillips, marriage registration no. 4605, 20 April 1935.
  4. [S136] Moyna Redden, personal communication, 17 March 2013.
  5. [S442] 'Allambie Park cemetery, Albany', Oz Burials: Lorraine's cemetery records pages, online register, Thomas Joseph Redden entry, viewed 23 June 2020, http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/Albany/Albany.htm
  6. [S31] Eileen Redden, personal communication, 10 March 1996.
  7. [S31] Eileen Redden, personal communication, 17 April 1996.
  8. [S31] Eileen Redden, personal communication, 25 February 1996.
  9. [S281] 'Phillips Family', Facebook, webpage, Facebook Inc, group created 25 June 2011, 8 January 2012 post by Laurie Phillips.
  10. [S32] Laurie Phillips, personal communication, 26 May 2014.
  11. [S319] 'Obituary: Mrs John Phillips, Sen', Bacchus Marsh Express, newspaper obituary, 30 June 1951.
  12. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Corangamite, subdivision of Mortlake, 1954.
  13. [S31] Eileen Redden, personal communication, 18 May 1996.
  14. [S31] Eileen Redden, personal communication, 5 December 1998.
  15. [S44] Roylyn Phillips, personal communication, 9 December 1998.