Vera Phillips
Image: Catherine Wayman
FatherWilliam Rogerson1
MotherAda Mary Wilson1
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Vera Victoria Rogerson was born on 23 May 1906 in South Melbourne, Victoria.2 
She married Joseph Phillips, son of John Phillips and Ellen O'Loughlin, on 13 March 1933 in South Melbourne, Victoria.1,3 
She died in 1991 in Mooroopna, Victoria.4 

Family

Joseph Phillips b. 17 Jan 1902, d. 1972
ChartsO'Loughlin, Michael, descendant chart
Phillips, James, descendant chart

Story

Vera Victoria was born in South Melbourne on 23 May 1906.2
 
Marriage
Vera Victoria Rogerson and Joseph Phillips were married at 9 Palmerston Cres in South Melbourne on 13 March 1933. They had no children.1,5
 
Vera was born in South Melbourne and it might explain why Joe and Vera chose to get married there even though they both lived in Shepparton immediately before and after their marriage.

Vera's parents, William and Ada, had a farm out on Benalla Rd.2,1,6
 
Marge stayed with Joe and Vera [Phillips, in Shepparton] when the airmen were in town staying at the showgrounds. The airmen would march along High St/Benalla Rd. Marge worked out the time, then would sit outside as they marched past. The sargeant would say 'Eyes left!' as they went past, then "'Eyes right!' as they came back. Marge would wave, and maybe me too. [Rene Barnes]7
 
Tom and Joe worked closely together in their business ventures.

Two years after Tom sold his interest in the Pine Lodge Hotel in Shepparton East, Joe's wife Vera took over the licence. Vera had a cleaner police record than Joe. She took the licence over from Amelia Mildred Mitchell in February 1943, and two years later it was transferred to Arthur William Mammen.

Personal
TRIBUTES to the hospitality and popularity of Mr and Mrs Joe Phillips were made at Shepparton East hall last night when the popular couple, who have conducted the Pine Lodge hotel for the past two years, were tendered a farewell social evening by a number of friends. References to the qualities of the guests were made by Messrs G Wright and N Hanlon. Mr Phillips responded on behalf of his wife and himself. A presentation to the couple will be made at a later date. [Dec 1944]8,9,10,11

Tom Phillips, Ida McLean & Joe Phillips
Image: Eileen Redden
Telegraph Hotel
Joe and Vera also had the Telegraph Hotel in Numurkah during 1946.12,13
 
Hotel Changes
The Licensing Court, sitting in Melbourne yesterday approved transfers of the licences of the Telegraphic Hotel, Numurkah, from Mrs A Eddy to Joseph Phillips and the Junction Hotel, Toolamba, from M Darveniza to Mrs Violet A Williams.

Doyen of Numurkah publicans, Mrs Eddy in the course of nearly 40 years at the 'Telegraph,' has established and maintained a tradition unrivalled in the Goulburn Valley. The two new licensees are well known in Shepparton and are the brother and sister in law respectively of Mr TJ Phillips, of the Hotel Australia, Shepparton.14
 
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

The Telegraph Hotel
Is Now Under the Management OF
JOE PHILLIPS

Call in and see him any time you are in Numurkah

The House and Dining Room is under the Personal Supervision of Mrs VV Phillips, who will tend to your every want.

THE TELEGRAPH IS A CT HOUSE. It is alo the House for the Farmer, the Worker, the Businessman - a House for Everybody. [May 1946]
["Advertising" Numurkah Leader (Vic. : 1895 - 1948) 20 May 1946: 2. Web. 20 Jan 2021 .]15
 
Joe, Vera, Dan and Bub, Counter Lunch
... and every Thursday at lunch time you would see Vera and Joe turn up at lunch time [in Tatura] in their big green car, and Bub and Dan would go and have a counter lunch.Joe always in his suit and hat. I worked three shops up from Uncle Dan's so saw him every day, and when Pat [Redden] and I got engaged, I would have lunch with Bub once a week. [Moyna Redden]16
 
Shepparton Residences
There are many different Shepparton addresses given for Joe and Vera in the electoral rolls and Shepparton rates. It's likely that three are the same house with different numbering.

The first place we have for Joe in Shepparton is in 1931 when he is at 283 Wyndham St. At the time, this would probably have been near the butter factory. Joe was still single then.

In 1935, after Joe and Vera married, Vera is paying rates as the owner of 178 High St. For this entry, the rate books have a note that the rateable property is 'allotment 4 of 28A'. This is opposite the showgrounds, and in the map below is in the block bounded by High St ('Highway'), Archer St, Rowe St (only 'St' visible) and Dudley St.

In 1936, both Joe and Vera give their address as 59 Rowe St. As their property extends from High St through to Rowe St, it's possible this address is the same as the previous one. Between 1937 and 1939, their address is again 178 High St, and described as having a weatherboard dwelling and a 66 foot frontage.

From 1942 to 1954, their address is 304 High St, but with the street renumbering of the early 1940s, this will be the same place.

From 1963, Joe and Vera lived at 22 Wyndham St, not far from Balaclava Rd at the north end of town.17,18
Shepparton township map c. 1950
Tom Phillips, Ida McLean, Joe Phillips, Eileen Connelly, Hec McLean, Vera Phillips, Bill Connelly, Irene 'Sis' Phillips (McDonald)
Image: Eileen Redden
Vera liked the finer things in life. And thanks to Joe's good business sense, he was able to keep her in the manner to which she was accustomed. Vera also liked to be noticed. And while it was hard not to notice her hairdo, it was impossible not to notice her massive green 1959 Chevrolet Impala.

Vera was pretty well off at the time Joe died. But with no one around to manage the finances, the Chevy could be seen sporting more and more expensive dents and the money eventually ran out.19
Nene Courtie, Laurie, Vera & Sis Phillips
Image: Catherine Wayman
Will
Vera wrote a will on 4 March 1986. She named nephew Brian Phillips as executor. She left jewellery to two granddaughters of her late sister Melva Dow, Lorraine Phillips (wife of nephew Laurie), Marion Phillips (wife of nephew Don), and Maureen (wife of nephew Brian). Any residue was to go to Brian.20
 
Vera Victoria Phillips died in Mooroopna in 1991, aged 85. She was buried at Shepparton Public cemetery on 3 October 1991 with Joe.4,21
 

Citations

  1. [S8] Joseph Phillips and Vera Victoria Rogerson, marriage registration no. 1281, 13 March 1933.
  2. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Vera Vic' Rogerson entry, birth registration no. 12371, 1906.
  3. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Joseph Phillips and Vera Victoria Rogerson entry, marriage registration no. 1574, 1933.
  4. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Vera Victoria Phillips entry, death registration no. 24609, 1991.
  5. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Joseph Phillips and 'Vera Vict' Rogerson entry, marriage registration no. 1574, 1933.
  6. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Echuca, subdivision of Shepparton, 1928.
  7. [S15] Irene Barnes, personal communication, 4 December 2013.
  8. [S220] 'Victuallers' licences', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 13 November 1939, p. 12, viewed 14 July 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11272669
  9. [S220] 'Victuallers' licences', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 26 January 1943, p. 10, viewed 14 July 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11336500
  10. [S220] 'Victuallers' licences', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 24 February 1945, p. 18, viewed 9 December 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1107668
  11. [S201] 'Personal', Shepparton Advertiser, 1914-1953, newspaper, Thomas Pettit and William Callender, 15 December 1944, p. 2, viewed 19 February 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171822413
  12. [S220] 'Victuallers' licences', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 4 January 1946, p. 13, viewed 14 January 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22220508
  13. [S220] 'Victuallers' licences', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 30 November 1946, p. 30, viewed 14 January 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22393552
  14. [S201] 'Hotel changes', Shepparton Advertiser, 1914-1953, newspaper, Thomas Pettit and William Callender, 22 January 1946, p. 1, viewed 9 September 2020, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187167063
  15. [S425] 'Under new management: The Telegraph Hotel', Numurkah Leader, 1895-1948, newspaper, 20 May 1946, p. 6, viewed 19 February 2023, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186470623
  16. [S281] 'Phillips Family', Facebook, webpage, Facebook Inc, group created 25 June 2011, comment by Moyna Redden in 12 July 2020 post by Peter Phillips.
  17. [S215] Trevor J Phillips, personal communication, 9 December 2013.
  18. [S1] Street numbers have changed in Shepparton at least twice; once in 1932/1933 and again in the early 1940s. Allom Lovell & Associates, 'City of Greater Shepparton heritage study stage II: Heritage place datasheets', vol. 4 datasheets Murchison -Z, report prepared for Greater Shepparton City Council, February 2004, http://greatershepparton.com.au/assets/files/documents/…. This report is Volume 4 of a six-volume set, comprising: Volume 1 Introduction and Recommendations; Volume 2 Environmental History; Volume 3 Heritage Place Datasheets: A-Mooroopna; Volume 4 Heritage Place Datasheets: Murchison –Z; Volume 5 Heritage Overlay Precincts; Volume 6 Heritage Place Datasheets: Log Structures and Scotch Kiln.
  19. [S215] Trevor J Phillips, personal communication, 16 July 2014.
  20. [S700] 'Vera Victoria Phillips', will, 4 March 1986.
  21. [S78] Shepparton Public Cemetery, cemetery and register, Vera Victoria Phillips entry, 1991.