Elizabeth Jane Taylor Saunders (nee Elliott) (1894–1971) and James (Jimmy) Farr Saunders (1888-1974) bought the house on Williamstown Road in 1928, financed by the State Savings Bank of Victoria. James was a stevedore, working on the Melbourne docks, notably Station Pier, and was actively involved in the Port Phillip Stevedores Association and later the Waterside Workers’ Federation. Elizabeth Jane was a skilled seamstress, making clothing for her family, mending, creating soft furnishings such as cushions and blankets, and doing decorative needlework. They had five children, of whom four survived to adulthood. After Elizabeth and James passed away their daughter Elizabeth Euphemia, a dental nurse and later language teacher, became the sole occupant of the house, carefully preserving its contents as decades passed.
“Jen Saunders’ aunt Elizabeth Euphemia Saunders (‘Aunty Bet’) moved into the house at 392 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne in 1928 when she was 18 months old. She lived in the house all her life until 2015 when she moved into supported care in Carlton (Rathdowne Place), where she passed away in 2017. Jen thinks she may be the only surviving owner-occupier of the estate, built at ‘Garden City’ as low-cost housing before the establishment of the Housing Commission. Elizabeth Euphemia preserved the contents of the house as her parents had left it when they died in the early 1970s, and lived amongst their possessions.Elizabeth’s parents, Elizabeth Jane Taylor Saunders (nee Elliott) (1894–1971) and James (Jimmy) Farr Saunders (1888-1974), bought the house in 1928. The purchase records for the house still exist. All of the houses on the Garden City estate were financed by the State Savings Bank and are known as the Bank Houses. ‘Grandpa Elliott’ (presumably Elizabeth’s father, John Frederick Elliott) ‘worked on sailing ships’ as a labourer for the Melbourne Steamship Company (The Age, 28 April 1909).
James Farr Saunders was born on 23 April 1888, of English and Scottish ancestry. His father William Richard Saunders (1852-1896) had come to Australia from Deal, Kent on a sailing ship in the 1870s and worked as a stone mason on the construction of the new Princes Bridge (1886-88). William married Euphemia (Phemie) McLarty (1856-1946) in 1881, the daughter of two Scottish immigrants both of whom had arrived to Australia on the “Black Eagle” on 19 October 1854 (Victorian Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1853-1857). William was said to have been injured on the job when a bluestone wall fell, trapping him in the Yarra River until the stones could be removed. He died on 1 July 1896 aged 43 years from injuries sustained in the accident. (Having searched records from 1885-1889, a record of the accident was unable to be found, however there are numerous reports of serious workplace accidents on the buildings of both the Princes and Queens Bridge, built by the same contractor). Phemie was left to raise seven children single-handedly, one of whom was only 1 year old baby William (Bill), in South Melbourne and Middle Park.
James met his future wife Elizabeth Jane Taylor Elliott (1894-1971) when she was about 14 years old, and courted her for six years until she was 21 years old, which her parents considered was the minimum age for marrying. Elizabeth worked at Velvet soap factory of J Kitchen & Co in Port Melbourne, and received from them a large mantle clock on her marriage that was still in the house. While courting James bought Elizabeth a series of brooches (and other gifts), which are still in the family. The couple married on 29 December 1915, during World War I. James did not serve in World War I, however his younger brother William did from 7 February 1916 until 1919 in the 5th and 57th Battalions (Peter McLarty Family Tree, Ancestry).
James, along with his brother William (1895-1965), was a stevedore, working on the Melbourne docks, notably Station Pier, where he unloaded ships including those carrying post-war immigrants (he occasionally took a punt across the river to work at other docks). He was a member of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association and later the Waterside Workers’ Federation, and participated in strike action. Documents relating to his union activity survived, including his ticket and stop work record, in his bedside drawers. (Wendy Lowenstein and Tom Hill’s book Under the Hook very much captures his life.) Throughout his working life and especially during the strikes on the waterfront, the family was dependant on the vegetables, fruit trees and chickens in their backyard. Of these, only one plum tree remains (planted by James), which Jen still covered with old pillowcases and remnants of clothes such as pyjama legs, held with pegs, to keep birds off, as her grandparents once did. James’ heavily worn gardening tools were stored in the outside bungalow.
James’ denim jackets or dungarees, worn for his stevedore work, have also survived, showing extensive wear, mending and button replacements. Five hooks reflect his work on the docks, likely used for picking up wool bales.
James’ work often required two ‘call-ups’ per day, which he had to attend to get jobs. In the early 20th century these call-ups were done through the “bull” system which did not guarantee work for the stevedores. In the late 1930s this was replaced with the more reliable “gang” system. This work meant long hours at the docks. Sometimes hot meals were taken to him; and some workers also occasionally drank beer while on the job.
James was known as Pop or Poppa by his family such as Jen; his daughter Elizabeth Euphemia Saunders also called him Dadda.
James worked until 1960, when he was 72 years old. He passed away in 1974.”
