Alvan Street


Six Anzacs lived in Alvan Street, Mount Lawley

Vivian Vernon Hawtin SN 898 and his brother Eric Harold Hawtin SN 1243 lived at 3 Alvan St, Mt Lawley.

Corporal Vivian Vernon (Jimmy) was born in Perth on 27th June 1895 to parents James Vernon Hawtin (1872-1944) and Edith Laura Hawtin (nee Smith (1871-1952). He had four siblings: Eric Harold Hawtin (1896-1916), Irma Edith May (1900-1994), Enid Audrey (1902-1972) and Victor Edward John (1906-1974).

Employed as a bank clerk, Vivian enlisted the 19th March 1915 with B Company, 28th Battalion to join the war in Gallipoli.

He fell ill on the journey from Australia to Alexandria with influenza and jaundice.

In September 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal. In December 1917 he proceeded to France with his Battalion.

In August 1918, Vivian was wounded in the field with a gunshot wound to his chest and lip, and hospitalised. He was promoted to Corporal on the 10th August 1918.

In January 1919 he was repatriated back to Australia.

After discharge he returned to his family home, having lost his brother, Eric Harold John Hawtin in the war in 1916.

He moved to New South Wales and in 1928 married Lucy Rosey Foreman (1890- 1978) They lived in Bondi for many years and had a daughter, June Mary (1930-1960).

Vivian died on the 10th December 1983.

Vivian’s parents remained living at 3 Alvan St. James Vernon died in 1944 and Edith Louise died in 1952.

Photo courtesy of Faithe Jones VWMA


Eric Harold Hawtin also lived at 3 Alvan ST, Mt Lawley. SN 1243

Gunner Eric Harold Hawtin, Vivian was born in 1896 in Perth to parents James Vernon Hawtin (1872-1944) and Edith Laura Smith (1871-1952) His siblings were Vivian Vernon Hawtin (1895-1983), Irma Edith May (1900-1994), Enid Audrey (1902-1972) and Victor Edward John (1906-1974,

Eric worked as a clerk before enlisting in the Army on the 17th June 1915.

He left Australia for Egypt and then he joined the 24th Field Artillery Brigade as a Gunner and was sent to France in June 1916.

Eric was killed in action aged 20 on the 10th December 1916 in France.

There is No Known Grave – “Known Unto God”.

His father received a Memorial Scroll in 1922 and a Memorial Plaque in 1923

Eric is memorialised on other memorials besides the Australian War Museum. He is mentioned on the local Maylands and Mt Lawley Inglewood Memorial as well as the 10th Light Horse Regiment Perth.

Photo courtesy of Faithe Jones VWMA


William John Hannah lived at 9 Alvan St (sometimes address in records is also 7 Alvan ST), Mt Lawley, SN 877.

Sergeant William John Hannah was born in Adelaide in 1887 to parents Robert Hannah and Mary Anne (nee Brady). He had four brothers Charles Edward (1880), George Edwin (1881), Robert James (1882) and Andrew Roy (1891).

Charles, George, Robert and Andrew all applied to enlist but the only records show that they were “either rejected, discharged or went on to serve in Australia only.”

The family lived first at 15 Mary St, Highgate then moved to Alvan Street before the war.

Working as an engineering draughtsman when he enlisted on the 8th January 1916, William was 29 years old and lived with his father in Alvan Street.

He left Australia in June 1916 with the 44th Battalion and went to France in November the same year. He was hospitalised in France with mumps and unspecified sickness between December 1916 and August 1917.

Wiliam was transferred in August 1917 to the 11th Machine Gun Company, and then to the 3rd Machine Gun Company as a Lance/Corporal. In January 1919 he was promoted to temporary Sergeant returning to Australia on the 24th January 1919.

In 1929, the family was still living in Alvan Street.

William died in Kalgoorlie in June 1941 and he is buried at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.

Photo courtesy of Faithe Jones VWMA.


William Allardyce Ross lived 13 Alvan St, Mount Lawley. SN 130

Trooper William Allardyce Ross was born in Donald, Victoria in 1894 to parents William Archibald Ross (1870-1949) and Margaret Jessie (nee Allardyce) 1870-1945).

William had three siblings: Lily (1892-1953), Archibald Gordon (1898-1975) and Graham (1899-1956).

The family lived in 13 Alvan St from around 1912 until 1918. Mr. William Ross Senior was the Manager of William Sandover and Company.

William enlisted on the 6th October 1914 at the age of 21 into the 10th Light Horse Regiment. His final rank was Trooper.

He was killed in action at Walker Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey on the 7th August 1915 in a battle in which nearly 40 men of the Brigade were killed.

He is buried in the Cemetery at Lone Pine along with his comrades.

Photo Courtesy of Faithe Jones VWMA.


Walter Godden lived at 15 Alvan St, Mt Lawley. SN 62810

Corporal Walter Godden was born in Bulong, Western Australia on the 11th June 1897 to parents Walter Godden (1872) and Sarah Child (1877-1934). They had two sons and two daughters. His mother Sarah had lived in Kalgoorlie but moved to Alvan Street in about 1912. Walter (Junior) lived at Alvan Street with her.

Walter enlisted at the age of 21 on the 24th June 2018 into the 1st to 3rd Western Australia and Tasmania Reinforcements. From March 1918, reinforcements were sent as General Reinforcements, eligible to be drafted into any unit that needed them. He left Australia on the HMAT Boonah on the 29th October 1918, shortly before the war ended.

There is little on his war record. He was promoted Acting Corporal (without pay) on the 12th September 1918.

Within six months of enlisting, he returned to Western Australia at Woodmans Point in December 1918.

In 1921 Walter married Adela Elsie Drake (1898-1970) and they lived firstly at 12 Knutsford St, North Perth, then in 12 Blake St, North Perth where Walter remained until 1977.

They had at least had one son, Walter Desmond, born on the 16th 1922, died 1993. Walter Desmond served in WWII, SN WX31058 promoted to warrant officer.

Walter died on the 6th March 1980.


George Child lived at Alvan St, Mount Lawley. SN 7649

George Robert Child was born in 1878 in Maryborough Victoria to parents to Thomas James (1835-1916) and Eliza Rose (1835-1906). He had six siblings: Thomas James (1861), Sarah (1864), Ellen (1866-1956 ), Alice Rose (1868-1952), William Edward (1870-1902) and Mary Georgina (1873-1875).

In 1912 he was working in Gnowangerup as a contractor.

His sister, nominated as next of kin, is not formally listed as living at any house number in Alvan Street but was possibly boarding there when George enlisted.

George enlisted in April 1917 as a Sapper with the Tunnelling Company Reinforcements Leaving Sydney in August 1917 and arriving in Liverpool in October. Sapper George started training at Parkhouse England. In March 1918 George was sent to France.

He had numerous hospital admissions to the field hospital with hemorrhoids and in the beginning of January 1919 was evacuated to England and a shortly thereafter sent back to Australia as an invalid.

In 1943 he was working in Mandurah as a Baker.

He died on the 12th May 1944 and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.



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