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Edward Phillip Phelan

In an earlier post I told the story of my grandfather Stan Phelan's experience in World War One, as well as that of his brothers Cecil and Gerald. Also serving was one of their uncles, Edward Phillip Phelan (known as Phillip). Phillip was the youngest of Jeremiah and Mary Phelan's ten children, born in Macedon in 1878 (his parents being about 57 and 45 respectively). 

 Little is known of Phillip's early years, though he is mentioned twice in the Woodend Star in July 1902. First he was appointed joint secretary of the newly-formed Macedon Football Club, then a week or so later he was one of several to provide entertainment at a function to honour the town's departing police constable - singing no less than five songs (as a side note, many of Phillip's siblings featured in the social pages at that time: John and James served as MC at all manner of social events, Frank occasionally sang, while Agnes was very active in the Macedon Dramatic Club). Very soon however, Phillip would follow in the footsteps of his brothers William and Joseph, in working for the railways - but unlike Bill and Joe, Phillip's employment would be interstate. Beginning in 1903 with the Western Australian railways Phillip worked as a porter in and around Perth. While his record was generally good, his employment file does reveal fines and warnings for the following transgressions: 

 Mar 1904: A delay in the delivery to Perth of a bag of potatoes and onions
Oct 1905: A lamp alight in a point indicator at 1.10pm
Aug 1906: Discourteous behaviour when examining tickets
Oct 1906: Taking liquor into a signal cabin and drinking same

 Perhaps needing a change, in 1907 Phillip became a railways telegraphist, working at times in Kalgoorlie and Albany as well as Perth. This must have suited him, as it appears there were no more issues with authority! 

 After several more years in WA, Phillip was back in Victoria in 1915, living with his sister Agnes in Melbourne, before his job as a telegraphist must have led him to Sydney, as this is where he was residing when he enlisted in the AIF. This he did aged 37 on 23 February 1916. Perhaps he had tried to enlist when in Melbourne, as his war file shows that he was rejected on an earlier occasion due to a 'defective physique'. He was tall, at 6'2" (188cm) but lean at 144 lbs (65 kg). While he was accepted this time, he was declared fit only for 'home service and for A & T'. Private E P Phelan was allocated to the the 1st Pioneers, the same battalion his nephews Cecil and Gerald served in, and on 4 April embarked on the HMAT Ceramic. After a short period in Egypt, he arrived at Plymouth 11 June. Phillip's time was spent floating between the No. 1 Communication Depot at Perham Downs, the Army Postal Corps, Kit Stores at Hammersmith and Admin Headquarters in London. March 1917 was not a good month though, he was in trouble twice for being 'absent without leave', once for 24 hours, and a second time overnight, returning to duty drunk. He didn't quite see out the war, as on 7 June 1918, he was sent home due to 'debility' (arriving home in Sydney on 1 August), and was officially discharged as medically unfit on 20 February 1919. 

Once back in Australia, Phillip continued working as a telegraphist. He was in Tamworth in 1930, but from that point worked around Sydney, residing mostly in Darlinghurst, until his death, unmarried, at the age of 71 in the Lidcombe State Hospital in 1949. He is buried in an unmarked grave at Rookwood Cemetery. Phillip's war service is recognised in Macedon's 'Honour Avenue' which runs from the town to the Mount Macedon Road. Every Macedon local who served in the Great War is remembered by a tree planted in the avenue: Phillip Phelan's is no. 123

Macedon's Honour Avenue and the plaque listing 'P Phelan' (Tree 123)


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