Family: George SHERWOOD / Maggie Elizabeth FOSTER

Annie (nee Mills) and Harry Wynn migrated to Australia in 1911 with their daughter Margaret, and settled in the Brisbane suburb of Clayfield. Their second daughter Christine Mabel (always know as ‘Trix’) was born there on 8th May 1915.
Maggie Elizabeth (nee Foster) and George Sherwood left England for Australia immediately after their marriage on 18th December 1913. Their son George Thomas was born on 3rd October 1914, more than 9 months after the marriage. This was a fact which Maggie was keen to point out to the family members ‘back home’ who were suspicious about the reason for the immediate departure following the marriage.
During the First World War, Maggie lost her brother Len (Foster) during the battle of Arras. Len had joined the North Stafford Shire Regiment on 6.11.1915 and later transferred to the 103rd Co. Machine Gun Corps. His Service Number was 44343 and he is remembered at the Arras Memorial. Len corresponded with his sister Maggie during the war and sent her a teaspoon which he found on the battle field. This teaspoon is in my possession.
After the war, both families had reason to return to England to visit their families with their Australian born offspring. Annie Wynn was unhappy in Brisbane because of the humid climate and considered a permanent return.
Harry and Annie with Margaret and Trix left from Brisbane. The route of ships at the
time was via Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, across the Indian Ocean and then through the Suez Canal.
On board the ship Margaret and Trix developed measles and were off loaded at the North Head Quarantine Station at the entrance to Sydney Harbour. This facility had been used as a quarantine station since the early days of settlement.
During their forced stay in Sydney, Harry was forced to seek employment, and Annie learned to appreciate the mild climate of Sydney.
The next ship available to England was the SS Indara. Also to join the ship was Maggie Sherwood and her 4 year old son George. George Sherwood Snr no doubt needed to remain at home for economic reasons. Both families traveled as third class passengers. The Indara was controversially sold to the Japanese prior to World War 2 under the government of Robert Gordon Menzies (known as ‘pig-iron Bob’) His critics were right, the Indara became a Japanese troop carrier until it was sunk by allied bombers in 1941.
Coincidently both families joined the same ship the ‘Orsova’ for the journey back to Australia. The families remained in contact and I have a photograph of them taken in the garden of what was then the home of Maggie and George Sherwood at 2 West Street Croydon. The photo shows Maggie and George with their son Bruce who was aged about 4 and Annie and Harry Wynn. The photo was probably taken by George jnr who would have been aged 18. George jnr and Trix Wynn married on 4th June 1938, 5 years after this photograph was taken.

Wendy Hooper
January 2009