Michael Vincent

Surname: MCBRIDE Given Names: Michael Vincent Date of Birth: 6 August 1889 Died: 14 October 1975 Known As: Vin

Father: William MCBRIDE Mother: Elizabeth BROWN Birth Residence: Morchard Married: Vera May Newton 1922

Their family: Edith Marion born 18 July 1924 married James O’Keefe born 17 January 1922 died 18 August 1991. Their child - Ernest James born 3 February 1944 married Gladys Penney and had one son David. Later Ernest married Lynne Rickards and had Michael and Andrew.

While a child in Eurelia, Vin and other children would write to the Southern Cross feature Aunt Eily. This was a children’s page where children of the dioceses wrote stories, letters and generally got to reach out to people across the state. The money he is talking about was collected from selling a church distributed annual for the children’s pages. The Father Doyle he talks about was the first resident parish priest, located at St Raphael’s church in Carrieton. There is a large monument to Fr Doyle in the church grounds. See Carrieton link above.

Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954)  Fri 6 Feb 1903  Page 14   LETTERS TO AUNT EILY.

Vin, as he was known, started his adult working life with the South Australian Railways as a porter, while still living in Eurelia. Eurelia had a large passenger and freight line pass through, and provided facilities for passengers, including meals in a restaurant. On his enlistment form for WW1, Elizabeth is listed as his next of kin, her address being Carrow. He was based with the Light Horse at Mitcham, and eventually deployed overseas to Egypt. While there he suffered illness, and was discharged within 2 years.

On return to Australia, Vin landed in Melbourne, and it appears he stayed there. On discharge he applied for a Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement certificate in 1919 and this was granted to him. His land holding was for mixed farming in Fern Tree Gully. He married Vera Newton in 1922. The commencement of WW2 saw Vin re-enlist as a driver at the age of 51. He was discharged 2 years later and returned to his land. Vin and Vera lived in Melbourne their married life, Vin died 16 October 1975. Vera died 29 May 1982. They had one daughter, Edith, who was born in 1924.