Moss family in Fawkner and their World War One connection

By 1914 the Moss family were living in Sydney Road, Fawkner. Sadie Moss's mother, Elizabeth Douglas, ran the local store - known as Douglas's Store. 

Ephraim, now calling himself a grocer and working at the store along with Sadie, threw himself into the life of the community. He hosted the first meeting of the new Fawkner Football Club at the store in May 1914 and presided over a number of meetings, styling himself the promoter of the club until August 1914 when the local paper reported that 'owing to the way Mr E. Moss … has been treated, he has severed his connection with the club.’ (Brunswick and Coburg Leader, 14 August 1914)

He also promoted the construction of a new public hall that was to be financed by Mr Robert King of Carlton. (Brunswick and Coburg Leader, 24 July 1914). What the newspapers did not say was that Robert King was Elizabeth Douglas's son by her first marriage and Sadie Moss's brother, so it was a family concern. 

In October 1914, King's Theatre, Fawkner opened in Queen's Parade (just opposite the Boundary Hotel) with a patriotic and military concert and dance, masterminded by Ephraim Moss, who was in his element. Soon dances were held every Saturday night and Sadie and Ephraim were holding ballroom dancing classes, offering 'perfect tuition' for just 10 shillings and 6 pence. King's Theatre offered the latest in racy dances - 'Ragtime and Tango dances are indulged in', said the Brunswick and Coburg Leader of 12 February 1915. Ephraim played in the orchestra, Sadie was its conductor and Ephraim often acted as MC.

But life was never simple for Ephraim Moss. In February 1915 he was declared bankrupt and the stock at the Fawkner Store was put up for sale.

 Argus, 2 March 1915

The Moss family remained in Fawkner where it seems they concentrated their efforts on the newly opened King's Theatre. By their own account, they were a great success. For example, in July 1916, Ephraim Moss threw a 30th birthday party for his wife at the Theatre. There were 200 guests and they danced and celebrated until 5am. 

The King's Theatre enterprise appeared to thrive and hosted a number of presentations to returned soldiers in the area. They continued to do so for several years. 

Brunswick and Coburg Star, 17 December 1915

Most of the people mentioned in the above article were also considered Coburgites (Coburgers?). Corporal James Workman, wounded at the Dardanelles, was the son of Alexander Workman of Sydney Rd., North Coburg. Mrs Groves' son Robert was an old boy of Coburg State School as were the brothers of the Misses McAskil. Coburg and Fawkner (sometimes referred to as Coburg North) were closely connected.

Brunswick and Coburg Star, 17 November 1916

The Moss family featured in the local pages occasionally over the next two years - an illegal lottery in November 1916 in which Ephraim featured as its promoter; a novelty night and dance at King's Theatre featuring 'fancy dancing' by 12 year old Dorothy Moss; an accident that saw Cyril (son of the 'popular E. Moss of Coburg') hospitalised with a broken leg; another vehicle accident involving Sadie's mother Elizabeth Douglas. 

During the 1916 conscription debate, King's Theatre hosted a conscription meeting. The audience consisted of about 500 men 'mostly of military age', but was invaded by anti-conscriptionists who arrived by cab and disrupted the meeting by throwing rotten eggs and missiles.

Age, 25 October 1916

(I have written previously on the anti-conscription movement. You can read about it here, here and here.) 

Then in January 1917, Ephraim Moss decided to join up and King's Theatre was put up for sale. 

Age, 20 January 1917

Argus, 3 February 1917

Yet it appears that the theatre was withdrawn from sale, or failed to sell, because it was still functioning in the 1920s, long after Ephraim Moss had left the district. The last mention of the theatre that I've located is in the Herald, 19 April 1938. R.H. King of Queen's Parade, Fawkner was still the proprietor. 

If you are interested in reading more about Fawkner in those early times, a good local resource is 'Fawkner Memories as told by Leo Bernard Dowling, 26/1/2003' which is available as a pdf download from the Moreland Libraries Local History catalogue. Although Dowling was born in Fawkner in 1921, some of the material goes back further in time and there are other Dowling documents available, too.

And if you are interested in knowing more about Ephraim Moss and his World War One experience, that will be covered in the next blog entry.

Note: This story has been pieced together from reports in newspapers and electoral rolls. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate images of Fawkner at the time.