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Bursill

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NameBursillDescriptionThomas Russell Bursill was born 1832, Cambridge, England to Thomas and Elizabeth Bursill.

He arrived in Australia aboard ‘Asiatic’ in 1855. On the same ship was his future wife, Henrietta Woodley, who was travelling with her parents Charles and Esther, and siblings George, Eliza, Henry and Charles.

Thomas and Henrietta married at Chippendale in 1858, and the couple moved to the Illawarra, eventually settling at Croom.

Thomas and Henrietta had five children;

Thomas Edward b.1859 (died 1925 Bowral)
Charles Henry b.1862 (married Helena Grace Wood, died 1951, Drummoyne)
Elizabeth b.1864 (died 1924, Shellharbour)
George Henry b.1867 (died 1913, Kiama)
Henrietta b.1874 (married Thomas Daniel Sweeney Whitfield, died 1931, Kiama)

Thomas and Henrietta’s second son, Charles Henry worked as a builder and was also the Harbour Master at Shellharbour.

Charles married Helena Grace Wood and they had six children;

Jessie May b.1899 (married Thomas William Bent, died 1968, Drummoyne)
Albert Leslie b.1891 (died 1917, Somme, Picardie, France WWI)
Sidney W b.1888 (married Miriam Jessie Bigg, died 1961, Forster)
Dulcie Grace b.1895 (married Allan Turner, died 1972, Ulladulla)
Percy Harold b.1893 (married Mary Walsh, died 1966, Helensburgh)
Ida Jean b.1901 (married John Phelan, died 1994, Shellharbour)

Charles built many houses and buildings in the Shellharbour and the Illawarra, including the Catholic Rectory that once stood in Addison Street, the Dunmore Butter Factory, the old peppercorn jetty at Shellharbour, and the original grandstand at Kembla Grange Race Course. He also worked as an undertaker, coffin maker, and Sunday School teacher

Charles and Helena and family lived in a lovely two-story, white home called 'Seaside', also built by Charles, which they also operated as a guesthouse. They also owned the adjacent weatherboard cottage built by Captain William Wilson. It is believed the family lived here while Charles built 'Seaside'. Captain Wilson was the previous Harbour Master at Shellharbour Village, and commanded the schooner Dairymaid, built for the Shellharbour Steam Navigation Company in 1867.

Charles and Helena’s youngest daughter Ida, who lived well into her 90s, recalled growing up in the village in the early 1900s. Ida was born at 'Seaside'. She recalled her father Charles rode up to Dunster’s Hill and placed a flag in the ground to signal to farmers when a ship had entered the harbour. ‘If the steamer arrived at night Dad would have to put kerosene lamps on the breakwater to guide the steamer in. They could only come at high tide as the harbour was very shallow’.

Thomas and Henrietta’s daughter (Charles Henry's sister), also named Henrietta, married Thomas Daniel Sweeney Whitfield, another well-known builder in the area.

Thomas Whitfield worked on occasion with his brother-in-law Charles Bursill. Thomas and Henrietta suffered much tragedy in their life, losing three children. Their eldest son, Aubrey died in 1906, the result of blood poisoning from lock jaw, the result of a kick from a pony. Just one week earlier, they had lost their infant son, Thomas. Nine years later in 1915, their son Colin was fatally shot while on a visit to Albion Park; he was 14 years old.

Perhaps the most famous member of the Whitfield family was Beverley: An Australian Olympic swimmer and record holder. Beverley Whitfield was the great granddaughter of Thomas and Henrietta through their son Kenneth, who served in both World Wars.

External LinkObituary Mrs Henrietta BursillObituary Mr T E BursillObituary Mr Charles H BursillObituary Mr Charles H BursillOff to the WarFrom the Fighting LineA Fine Old TreeDeath of Helena Grace Bursill (Nee Wood)Heroes of the DardanellesPrivate Leslie Bursill of ShellharborSeaside, Shellharbour 1906Neil's Commonplace Book - Whitfield's, Christisons and moreNeil's Commonplace Book - Henrietta Whitfield

Photograph

Helena Bursill

Charles Bursill

Harbour Master's Cottage and Old Fig Trees at Shellharbour

Road to Shellharbour waterfront c.1890

Shellharbour Ladies Patriotic Club

The Bursill home 'Seaside', Addison St Shellharbour

Person

Whitfield, Jacob

Whitfield, Thomas Daniel Sweeny

Whitfield, Beverley

Place

Dunmore Butter Factory

Seaside

Shellharbour Harbour & Jetty

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Bush

Bursill

Object

Shellharbour Harbour

Charles Bursill.

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CollectionFamiliesFamilyBursillLocalityShellharbour VillagePersonWhitfield, Thomas DanielWhitfield, BeverleyPlaceSeasideDunmore Butter FactoryRelated ItemThe Bursill home 'Seaside', Addison St ShellharbourSeaside', on the left of this photo, was the home of the Bursill Family

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Bursill