Person:Irene Goodchap (1)

Irene Helen Vellette Goodchap was born on 13th June 1890 at Cootharaba, a small village in the Widgee division of Queensland. She was the daughter of Jeanie Goodchap, formerly Paterson, and her husband Frederick George Goodchap, a saw-mill proprietor. Irene’s mother was originally from Glasgow in Scotland, and her father was from the London area of England. Irene’s father died in 1903.

By 1912, Irene was living with her mother and brother at a boarding house called Kensington on Ann Street in Brisbane, which was run by her mother. In July 1912 Irene’s engagement was announced to George Alfred Tait, an engineer from Victoria.

Irene’s mother died on 2nd February 1913. Just over a month later, on 6th March 1913, aged 22, Irene married George at Holy Trinity Church in the Fortitude Valley area of Brisbane.

Irene and George went on to have four children between 1915 and 1923. By 1923 they had moved to Wynnum, on the coast a little way east of Brisbane.

George died on 31st July 1923, aged 37. Irene was left raising the four children alone, the youngest of whom was less than three months old.

Irene married again on 16th March 1927, aged 36, at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane. Her second husband called himself David Edward Meakin, and claimed to be a bachelor from Wellington in New Zealand. In fact, his name was Edward Aubrey Meekins, he was from Woolwich in the suburbs of London in England, and he had a wife and children living in Adelaide in South Australia. He had separated from his first wife in September 1924. A warrant had been issued for his arrest in South Australia in March 1925 for failing to pay maintenance to his wife and children. Presumably the new identity was part of his efforts to evade detection by the authorities.

How much Irene knew about his origins when they married is unknown. He continued using the name David for the rest of his life, but by the time he died at least some of his past was known to Irene and the family, as both his names are given on his death certificate, along with his correct place of birth, albeit still with the fictitious parents’ names that he had given on his marriage certificate to Irene.

Irene and David went on to have another three children together, although their first daughter died young in 1928.

Irene and David moved around within the suburbs of Brisbane for the first few years of their marriage, but by 1936 they had settled at a house called Viola on Francis Street in the Eagle Junction area of the city. Francis Street was renamed Milman Street in 1938. David worked variously as a fireman, rigger, linesman and seaman.

David died on 6th July 1965, aged 77. They had been married for 38 years. Irene continued to live at Milman Street after his death. She later went into the Crana Private Nursing Home at Herston in Brisbane, where she died on 19th July 1975, aged 85.

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in Queensland Civil Registration (Queensland Government, Brisbane).

   DISTRICT: Gympie
   Child:
   When born: 13th day of June 1890
   Where born: Cootharaba
   Christian name: Irene Helen Villette
   Sex: Female
   
   Father:
   Christian name: Frederick George
   Surname: Goodchap
   Profession, trade, or occupation: Saw Mill Proprietor
   Age: Fifty four
   Birthplace: Knighbridge [?], Kent, England
   Date of Marriage:
   1st, the 29th day of June 1865 at Sydney, N.S. Wales
   2nd, the 27th day of April 1887 at Brisbane, Queensland
   Previous Issue Living: Charles Augusts, one year
   
   Mother:
   Christian name: Jeanie
   Maiden surname: Paterson
   Age: thirty
   Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
   Doctor in attendance: none
   Nurse or other person present at birth: Jane Andrews
   
   Informant: F.G. Goodchap, Father, Cootharaba
   2nd July 1890

2.   Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980.

   1913
   Division of Brisbane / Subdivision of Brisbane North
   Goodchap, Charles Augustus, Kensington, Ann st., salesman, M
   Goodchap, Irene Hellen, Kensington, Ann st., F
   Goodchap, Jeanie, Kensington, Ann st., boarding-house keeper, F
   
   1919
   Division of Oxley / Subdivision of Woolloongabba
   Tait, George Alfred, Kia-Ora, Broadway st., engineer, M
   Tait, Irene Helen Velette, Kia-Ora, Broadway st., home duties, F
   [Broadway Street, Woolloongabba appears to have been part of the City of South Brisbane in 1919.]
   
   1925
   Division of Oxley / Subdivision of Wynnum
   Tait, Irene Helen Veletto, Pine st., Wynnum South, home duties, F
   [The Town of Wynnum was absorbed into the City of Brisbane on 1 Oct 1925 – not clear whether this electoral roll was before or after the amalgamation.]
   
   1928
   Division of Brisbane / Subdivision of Fortitude Valley
   Meakin, David, Evelyn st., Newstead, fireman, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Velett, Evelyn st., Newstead, home duties, F
   
   1931
   Division of Brisbane / Subdivision of Paddington
   Meakin, David, 29 Jessie st., rigger, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Velette, 29 Jessie st., Petrie terrace, home duties, F
   
   1936
   Division of Lilley / Subdivision of Nundah
   Meakin, David, Viola, Francis st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Francis st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1937
   Division of Lilley / Subdivision of Nundah
   Meakin, David, Viola, Francis st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Francis st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   [Francis Street was renamed Milman Street in 1938 when Brisbane City Council reviewed duplicate street names across the city. (Courier-Mail, Brisbane, 13 Dec 1938, news report)]
   
   1943
   Division Lilley / Subdivision Nundah
   Meakin, David Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1949
   Division Lilley / Subdivision Nundah
   Meakin, David Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Edward David John, 14 Milman st., Eagle Junction, labourer, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1954
   Division Lilley / Subdivision Nundah
   Meakin, David Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Edward David John, 14 Milman st., Eagle Junction, labourer, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1958
   Division Lilley / Subdivision Nundah
   Meakin, David Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Edward David John, 14 Milman st., Eagle Junction, labourer, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1963
   Division Lilley / Subdivision Nundah
   Meakin, David Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, seaman, M
   Meakin, Edward David John, 14 Milman st., Eagle Junction, labourer, M
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1968
   Subdivision of Nundah
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, Viola, Milman st., Eagle Junction, home duties, F
   
   1972
   Subdivision of Nundah
   Meakin, Irene Helen Valette, 14 Milman St, Eag Jn 4011 h d F

3. ↑ Death certificate, in Queensland Civil Registration (Queensland Government, Brisbane).

   1975 DEATH in the District of BRISBANE, in the State of Queensland, Registered by Lionel Albert Stevens, Registrar-General.
   Number: 61669
   When died and where: 19 July 1975 / Crana Private Nursing Home, Herston
   Name and surname, profession, trade or occupation: Irene Helen Vellette Meekins / Housewife
   Sex and age: Female / 85 years
   Cause of death: (a) Coronary occlusion (b) Coronary atherosclerosis
   Duration of last illness: (a) 5 hours (b) 10 years
   Medical attendant by whom certified: J.K. McKinlay
   When he last saw deceased: 18 July 1975
   Name and surname of father: Frederick George Goodchap
   Profession, trade or occupation: Sawmill Proprietor
   Name and maiden surname of mother: Jeanie Paterson
   Signature, description and residence of informant: Certified in writing by V.V. McCloy, Daughter, 14 Fitzroy Street, Eagle Junction
   Registered: 28 July 1975, Brisbane
   Burial or Cremation: Cremated at Albany Creek Crematorium, 22 July 1975
   Where born and how long in the Australian States: Cootharaba, Queensland / Native
   Married:
   1. Brisbane, Queensland, age 22 years to George Alfred Tait
   2. Brisbane Queensland, age 36 years to David Meakin
   Issue:
   By 1: Velette Estelle, 59 / Vera Veronica, 58 / Donald Victor, 57 / Susette Helen, 52
   By 2: Edward David John, 46 / Lorna June, 44

4.   The Brisbane Courier, in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 4, Thursday 19 Jun 1890.

   BIRTHS.
   GOODCHAP. – On the 13th June, the wife of F.G. Goodchap, of a daughter.

5.   The Queenslander (Brisbane), in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 20, Saturday 31 Oct 1903.

   DEATH OF MR. F.A. [sic] GOODCHAP.
   News has been received of the death of Mr. F.G. Goodchap, an old and respected colonist, and one who in his time has borne his share of pioneering work in more than one of the Australian States. He landed in Victoria about the year 1856. Here the goldfield excitement soon took hold of him, and he was amongst those who worked on Ballarat and Bendigo at the time of the early rush. From there he went to the Turon River, in New South Wales, and subsequently, when the rush set in for Gympie, he came with many other Southern miners to Queensland. Mr. Goodchap joined with Messrs. M’Ghie and Luya in working the old Caledonia claim, and the partnership thus begun lasted for many years. With the other two partners he opened up the timber industry in the Noosa district, and was interested with them in the Cootharaba saw-mills. It was also in the same association that, as M’Ghie, Luya, and Co., he was for many years interested in the important saw-milling business in South Brisbane, drawing its chief supplies from the Noosa River, and keeping up the connection by means of a steamer and a number of lighters. He gave up business some years ago, and since 1898 he had fulfilled the duties of caretaker of the quarantine buildings on Peel Island. Mr. Goodchap’s death will be a matter of sincere regret to those whose duty or pleasure led them to visit Peel Island, for he was always ready to give any assistance which lay in his power, and on more than one occasion his help has been invaluable to men cast upon the shores of the island through boating accidents. He was married to a sister of Mr. T. Macdonald-Paterson, M.H.R. He leaves a widow, two sons, and two daughters, the eldest child being about 14 years of age.

6.   Queensland Figaro (Brisbane), in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 13, Tuesday 16 Jul 1912.

   Engagements…
   The engagement is announced of Miss Irene H.V. Goodchap, eldest daughter of the late Mr. F.G. Goodchap and Mrs. Goodchap, of Kensington, Ann-street, Brisbane, to Mr. George A. Tait, second son of Mr. and Mrs. George J. Tait, of Bendigo, Victoria.

7.   The Brisbane Courier, in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 9, Monday 3 Feb 1913.

   DEATH OF MRS F.G. GOODCHAP.
   The death of Mrs. F.G. Goodchap, widow of the late Mr. F.G. Goodchap (of Tewantin, and a member of the firm of Messrs. M’Ghie, Luya, and Co.), took place in a private hospital in Brisbane at noon yesterday, after a long illness. The deceased, who was well known in Brisbane and Tewantin, and was very popular among her acquaintances, arrived in Queensland about 33 years ago, having travelled to the colony in company with her sister, Miss S. Patterson, to join their brothers in a new land. The late Mrs. Goodchap is survived by two sons (Messrs. C.A. and George Goodchap) and two daughters (Misses Irene and Jean Goodchap). She was a sister of the late Hon. T. Macdonald-Paterson and of Mr. Andrew Paterson, of this city. The funeral will take place at 3.30 this afternoon from Hislop’s funeral parlour, South Brisbane, to the South Brisbane Cemetery.

8.   The Brisbane Courier, in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 6, Thursday 20 Mar 1913.

   MARRIAGES.
   TAIT-GOODCHAP. – On March 6th, 1913, at the Holy Trinity Church, Valley, by the Rev. E.C. Ganly, George Alfred, second son of Mr. and Mrs. G.J. Tait, of Bendigo, Victoria, to Irene Helen Villette, elder daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. F.G. Goodchap, of Brisbane, formerly of Tewantin.

9.   The Telegraph (Brisbane), in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
   Page 2, Tuesday 31 Jul 1923.

   FUNERAL NOTICES.
   TAIT. - The Friends and Relatives of Mrs. G.A. TAIT and Family are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of her deceased husband and their father and brother-in-law, George Alfred Tait, to move from his late residence, Tingal road, Wynnum South, TO-MORROW (Wednesday), FORENOON, at 10 o’clock, for the Bulimba Cemetery.
   ALEX GOW, Undertaker, &c. Pettie Bight.