Person:Robert Grant (6)

According to anecdotal information, Robert's middle name was George because that was his father's name. However, Robert's mother never married and the name of the father(s) of her children has not been recorded.

Robert George was known to the family as "Pop" and to his friends as "Bob". He may have been born at Cobden, Victoria and he lived there for some of his younger years. Robert told his sons that the family lived on rabbits and if it wasn't for them they would have starved. As the eldest child of an unmarried mother, it is likely that a fair bit of responsibility fell on Robert's shoulders at a young age. Robert never learned to read or write. Although of a suitable age, Robert did not go to the First World War. This is possibly because he was the main provider for his mother and younger siblings. It is not known what role his father may have had, if any, in his upbringing.

Robert worked on the first power line that was put through to Warrnambool in 1919. Around that time he also owned a Douglas belt-drive motor bike. He learned to play the violin [by ear] and owned one. He often played this at home and at dances until he lost his left hand.

Family stories indicate that it was around 1945-46 that Robert, after working all day on a decking saw bench at Saxton's timber mill, was going home from work and called at another saw mill to talk to a chap cutting firewood out of the mill waste. As they were talking, a piece of the wood fell off the bench and he bent down to retrieve it from under the bench. His left arm contacted the saw. It was badly damaged so they put him in the truck and rushed him to the doctors' in Moe. There was little they could do, so they rushed him to Warragul hospital. Here they had to amputate his left hand and part of his forearm. It was a bad blow for his family. He was not entitled to any compensation as he had broken his journey on his way home from work.

Robert managed to cope without his hand but his biggest disappointment was not being able to play his violin any more. After a while he got a job as a night watchman for some building contractors who were erecting Housing Commission houses in Moe. After that he went back to Saxton's and drove a horse that was used to tow timber stacks from the mill up to the kilns where the timber was dried.

Robert is buried at the Trafalgar Cemetery, Anglican section, Row K, Grave 7, Intern 1.

1. ↑ Vic Birth Reg. No. 9308/1888.
2. ↑ Vic Death Reg. No. 9723/1964.