Individual Details
Athalie Evelyn MCCULLOCH
(10 Oct 1920 - 1 Aug 2013)
Thalie listed on her marriage certificate as a clerk.
FUN WITH THALIE IN DAYS GONE BY
Thalie, Bet and Audrey (our boss) worked at Wake's Mail Orders in Swanston Street, opposite the Melbourne Baths. This was about 1940/41 and we had great times together. Much fun and laughter, Audrey was the only one with a boy friend with a car, and he (Bert) would take us on all sorts of jaunts.
We often ate at a lovely old fashioned Chinese Cafe in Russell Street, a most delicious meal for 2/-.
Thalie and Bet used to run all the way down Swanston Street after work to try to catch the express train -we both travelled to Caulfield Station.
We sometimes played a round of golf -very slowly- as there was much laughter and reason to wave people through!.
Thalie and Gordon met down at Aireys Inlet one holiday and when we just saw them together we knew Thalie was in love because Gordon would sing "I'll walk beside you" to her -and she liked it!
Prior to Audrey and Thalie getting married, we 3 spent 2 weeks holiday at a lovely spot called Melba Gully in the Ottway Ranges. We had a marvellous time riding, walking etc and living in a dear little cottage, with beautiful meals being brought to us by Mrs Fry.
Gordon - worried we were not being fed properly posted us a large parcel of carrots!! We were having thick cream 3 times a day - even on our porridge!
Bert and Audrey, Thalie and Gordon, Bet and Frank have been great friends for many happy years with never a cross word spoken. Sadly, Audrey now has died.
Bet Burke (April 2001)
A few happy memories of days gone by.
Kangaroo Island was fun.- good, smooth trip across to Penneshaw.
I well remember Gordon singing on his way down the Willoughby Light House “Oh what a beautiful morning”.
Lots of lovely trips & memories of delicious King George whiting for our evening meals back at Penneshaw Motel.
Another happy trip with Audrey, Thalie & me. A long weekend to Mt Buffalo - great walks and meals. On way home stayed one night at Aud & Bert’s lovely holiday home on Burnt Arm Creek, near Mansfield. At night found there was a bat in the house, had Thalie & I in fits of terror. Slept with our heads under the covers!!
Bet Burke (September 2002)
Thalie's funeral was at Noon on 5 Aug 2013 at Hope Aged Care, 34 Lux Way, Brunswick, Victoria. It was conducted by Rev Ian Ferguson (Brunswick Uniting Church) and Amanda Alford delivered the eulogy. Thalie was then cremated at Fawkner Crematorium on 6 Aug 2013. Her ashes were intered with Gordon and Kit at Geelong Eastern Cemetery at 2.30 pm on Friday, 9 Aug 2013.
Obituary, The Age, August 5, 2013
From Imperial wars to caring for elder statesman Sue Robert Menzies
Athalie Evelyn Alford (nee McCulloch)
Social worker
10–10–19 20 – 1–8–2013
By Dr Katrina Alford
Athalie (Thalie) Alford's 92 years'were filled with achievements including an active commitment to improving social welfare and social justice for Melbourne‘s most disadvantaged and needy people.
Thalie and her sister were raised by their grandparents in Caulfield, from the postwar 1920s, during the great depression and up until World War 11. As a young woman she recalled her father Robert, a WW1 veteran and an older friend, Boer War veteran, reminisce about these great,Imperial wars.
Buffered from the ravages of the 1929 great depression by fortunate, for a time, family circumstances, young Thalie saw her grandfather Robert McCulloch, then Mayor of Caulfield, meeting regularly at the family home with young (and later Sir) Robert Menzies. Grandfather helped him to transfer from state to federal parliament by winning the federal side of Kooyong. In 1930 Thalie and the McCulloch family attended the Civic reception presided over by her grandfather for Amy Johnson CBE (Order of the British Empire), the pioneering aviator and the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.
Her marriage to Gordon Alford when she was 22 exempted her from the wartime recruitment of women to work in vital industries. Combining raising three baby-boom children, the last in 1952, Thalie began a lifetime of active volunteering and work in the fields of health and childcare, social work, prisoner family support and primary School Council membership.
In the 1950s Thalie completed a first aid course and became a St John’s Ambulance volunteer. In the 1960s she assisted Melbourne social workers to set up the first of a network of after-school clubs in the poorer parts of Melbourne. In the 1980s she completed a Victorian Court Network course to support offenders and their families.
In the 1970s and 1980s Thalie worked as a social welfare officer at Mount Royal Geriatric Hospital in Parkville. Ironically in view of her childhood experiences, she helped care for then elderly statesman Sir Robert Menzies, and she visited patients families including in prison, and assisted the development of the modern interdisciplinary team-based approached to aged care assessment.
Later in life Thalie entered aged care, where she rallied continually against her decline into dementia. She passed away peacefully on 1 August. She leaves a rich legacy to daughters Anthea, Katrina and Melissa and grandchildren Amanda, Celia and Paul that includes memories of a beautiful woman and devoted wife who was a quiet, compassionate feminist of her times.
FUN WITH THALIE IN DAYS GONE BY
Thalie, Bet and Audrey (our boss) worked at Wake's Mail Orders in Swanston Street, opposite the Melbourne Baths. This was about 1940/41 and we had great times together. Much fun and laughter, Audrey was the only one with a boy friend with a car, and he (Bert) would take us on all sorts of jaunts.
We often ate at a lovely old fashioned Chinese Cafe in Russell Street, a most delicious meal for 2/-.
Thalie and Bet used to run all the way down Swanston Street after work to try to catch the express train -we both travelled to Caulfield Station.
We sometimes played a round of golf -very slowly- as there was much laughter and reason to wave people through!.
Thalie and Gordon met down at Aireys Inlet one holiday and when we just saw them together we knew Thalie was in love because Gordon would sing "I'll walk beside you" to her -and she liked it!
Prior to Audrey and Thalie getting married, we 3 spent 2 weeks holiday at a lovely spot called Melba Gully in the Ottway Ranges. We had a marvellous time riding, walking etc and living in a dear little cottage, with beautiful meals being brought to us by Mrs Fry.
Gordon - worried we were not being fed properly posted us a large parcel of carrots!! We were having thick cream 3 times a day - even on our porridge!
Bert and Audrey, Thalie and Gordon, Bet and Frank have been great friends for many happy years with never a cross word spoken. Sadly, Audrey now has died.
Bet Burke (April 2001)
A few happy memories of days gone by.
Kangaroo Island was fun.- good, smooth trip across to Penneshaw.
I well remember Gordon singing on his way down the Willoughby Light House “Oh what a beautiful morning”.
Lots of lovely trips & memories of delicious King George whiting for our evening meals back at Penneshaw Motel.
Another happy trip with Audrey, Thalie & me. A long weekend to Mt Buffalo - great walks and meals. On way home stayed one night at Aud & Bert’s lovely holiday home on Burnt Arm Creek, near Mansfield. At night found there was a bat in the house, had Thalie & I in fits of terror. Slept with our heads under the covers!!
Bet Burke (September 2002)
Thalie's funeral was at Noon on 5 Aug 2013 at Hope Aged Care, 34 Lux Way, Brunswick, Victoria. It was conducted by Rev Ian Ferguson (Brunswick Uniting Church) and Amanda Alford delivered the eulogy. Thalie was then cremated at Fawkner Crematorium on 6 Aug 2013. Her ashes were intered with Gordon and Kit at Geelong Eastern Cemetery at 2.30 pm on Friday, 9 Aug 2013.
Obituary, The Age, August 5, 2013
From Imperial wars to caring for elder statesman Sue Robert Menzies
Athalie Evelyn Alford (nee McCulloch)
Social worker
10–10–19 20 – 1–8–2013
By Dr Katrina Alford
Athalie (Thalie) Alford's 92 years'were filled with achievements including an active commitment to improving social welfare and social justice for Melbourne‘s most disadvantaged and needy people.
Thalie and her sister were raised by their grandparents in Caulfield, from the postwar 1920s, during the great depression and up until World War 11. As a young woman she recalled her father Robert, a WW1 veteran and an older friend, Boer War veteran, reminisce about these great,Imperial wars.
Buffered from the ravages of the 1929 great depression by fortunate, for a time, family circumstances, young Thalie saw her grandfather Robert McCulloch, then Mayor of Caulfield, meeting regularly at the family home with young (and later Sir) Robert Menzies. Grandfather helped him to transfer from state to federal parliament by winning the federal side of Kooyong. In 1930 Thalie and the McCulloch family attended the Civic reception presided over by her grandfather for Amy Johnson CBE (Order of the British Empire), the pioneering aviator and the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.
Her marriage to Gordon Alford when she was 22 exempted her from the wartime recruitment of women to work in vital industries. Combining raising three baby-boom children, the last in 1952, Thalie began a lifetime of active volunteering and work in the fields of health and childcare, social work, prisoner family support and primary School Council membership.
In the 1950s Thalie completed a first aid course and became a St John’s Ambulance volunteer. In the 1960s she assisted Melbourne social workers to set up the first of a network of after-school clubs in the poorer parts of Melbourne. In the 1980s she completed a Victorian Court Network course to support offenders and their families.
In the 1970s and 1980s Thalie worked as a social welfare officer at Mount Royal Geriatric Hospital in Parkville. Ironically in view of her childhood experiences, she helped care for then elderly statesman Sir Robert Menzies, and she visited patients families including in prison, and assisted the development of the modern interdisciplinary team-based approached to aged care assessment.
Later in life Thalie entered aged care, where she rallied continually against her decline into dementia. She passed away peacefully on 1 August. She leaves a rich legacy to daughters Anthea, Katrina and Melissa and grandchildren Amanda, Celia and Paul that includes memories of a beautiful woman and devoted wife who was a quiet, compassionate feminist of her times.
Events
| Birth | 10 Oct 1920 | Caulfield, Victoria, Australia | |||
| Marriage | 7 Mar 1942 | St John's Church, East Malvern, Victoria - Gordon Vernon ALFORD J.P. |  | ||
| Residence | Aug 1944 | 120 West Melbourne Road, Geelong West, Victoria, Australia | |||
| Residence | 1954 | 13 Blake Street, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia | |||
| Death | 1 Aug 2013 | Hope Aged Care, 34 Lux Way, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia | |||
| Burial | 9 Aug 2013 | #167 Lawn K, Geelong Eastern Cemetery, Geelong, Victoria, Australia | |
Families
| Spouse | Gordon Vernon ALFORD J.P. (1916 - 2006) |
| Child | Paul Tracy ALFORD (1944 - 1944) |
| Child | Anthea Zara ALFORD BEd (1946 - 2021) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Robert Granville Roy "Roy" MCCULLOCH (1896 - 1987) |
| Mother | Evelyn Victoria HAMILTON (1892 - 1941) |
| Sibling | Marjorie Victoria MCCULLOCH (1923 - 1994) |
Notes
Marriage
BDM VictoriaMarriage certificate
Record information
Event: Marriage
Registration number 2738/1942
Registration year
Personal information
Family name: MCCULLOCH
Given name(s) Athalie Evelyn
Spouse's family name: ALFORD
Spouse's given name(s) Gordon Vernon
Place of event:
Burial
Geelong Cemetery TrustDeceased Details
Cemetery Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Location EAS-LAWN-K-808-167
Section Lawn
Row K
Grave 167
Register # 69597
Surname Alford
Given Names Athalie
Service Date 09 Aug 2013
Date of Birth 10 Oct 1920
Date of Death 01 Aug 2013
Age 92 Y