Biographical Notes |
Note: It was during the housekeeping for her eldest brother, Mondy at Red Cliffs that she met his next door neighbour Charles Gould, formerly of the First A.I.F. and by then also with soldier settlement land. E.M.S. met May Gould at Mildura in 1943 during a Murray River trip on the old paddle steamer "Marion", on leave from the W.A.A.A.F. May was hunting for antique furniture, her special interest. Some little time before Charles' 1968 death a Victorian newspaper (undated clipping) published the following:-
"Former Shire President, Mr. C.H. Gould M.M. was presented with the M.B.E. awarded to him in the Queen's New Years Honours at a bedside ceremony at Red Cliffs Hospital yesterday. Mr. Gould who is a patient there is pictured shaking hands with the present Shire Councillor, Alex Smart. Councillor Smart handed him the medal (Member of the British Empire) which was later pinned to his pyjama top. In presenting the medal Councillor Smart read the citation on behalf of the Acting Governor of Victoria (Sir Edmund Herring), also a personal letter from Sir Edmund. Amongst those at the quiet ceremony were Mrs. Gould, Shire Councillors, Shire Secretary, Shire Engineer and representatives of Legacy, the R.S.L. and the Senior Citizen's Club. The citation traces Mr. Gould's history from his boyhood, to his war service and Military Medal (W.W.1.) to his most recent interest, the forming of the Senior Citizens Club."
Following Charles' death May's health rapidly deteriorated and she entered St. Elizabeth's Private Nursing Home at Malvern, Victoria. By 1970 she was unable to walk. Her brother Stanley and his wife Bunty visited her every week until her death in 1974.
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