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and Florence Mary Alice Knight
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Francis was born and spent his early life in Balranald.
His family moved to Broken Hill in about 1890 and Francis Moved with them, working as a journalist with the Barrier Miner. Some time between 1892 and 1900 he moved from Broken Hill to Perth and worked on the West Australian.
He married Florence Knight in Melbourne in January 1900. A newspaper report of the wedding says that they were to leave for Perth soon after the wedding.
Their first child Dorothy was born in April 1901 at which time Francis and Alice were living with Alice's parents at Kingsley Streetlived at Soon after that they moved around the corner to their own house at Moorhouse Street, Camberwell.
How did Francis and Florence meet?. She not having left Melbourne and his life being in Broken Hill and Perth. Did they meet through the family?. Florence's father was Francis's cousin but that does not explain the difficult geography.
From about 1909 till his retirement in 1936 he worked for the Melbourne Herald.
Parents:
Charles Hart and Ellen Ryan
William Knight and Alice Hart
Siblings of Francis:
Siblings of Florence:
Elizabeth (Bessie) Margaret Knight (married Robert Arthur Bunning)
Ethel Louisa Knight (married William Edwin Freeman Webb)
Clara Evelyn Knight
Ruby May Knight
Hilda Christina Knight
William Victor Senhouse Knight (married Alice Evelyn Slattery)
Children:
Dorothy Alice Hart
Beryl Elizabeth Hart (married Robert Marsh)
Hazel Florence Hart (married Clarence Howard)
Documents
Newspaper Report wedding 1900 (.jpg)
daughter: Dorothy Alice Hart birth 1901 (.jpg)
daughter: Beryl Elizabeth Hart birth 1908 (.jpg)
daughter: Beryl Hart and Robert Marsh marriage 1933 (.jpg)
self: Francis Henry Hart birth 1870 (.jpg)
self: Francis Henry Hart death 1952 (.pdf)
Frank's Retirement
(This article is dated March,1936 and is headed ‘House News’, presumably the in-house magazine of the Melbourne Herald.)
On the Inky Way for Half a Century
Frank Hart
Retires
Mr Frank Hart, (Khedive, of The Sporting Globe), is the latest veteran to go into retirement.
Frank has been associated with the Inky Way for half a century. He has had a colorful and varied career among the folk who have to do with newspapers and a peep at it should interest House members. His first triumph was Dux of the school at Balranald, (New South Wales). Then he became a compositor on the Riverina Recorder. At the age of 18 he was editing that sheet. Next, the future Khedive worked as a reporter on the Barrier Miner under the editorship of the lat S. H. Prior, who eventually became sole proprietor of the Sydney Bulletin.
By the way, a a great pal of Frank’s at Broken Hill was Sir Hal Colebatch, former Senator and Agent-General for Western Australia who was then a reporter on the Silver Age
The day came when he wired one day from the Golden West to Frank: "Can get you five pounds a week on the Morning Herald." As Frank’s salary on the Barrier was only three pounds (less deductions during strikes) he jumped at the offer.
Good Old Bad Days
Labor troubles seemed to follow Frank all round Australia. He worked through the 1892 miners’ strike at Broken Hill, and gave evidence (on behalf of the men) at the historical trial of Sleath and other strike leaders at Deniliquin for "conspiring to induce other people to conspire." While at the Hill he was bustled off by coach at a moment’s notice to investigate shearers’ riots on the Darling River.
Frank hired a horse at Wilcannia and rode out to Grasmere station, where unionists had raided the free laborers’ quarters at night and been beaten off by a a barrage of gunfire, with tragic results. Frank covered 65 miles between sunrise and sunset. The return journey was completed next day, and at night an exclusive story of highly sensational occurrences was lodged at the telegraph office.
Life In the West
As a member of the West Australian staff Frank Hart accompanied the late Sir John (afterwards Lord) Forrest on many epochal tours, as, for instance, the opening of the Cue and Menzies railways and a Ministerial journey to Albany (by rail), Esperance Bay (by steamer), Norseman and Coolgardie (by buggies over desert stretches) and back to the metropolis by train. It was on the way home from Menzies that Sir John gave an unfavorable reply to a deputation of miners, who became so incensed that they attempted to rush the special train, and "deal with" the Premier in a punishment-fit-crime kind of manner.
Frank as Scoopist
The biggest scoop Frank ever had as a reporter was when two wrecks occurred simultaneously in the neighbourhood of Fremantle.
The opposition paper believed that only one steamer had gone down in the storm, but police at Rockingham, further down the coast, reported wreckage there. Frank pointed out to the manager of the West Australian office at Fremantle that the Rockingham wreckage could not have come from the vessel known to have gone ashore at Rottnest Island. He was authorised to hire a livery stable conveyance and set off immediately for Rockingham. Though wholly unfamiliar with the country, he had a bush-bred man’s bump of orientation and reached his destination safely, there to find the beach strewn with evidence of a sea tragedy.
Lifebuoys and ship’s papers established the identity of the vessel, which had gone down with a total loss of life. The West Australian had this story practically on it own.
Frank’s speed as a shorthand writer brought him on to the gallery staff of The Argus when the Federal Parliament came into existence. He worked under the lat Mr Dave Maling, and beside the late Donald MacDonald, the late J. E. Davidson, former editor of the Herald, and John Sandes, Monty Grover, W. A. Brennan, H. Campbell Jones, and W. P. Hurst. In those days, Geo. Cockerill, now leader writer for The Herald was in the opposing, but ever friendly camp.
Frank contracted writer’s cramp when on the verge of joining the staff of Victorian Hansard. But for that he might now be drawing a State pension.
After teaching himself to write with the left hand he recovered the use of his other hand; but in the meantime the late Mr Davidson, a dear friend, induced him to go over to The Herald as a turf writer. For 27 years Frank has contributed to one or other of this great group of newspapers under the pen name of Khedive.
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Wedding Day January 1900
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| Back Row (left to
right) William Webb, his wife Ethel Webb (Knight) (bride's
sister), unknown, Stephen Hart (father of mother of bride), William
Knight (brother of bride), Tasman Smith (best man and cousin to
groom) Middle Row (left to right) William Knight (father of bride), his wife Alice Knight (Hart) (mother of bride), her mother Elizabeth Hart (Sharland Front Row (left to right) Clara Knight (bride's sister), Alice Hart (Knight) (bride), Francis Knight (groom), Elizabeth (Bessie) Knight (bride's sister), Hilda Knight (bride's sister) |
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| Florence Mary Alice Knight |
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| 22 Moorhouse Street, Camberwell |
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Shirley Howard
Her mother, Hazel was not happy about the missing button |
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| Clarence Howard and Hazel Hart |
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Dodo on her 95th birthday
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Box Hill
Cemetery
Francis and Florence Knight, Robert and Elizabeth Bunning
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Hart - Knight
A pretty wedding was celebrated at the Congregational Church, Camberwell, on Wednesday, 24th ult., when Miss Florence Knight, eldest daughter of Mr. William Knight, "Craig Royston" Kingsley Street, Camberwell, was united with Mr. Frank H. Hart, of the West Australian, Perth (W.A.), second son of Mr. Charles Hart, Balranald (N.S.W.).
The church had been undergoing alterations, but special arrangements were made in order that the ceremony should be performed in the building, the bride having been organist in the Sunday School for four years and a prominent church worker.
The altar was decorated with white flowers by the bride's friends. The church was crowded when at 3 p.m. the bride entered with her father, attended by her sisters, the Misses Bessie, Clara and Hilda Knight as bridesmaids. The bride looked charming in a robe of ivory silk, trimmed with white applique. The skirt was trimmed with frills of lace whilst the bodice was tucked with transparent yoke of chiffon fichu caught with orange blossom. She carried a lovely shower bouquet of white azaleas, and wore a gold muff chain, with pendant of amethyst and pearls, the gift of the bridegroom. The veil was handsomely worked by an aunt of the bride, and was simply but effectively ornamented with orange blossom.
The bridesmaids' costumes were exceedingly pretty. Miss Bessie Knight, the first maid, was attired in white embroidered moussline de soi over yellow satin, relieved with yellow velvet belt, and carried a shower bouquet of tiger lillies. She wore a handsome padlock bangle, the gift of the bridegroom. They carried boomerangs of tiger lillies. All the bridesmaids wore Leghorn hats, trimmed with white chiffon and plumes. The mother of the bride wore a rich dress of black brocade, trimmed with white applique and jet trimmings.
The bridegroom was supported by his cousin, Mr. Tasman Smith. The path of the newly married couple from the chirch was strewn with roseleaves by six little Sunday school girls, dressed in white.
After the ceremony a reception was held at "Craig Royston", the residence of the bride's parents. About seventy guests were received by Mr. and Mrs. Knight at the entrance and by the bride and bridegroom in the drawing-room. An inspection of the presents, which formed a brilliant display, was followed by an adjournment to a large marquee on the side lawn, where wedding tea was served. The catering had been placed in the experienced hands of Mr. H. C. Cumberland, of South Melbourne, and a recherche repast, was placed on the tables. The proceedings were enlivened by the music of a string band.
The toast of "The Bride and Bridegroom" was proposed in happy terms by the Rev. Alfred Jones, the clergyman officiating at the wedding, and suitably responded to. The other toasts honored were: "The Bridesmaids" proposed by Mr. W. J. Fookes and responded to by Mr. Tasman Smith; "The Parents" proposed by Mr. G. H. Bennett M.L.A. and responded to .....
Mr. and Mrs. Hart left for a honeymoon trip, which was necessarily brief, as their departure for their future home in Perth (W.A) was fixed for the following Tuesday. The bride's travelling dress was of embroidered fawn volie, trimmed with pink silk and brown velvet, chiffon toque. The happy couple drove away amidst showers of rice and confetti, carrying with them the good wishes ...
(transcribed by Wombat of Wolverley, who would like to know why the bride was wearing a "muff chain")