Person Sheet
NameBlanche Constance (Nina) CASEMENT 
Birth17 Mar 1891, North Fitzroy, Melbourne1
Death15 Jul 1972, Croydon, Victoria
ResidencesMelbourne; Foster; Avonsleigh
FatherCharles William Adam Ball CASEMENT (1861-1932)
MotherMary Frances (Minnie) BALHARRY (1869-1898)
Misc. Notes
Nina's mother died when she was seven years old. Nina lived with her aunts Blanche CASEMENT née BALHARRY and Ethel BALHARRY, possibly in Kensington, Melbourne. Once she asked lots of children to a birthday party without telling her Aunts. When she was about 10 she left her Aunts home, possibly because her father didn't pay her board.
She then went to live with her great uncle David Atkins CASEMENT at Metung, Gippsland, Vic. She went for 3 months and stayed for 3 or 4 years.
She may have gone back to live with her Aunt Blanche after that. Her beloved Aunty Blanche taught her needlework and used to take her to the theatre. Later she became a companion for Mrs COUCHMAN, a relation of her step-mother, Beatrice CASEMENT née McGREGOR.
Nina later worked at Robertson & Moffats for 2/6 per week, was often sent out to buy ribbons because of her good eye for colours. Robertson & Moffats was taken over by Myers.
Later Aunt Blanche & Aunt Ethel lived in an apartment in St James Building off St Kilda Rd.
Nina, and probably her sister Kathleen, lived at 159 Hoddle St, East Melbourne for some time some during World War I and before her marriage. A postcard from her Aunty Ethel indicates that Nina may also have lived with Mrs Owen at 'Carinya', Anderton St, South Yarra in Nov 1914. In 1916, at the time of her uncle Roger CASEMENT's trial, reporters used to try to force their way into the house. Nina had corresponded with her uncle Roger over the years and received presents from him. During his trial, her step-mother burnt most of the letters.
Nina and Kathleen both sang in the choir at Holy Trinity Church in East Melbourne. Nina had a beautiful singing voice when she was a young woman- she could sing soprano and contralto parts. Professor Bea was training her free and said she would be in grand opera in three years. Her uncle Roger Casement promised to take her to Germany for further training. However she got an infected finger and the poison spread to her armpit, which she had to have opened each day. The infection left a "frog in her throat" and she would not go on with the training, feeling that her singing was impaired. When she was living at Foster, she would sing while hanging out the babies nappies at night. As she sang, she threw her voice, knowing that all the neighbours across the valley used to come out on their verandas to listen.
Nina loved adventure and speed. When she heard a neighbour riding into Foster, she used to grab her horse Nancy and the buggy and race the neighbour to Foster. Whoever reached the top of the road first would win since it was impossible to pass on the steep, winding road down to the town.
While still in Foster Nina bought a book with recipes for chocolates. She used to make chocolates for one of the best chocolate shops in Melbourne.
At Cardiff Grange, Avonsleigh, she made chocolates, snowballs and cakes, which she sold to holiday makers from Avonsleigh House, a local guest house. People used to crowd on the back veranda and in the kitchen to buy her sweets. The children sold sweets from a kiosk on the main road to city people out for a day driving in the country.
Nina later grew flowers which she sold to florists in Melbourne. Arthur and Nina used to drive around Toorak and other expensive suburbs of Melbourne selling their flowers door-to-door. Because they were "gentlefolk" the customers used to invite them into their homes. For many years, they sent flowers to the florists in Melbourne, first on the Puffing Billy train and later by bus. Nina spent most of her time in the garden. Margaret did the cooking and Audrey did the washing.
Arthur built a second house on the property, called "the bungalow". Nina's friend, Kendall Nicholls’ mother, had two sisters who were teachers, one at Mentone Grammar School. Through them Nina offered to take children from the boarding schools for the school holidays. They used the bungalow for these boarders and Audrey helped look after them.
Nina loved dancing. As a young woman she was a popular partner at the country dances at Foster. When older she was known to dance around her kitchen to music on the radio. Her enjoyment of the music at her eldest grand-child's wedding was so infectious that all the young men danced with her. It may have helped that "the nice young man (waiter) kept refilling her glass".
Even as an old lady, Nina loved adventure. On one occasion, a car side-swiped a car in which she was a passenger and did not stop to check if there was any damage. The driver, Frank Rowley chased the offending car. This chase, at night, on a winding road in the Dandenong Mountains would have been impossible had both drivers not known the road well. Instead of being frightened, Nina sat in the back urging Frank to "drive faster".
With her younger sister Kathleen, Nina attended their uncle Roger Casement's state funeral in 1965 at invitation of Irish Government.
Nina died 15 July 1972 at a nursing home for the elderly in Croyden, Victoria. Mr Lawton, the First Secretary of the Irish Embassy attended the funeral on behalf of the Irish Government, the Ambassador sent a telegram with his apologies as his mother-in-law had just died.
She then went to live with her great uncle David Atkins CASEMENT at Metung, Gippsland, Vic. She went for 3 months and stayed for 3 or 4 years.
She may have gone back to live with her Aunt Blanche after that. Her beloved Aunty Blanche taught her needlework and used to take her to the theatre. Later she became a companion for Mrs COUCHMAN, a relation of her step-mother, Beatrice CASEMENT née McGREGOR.
Nina later worked at Robertson & Moffats for 2/6 per week, was often sent out to buy ribbons because of her good eye for colours. Robertson & Moffats was taken over by Myers.
Later Aunt Blanche & Aunt Ethel lived in an apartment in St James Building off St Kilda Rd.
Nina, and probably her sister Kathleen, lived at 159 Hoddle St, East Melbourne for some time some during World War I and before her marriage. A postcard from her Aunty Ethel indicates that Nina may also have lived with Mrs Owen at 'Carinya', Anderton St, South Yarra in Nov 1914. In 1916, at the time of her uncle Roger CASEMENT's trial, reporters used to try to force their way into the house. Nina had corresponded with her uncle Roger over the years and received presents from him. During his trial, her step-mother burnt most of the letters.
Nina and Kathleen both sang in the choir at Holy Trinity Church in East Melbourne. Nina had a beautiful singing voice when she was a young woman- she could sing soprano and contralto parts. Professor Bea was training her free and said she would be in grand opera in three years. Her uncle Roger Casement promised to take her to Germany for further training. However she got an infected finger and the poison spread to her armpit, which she had to have opened each day. The infection left a "frog in her throat" and she would not go on with the training, feeling that her singing was impaired. When she was living at Foster, she would sing while hanging out the babies nappies at night. As she sang, she threw her voice, knowing that all the neighbours across the valley used to come out on their verandas to listen.
Nina loved adventure and speed. When she heard a neighbour riding into Foster, she used to grab her horse Nancy and the buggy and race the neighbour to Foster. Whoever reached the top of the road first would win since it was impossible to pass on the steep, winding road down to the town.
While still in Foster Nina bought a book with recipes for chocolates. She used to make chocolates for one of the best chocolate shops in Melbourne.
At Cardiff Grange, Avonsleigh, she made chocolates, snowballs and cakes, which she sold to holiday makers from Avonsleigh House, a local guest house. People used to crowd on the back veranda and in the kitchen to buy her sweets. The children sold sweets from a kiosk on the main road to city people out for a day driving in the country.
Nina later grew flowers which she sold to florists in Melbourne. Arthur and Nina used to drive around Toorak and other expensive suburbs of Melbourne selling their flowers door-to-door. Because they were "gentlefolk" the customers used to invite them into their homes. For many years, they sent flowers to the florists in Melbourne, first on the Puffing Billy train and later by bus. Nina spent most of her time in the garden. Margaret did the cooking and Audrey did the washing.
Arthur built a second house on the property, called "the bungalow". Nina's friend, Kendall Nicholls’ mother, had two sisters who were teachers, one at Mentone Grammar School. Through them Nina offered to take children from the boarding schools for the school holidays. They used the bungalow for these boarders and Audrey helped look after them.
Nina loved dancing. As a young woman she was a popular partner at the country dances at Foster. When older she was known to dance around her kitchen to music on the radio. Her enjoyment of the music at her eldest grand-child's wedding was so infectious that all the young men danced with her. It may have helped that "the nice young man (waiter) kept refilling her glass".
Even as an old lady, Nina loved adventure. On one occasion, a car side-swiped a car in which she was a passenger and did not stop to check if there was any damage. The driver, Frank Rowley chased the offending car. This chase, at night, on a winding road in the Dandenong Mountains would have been impossible had both drivers not known the road well. Instead of being frightened, Nina sat in the back urging Frank to "drive faster".
With her younger sister Kathleen, Nina attended their uncle Roger Casement's state funeral in 1965 at invitation of Irish Government.
Nina died 15 July 1972 at a nursing home for the elderly in Croyden, Victoria. Mr Lawton, the First Secretary of the Irish Embassy attended the funeral on behalf of the Irish Government, the Ambassador sent a telegram with his apologies as his mother-in-law had just died.
Spouses
Birth30 Dec 1887, 36 Agate Rd, St Paul Hammersmith, Middlesex, England
Death30 Sep 1964, Melbourne
Burial1964, Springvale Crematorium, Melbourne
OccupationTest driver, farmer, clerk, storeman
ResidencesLondon; then Melbourne; Foster; Avonsleigh - all in Victoria
FatherArthur Robert AYERS (1854-1931)
MotherClara Elizabeth Ann Woodzell FREWER (1856-1940)
Misc. Notes
Arthur’s birth certificate shows that he was born at 36 Agate Rd, Hammersmith, London, in the Parish of St Paul. Hammersmith, County of Middlesex.
His father was a leather merchant and Arthur was sent to school in Hamburg, Germany, then Brussels, Belgium, in anticipation of joining his father's business. In Belgium he attended Collège d'Anderlicht, 14 Rue du Chapelain, Anderlicht, Bruxelles during 1902 and 1903. 223
Then his father lost his business and family stories indicate that he spent the rest of his life in his bedroom, apparently suffering from depression. It was said that his partner cheated him out of the business but we do not know what actually happened. Arthur, the only son, returned to England. A reference from W.E. Crisp, Chairman of A. Cheverton and Co Ltd, calf kid manufacturers, skiver tanners and white split dressers, dated Sep 1911, states that Arthur acted as a sub-manager of a branch of the business, working under his father, and that he had whole responsibility for the branch during his father's illness.
A reference from his uncle Sir Charles Friswell, written in 1911, says that Arthur was a salesman and driver for Standard Cars - Friswells, and for several months he was the Assistant Tester for Standard Motor Company (Charles Friswell was the Chairman).
A testimonial dated 24 Aug 1911 shows that Arthur worked as a technical assistant and Assistant Secretary of the brewers, Kuhn's Processes Ltd, 133 Tooley Street, London, from 22 Aug 1910 to 19 Aug 1911.
We also know from newspaper cuttings, kept by Arthur, that he served with the 25th Cyclist Battalion, City of London, as a Sergeant (British Territorials).
Arthur emigrated to Australia, travelling as a third class passenger on the S.S. Otway of the Orient Line arriving on 15th Aug 1911. 224 He obtained employment as a clerk with the Railways and Works in Melbourne. In July 1912 and May 1913 he was working on the farm of Mr R. Fox at 'North Devon', Yarrum in Gippsland, Victoria. A letter from his uncle Charles Friswell shows that Arthur saw mechanisation as important to future farming.
In World War I, Arthur enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 21st Aug 1914, when he was 26, and was allotted to the Army Service Corps as Number 677. His allocation to the service corps was probably a result of his experience with horses on the farm in Yarrum. He left Australia on the flagship, Orvieto, on 19 Oct 1914. His Army record shows that he served at Gallipoli between April and December 1915 but his daughter Kathleen said that he remained on board one of the ships looking after the horses. He then served with the Western Frontier Force in Egypt and was appointed Lance Corporal in Alexandria on 16 Aug 1916.
After attending a course of instruction at Oxford University from 23 Feb to 27 May 1917, Arthur was made temporary 2nd Lt in 39th Australian Infantry Battalion (Victoria) on 31st May 1917. He proceeded to France on 21 Jun 1917 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 5 Sep 1917. He lost his left eye when he was wounded in action on 12 October 1917 at Passchendaele. He spent the next seven months in hospitals in London.
After serving with various training units, he returned to Australia on the Prinz Ludwig and was discharged 4th Nov 1919 as medically unfit. He had served for 1902 days including 1781 days abroad. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal. As a wounded soldier, Arthur received a War Pension.
After the war, Arthur married 'Nina' CASEMENT. They went to live on a Soldier Settlement Farm in Gippsland, near Foster, sometime before the twins were born in May 1920. Before Arthur went to Foster to choose a farm, Nina told him to get the best land he could, rather than worrying about the house. However she must have been shocked when she arrived and saw the poor wooden dwelling and hessian walls. She papered the walls with pages from Pictorial magazine to keep out the drafts. Unfortunately she didn't think to put the papers up the right way, so Arthur used to sit at the table with his head on the side, reading the papers. 225 The address on a postcard from E.M. Owen May 1926 shows that the farm was called 'Ayrleigh'.
A photo taken about 1920 shows the twins outside in a playpen, with the ravages of a bushfire evident in the background. This fire destroyed the new fences and sheds Arthur had built and most of the family's possessions, including a treasured sewing machine, which had been stacked in a clearing for safety. Only the house, which they thought was in danger, remained intact. 2 Eventually Arthur built a better house, a typical small pioneer house. Both houses are shown in one family photo. 226
Most of the soldier settlement farms were doomed to failure since penniless soldiers were put on the land at a time when farming was becoming increasingly capitalized. 226
"Though recommended by a referee as 'honest, industrious and sober', Ayers faced an unequal battle as he worked day and night to tame the forests of Gippsland. An early inspection resulted in a report that he was disabled through war injuries and that his plight was exacerbated by having a 'dirty block which was hard to clear on account of most of the timber being heavy black butt'.” 226
He explained his circumstances to the Closer Settlement Board -
"This block is and always has been an unbroken mass of bracken fern up to 6 feet high and very heavily littered by big fallen timber ...The revenue from the cleared portion just about covers the expenditure for maintenance and improvements leaving nothing for the support of wife, self and family. We depend on my War Pension for a living and without it could not remain on the place. On top of the non-productive nature of the bulk of the property both seasons and prices of produce have been against settlers in the district for the past five years." 226,227
While farming at Foster, Arthur and Nina had five children, all girls. When the eldest, the twins, were babies, Nina and Arthur used to take them out in a washing basket - walking along in their fine city clothes, each carrying one handle of the basket. When they attended local dances, the twins were left outside in the buggy. The young men of the district used to take turns going out to check on the twins. 225
Sporting games and agricultural competitions provided social activity and neighbourhood meetings. The Ayers family used to host regular cricket matches. Birthday parties and visits from relatives were sometimes the occasion for special festivities, but few families could afford to go out to paid 'entertainment'. 226
Arthur and Nina walked off the farm at Foster in April 1929 after eight years. He informed the CSB board that 'owing to continual ill-health', he could not persevere with 'the work entailed in clearing and maintaining' the block. 226 He suffered from neuralgia in his eye socket.
When she was old, Nina used to tell her granddaughter Lesley Rowley a story which suggests that it was her decision to give up. As she was leaving on the train for a trip to Melbourne to visit relatives, she said she would not come back. (This did not mean that she was leaving Arthur. She hoped to find an alternative for the family.)
She rented Cardiff Grange, a 10 acre run-down poultry farm in Avonsleigh, in the Dandenong Mountains, not too far from Melbourne. Arthur cleared the farm and built sheds. Nina transformed it into a flower farm. Later they bought this property.
Still later, Arthur worked in Melbourne, boarding with his sister-in-law Kathleen Vaughnan and her husband Neville, and going home to Avonsleigh at weekends. This probably started during the Second World War. After the war, Arthur worked for Dunlops Tyre Company as a storeman.
Arthur was widely read with an extensive general knowledge. He enjoyed listening to quiz shows and classical music.
Arthur was granted a T.P.I. (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated) Pension June 1960.
He died in Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and his ashes are at Springvale Crematorium (Wall 5 ZD, niche 258), Melbourne.
His father was a leather merchant and Arthur was sent to school in Hamburg, Germany, then Brussels, Belgium, in anticipation of joining his father's business. In Belgium he attended Collège d'Anderlicht, 14 Rue du Chapelain, Anderlicht, Bruxelles during 1902 and 1903. 223
Then his father lost his business and family stories indicate that he spent the rest of his life in his bedroom, apparently suffering from depression. It was said that his partner cheated him out of the business but we do not know what actually happened. Arthur, the only son, returned to England. A reference from W.E. Crisp, Chairman of A. Cheverton and Co Ltd, calf kid manufacturers, skiver tanners and white split dressers, dated Sep 1911, states that Arthur acted as a sub-manager of a branch of the business, working under his father, and that he had whole responsibility for the branch during his father's illness.
A reference from his uncle Sir Charles Friswell, written in 1911, says that Arthur was a salesman and driver for Standard Cars - Friswells, and for several months he was the Assistant Tester for Standard Motor Company (Charles Friswell was the Chairman).
A testimonial dated 24 Aug 1911 shows that Arthur worked as a technical assistant and Assistant Secretary of the brewers, Kuhn's Processes Ltd, 133 Tooley Street, London, from 22 Aug 1910 to 19 Aug 1911.
We also know from newspaper cuttings, kept by Arthur, that he served with the 25th Cyclist Battalion, City of London, as a Sergeant (British Territorials).
Arthur emigrated to Australia, travelling as a third class passenger on the S.S. Otway of the Orient Line arriving on 15th Aug 1911. 224 He obtained employment as a clerk with the Railways and Works in Melbourne. In July 1912 and May 1913 he was working on the farm of Mr R. Fox at 'North Devon', Yarrum in Gippsland, Victoria. A letter from his uncle Charles Friswell shows that Arthur saw mechanisation as important to future farming.
In World War I, Arthur enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 21st Aug 1914, when he was 26, and was allotted to the Army Service Corps as Number 677. His allocation to the service corps was probably a result of his experience with horses on the farm in Yarrum. He left Australia on the flagship, Orvieto, on 19 Oct 1914. His Army record shows that he served at Gallipoli between April and December 1915 but his daughter Kathleen said that he remained on board one of the ships looking after the horses. He then served with the Western Frontier Force in Egypt and was appointed Lance Corporal in Alexandria on 16 Aug 1916.
After attending a course of instruction at Oxford University from 23 Feb to 27 May 1917, Arthur was made temporary 2nd Lt in 39th Australian Infantry Battalion (Victoria) on 31st May 1917. He proceeded to France on 21 Jun 1917 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 5 Sep 1917. He lost his left eye when he was wounded in action on 12 October 1917 at Passchendaele. He spent the next seven months in hospitals in London.
After serving with various training units, he returned to Australia on the Prinz Ludwig and was discharged 4th Nov 1919 as medically unfit. He had served for 1902 days including 1781 days abroad. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal. As a wounded soldier, Arthur received a War Pension.
After the war, Arthur married 'Nina' CASEMENT. They went to live on a Soldier Settlement Farm in Gippsland, near Foster, sometime before the twins were born in May 1920. Before Arthur went to Foster to choose a farm, Nina told him to get the best land he could, rather than worrying about the house. However she must have been shocked when she arrived and saw the poor wooden dwelling and hessian walls. She papered the walls with pages from Pictorial magazine to keep out the drafts. Unfortunately she didn't think to put the papers up the right way, so Arthur used to sit at the table with his head on the side, reading the papers. 225 The address on a postcard from E.M. Owen May 1926 shows that the farm was called 'Ayrleigh'.
A photo taken about 1920 shows the twins outside in a playpen, with the ravages of a bushfire evident in the background. This fire destroyed the new fences and sheds Arthur had built and most of the family's possessions, including a treasured sewing machine, which had been stacked in a clearing for safety. Only the house, which they thought was in danger, remained intact. 2 Eventually Arthur built a better house, a typical small pioneer house. Both houses are shown in one family photo. 226
Most of the soldier settlement farms were doomed to failure since penniless soldiers were put on the land at a time when farming was becoming increasingly capitalized. 226
"Though recommended by a referee as 'honest, industrious and sober', Ayers faced an unequal battle as he worked day and night to tame the forests of Gippsland. An early inspection resulted in a report that he was disabled through war injuries and that his plight was exacerbated by having a 'dirty block which was hard to clear on account of most of the timber being heavy black butt'.” 226
He explained his circumstances to the Closer Settlement Board -
"This block is and always has been an unbroken mass of bracken fern up to 6 feet high and very heavily littered by big fallen timber ...The revenue from the cleared portion just about covers the expenditure for maintenance and improvements leaving nothing for the support of wife, self and family. We depend on my War Pension for a living and without it could not remain on the place. On top of the non-productive nature of the bulk of the property both seasons and prices of produce have been against settlers in the district for the past five years." 226,227
While farming at Foster, Arthur and Nina had five children, all girls. When the eldest, the twins, were babies, Nina and Arthur used to take them out in a washing basket - walking along in their fine city clothes, each carrying one handle of the basket. When they attended local dances, the twins were left outside in the buggy. The young men of the district used to take turns going out to check on the twins. 225
Sporting games and agricultural competitions provided social activity and neighbourhood meetings. The Ayers family used to host regular cricket matches. Birthday parties and visits from relatives were sometimes the occasion for special festivities, but few families could afford to go out to paid 'entertainment'. 226
Arthur and Nina walked off the farm at Foster in April 1929 after eight years. He informed the CSB board that 'owing to continual ill-health', he could not persevere with 'the work entailed in clearing and maintaining' the block. 226 He suffered from neuralgia in his eye socket.
When she was old, Nina used to tell her granddaughter Lesley Rowley a story which suggests that it was her decision to give up. As she was leaving on the train for a trip to Melbourne to visit relatives, she said she would not come back. (This did not mean that she was leaving Arthur. She hoped to find an alternative for the family.)
She rented Cardiff Grange, a 10 acre run-down poultry farm in Avonsleigh, in the Dandenong Mountains, not too far from Melbourne. Arthur cleared the farm and built sheds. Nina transformed it into a flower farm. Later they bought this property.
Still later, Arthur worked in Melbourne, boarding with his sister-in-law Kathleen Vaughnan and her husband Neville, and going home to Avonsleigh at weekends. This probably started during the Second World War. After the war, Arthur worked for Dunlops Tyre Company as a storeman.
Arthur was widely read with an extensive general knowledge. He enjoyed listening to quiz shows and classical music.
Arthur was granted a T.P.I. (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated) Pension June 1960.
He died in Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and his ashes are at Springvale Crematorium (Wall 5 ZD, niche 258), Melbourne.
Marriage24 Sep 1919, Holy Trinity Church, East Melbourne
ChildrenKathleen Nancy Woodzell (Twin) (1920-)
Frances Woodzell (Twin) (1920-)
Margaret Elizabeth (1921-)
Audrey Blanche (1922-2001)
Barbara Dorothy Joan (1928-)
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