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HARVEY, William Wyatt (1884-1974)

HARVEY, William Wyatt (1884-1974)


William Harvey was first enrolled at Geelong College on the 8 August 1893. His entry address was Newtown, Geelong. He was born on 28 April 1884, the son of Frederick Harvey and Una nee Gill. It seems probable that he was at College until the end of 1899. The enrolment records notes his re-entry to the School in 1901.

The Annual Report Speech Day lists record the following awards:

  
1893 1st English Junior Class
1893 1st Writing Junior Class
1895 1st Geography Junior College
1896 2nd Latin 2nd Class
1897 1st Geography Upper 4th Class
1897 1st Euclid 4th Class
1897 1st Latin 3rd Class
1897 1st Writing Upper 4th Class
1897 1st Physiology Upper 4th Class
1899 1st History University Class
1899 2nd Geography University Class
1899 1st Euclid University Class
1899 1st Physiology University Class
1901 2st Algebra Post Matriculation Class
1901 2nd Chemistry Post Matriculation Class
1901 1st Physics Post Matriculation Class


He furthered his education at Ormond College, The University of Melbourne, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. He worked as a Resident Engineer for John Monash in South Australia and Victoria before the war.

Alan Holgate, of Mooroolbark, wrote on his homepage of Harvey’s work with John Monash:
'After passing his fourth-year exams in November 1905, Harvey was recommended to Monash by one of the lecturers, T W Fowler. John Monash wrote to him on 9th offering a few months’ practical experience ‘of a type which would suit a fourth-year man’. However, there would be no pay ‘beyond a nominal sum to cover the necessary incidental expenses of travelling about and wear and tear’. ... John Monash must have been satisfied with his work because from March 1906, perhaps after attempting the Honours exams, he appears as a full-time employee (until early in 1910).'

He enlisted (No 1877) in the AIF as Private W W Harvey in the 2nd Engineer Reinforcements on 3 March 1916, and embarked with 3 Pioneer Battalion on 6 June 1916 on HMAT A62 Wandilla, being promoted Sergeant at that time. On 16 November he was posted to 5th Pioneer Battalion, and back to 3rd Pioneer Battalion on 3 March 1917. He was promoted 2nd Lieutenant on 11 May and Lieutenant on 2 October. He was Honoured by being mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatches, gazetted 28 May 1918, he was evacuated with fever from 11 June until 12 September 1918, and demobilised on 20 October 1919, having returned to Australia on 6 September 1919 on HMT Prince Ludwig.

William Wyatt Harvey died in 1974.

His brothers, Frederick John Harvey (1873-1946); Froward Underdow Harvey (1875-1957); and Phillip Henry Harvey (1877-1963); were all educated at Geelong College.


Sources: Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 208 (citing Pegasus; National Archives, The University of Melbourne: Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants (1926); Alan Holgate).
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