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Heritage Guide to The Geelong College






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KENDELL, William Herbert (1927-2015)

KENDELL, William Herbert (1927-2015)


William Herbert Kendell (Kendall), known as ‘Bill’ was born on 21 February 1927 to farmers, Doris and Ebenezer Thomas Kendell. In 1940, after attending Osborne State School, ‘Bill’ was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College from 6 June 1939 to December 1941. His address at enrolment at Geelong College was 'Brentwood', Lockhart, New South Wales.

'Bill' Kendell (T Kendall)

'Bill' Kendell (T Kendall)

In 1943 during World War II, when the military assumed control of the rail networks, train travel between NSW and Melbourne became more difficult, and ‘Bill’ transferred to Yanco Agricultural College closer to home in NSW.

On 27 June 1945, in his 18th year, ‘Bill’ joined the army enlisting (No. VX97850) at Royal Park, Melbourne. After the US bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki three days later, ‘Bill’ volunteered for the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan. ‘Bill’ was initially stationed at Kaitachi about 7 miles from Hiroshima on the west coast of Honshu. After a short stay, he was sent to Otake submarine base south of Hiroshima. A brief posting to set up an R&R ski resort in the mountains north east of Hiroshima at Okayama was followed by a secondment to the US Cavalry before returning to Sydney for discharge as a lieutenant on 23 January 1948.

After leaving the army, ‘Bill’ took up a soldier-settler allocation at Finley on Pine Lodge. In Finley, ‘Bill’ met Elizabeth Crosbie and they were married in Melbourne at St Andrews Anglican church in Brighton on 1 March 1952 two weeks after his 25th birthday. ‘Bill’ and Elizabeth had four children, who in turn have 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren with a sixth one on the way at the time of Bill’s death.

In 1959, ‘Bill’ and Elizabeth crossed the continent to develop new farming country at Green Range, east of Albany in Western Australia, where he pioneered Charolais cattle in Australia, later becoming President of the Charolais Society of Australia.

In 1978, aged 51, ‘Bill’ left farming and followed his passion for real estate. Working first with Elders and then John Garland, he settled at Wellington and Reeves and enjoyed a successful career as a real estate agent. ‘Bill’ retired in 2001, but continued his community involvement and voluntary work.

In 2012, ‘Bill’ moved to Bethel Baptist Aged Care, Albany where he died on Saturday 28 November 2015 after returning home from a short hospital stay.


Sources: T Kendall; National Archives VX 97850 (Personnel Records Series B883 6052599); 'Geelong Collegians at the Second World War and Subsequent Conflicts' compiled by J. Affleck p569. OGC 1941.
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