PEARSON, Kelvey Charles William ‘Flo’ (1893-1960) .jpg)
K C W Pearson (2nd Gen 1913).
Kelvey Charles William Pearson was enrolled by C A Pearson as a boarder at Geelong College in April 1910 after having attended school in Omeo, Victoria where he was born on 6 August 1893.
His enrolment lists his name as Kelvey Charles William Pearson though his WWI enlistment papers show him as Charles William Kelvey Pearson and he seems to have been known as this in his later life. He left College in December 1913, and is recorded as a member of the Cadet Corps. He is noted in the 1914 Valete List as being a student until 1913. Despite appearing in several College rowing contests he does not appear in the sporting prize lists during that period. He did earn 1st Prize in English in the Honour VI Class; the Boarder's Senior Division Scripture Prize, 1st Prize in English in the Lower VI Class and 1st Prize in History in the Lower VI Class in 1912. He appears as C K Pearson in the cast photograph of
My Turn Next, 1912 and also in
What Happened to Jones in 1913.
Pegasus of December 1913 praised his performance in
'What Happened to Jones' :
'Pearson completely lost his personality in that of Ebenezer Goodly. When he got excited it was no mere pretence - he really was excited over the iniquities of the ubiquitous Jones and the trials of his brother' .
.jpg)
K C W Pearson
(My Turn Next).
He is also listed in
Pegasus of December 1913 as a 'Sports Secretary'; Hon Secretary of the Dramatic Club; Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Debating Society; and as a Librarian'.
He appears in the '2nd Generation' photograph from 1913 as K Pearson. He may be the son of either Charles Pearson (1856-1886), son of the tanner, F Pearson of Latrobe Terrace, or of a Charles Pearson of Avoca or Geelong who appears in the College Prize lists in the 1860s.
After leaving College he continued his education at Ormond College, University of Melbourne. He had completed 2nd year Law when he enlisted (No 3669) in the AIF on 6 August 1915, as Sapper C W K Pearson, 2nd Signalling Company, and embarked on
HMAT A40 Ceramic on 23 November 1915. He transferred to 5th Divisional Signalling Company on 8th March 1916, and was promoted Lance Corporal on 1 January 1917, CQMS on 4 April 1917, 2nd Lieutenant on 22 April 1918, and Lieutenant on 22 July 1918. He served in Egypt, and was with 5th Division during all their actions in France. He was Mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches on 1st January 1919,and demobilised on 22 June 1919.
A photograph of C K Pearson with a group of four other Old Collegians at Tel-el-Kebir was published in
Pegasus in August 1916.
.jpg)
K F C Pearson
(What Happened
to Jones).
He later worked as a solicitor.
His son, Selwyn Kelvey Pearson (1924-2001), was also educated at Geelong College.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp 283 (citing The University of Melbourne: Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants (1926); The Pegasus; National Archives; Pegasus May 1914 p5; Pegasus December 1913 p2, p65; Pegasus August 1916 p31; Pegasus December 1917 p25.