Fast following Noble Park Public Hall’s centenary celebrations, a descendant of one of the hall’s key founders has visited the historic site.
Hall trustees Dawn Dickson and Gaye Guest welcomed Allan David Buckley, grandson of Allan Frank Buckley, who had purchased and subdivided the land that would become Noble Park in 1909.
He would later donate the land for the public hall.
News of the hall’s centenary last month had reached Sydney via social media and Allan David Jnr decided it was finally time to visit, fulfilling a long-time ambition.
The three had a stroll down Buckley Lane – named after Allan Frank Buckley, as well as Leonard Avenue and Douglas Street before viewing the public hall
Allan David Jnr commented that Leonard Avenue was named after Allan Frank Buckley’s brother, Rev Sydney Leonard Buckley who when discharged from the Chaplain’s service, was instrumental in starting the St.James Grammar Boys School (known today as Ivanhoe Grammar).
He spent 33 years as the head of this school providing significant leadership to staff and students.
Reverend Buckley had also served in the 1st Australian Imperial Force, in the Australian Army Chaplain’s Department. He enlisted for World War I on 3 January 1917 and was posted to serve on the troopship Ballarat, along with two other padres being Ryan and Goller.
They ministered and saw to the welfare of 1600 troops from the 66th, 49th, and 21st Battalions – a busy and demanding role!
Sydney Leonard Buckley was born in Rutherglen on 8 September 1882 to parents Allan Knox Buckley and Agnes Buckley (née Binsted).
Allan Knox Buckley was the first headmaster appointed at the Rutherglen Common School.
Sydney was the fourth son of six boys and four girls.
Reverend Buckley passed away in March 1964 after having resided in the Warrnambool area for some years, the latter being in semi-retirement.
The Buckley story started back when Allan Knox Buckley, an Irishman from Ballriggan County Mead (Dublin) migrated to Australia in the 1860s at the age of 17.
Allan David Jnr said they were butchers and the Buckley family crest comprises three black bulls.
A. K. Buckley married Violet Edith McNicol.
The christian name Allan is prominent in the Buckley family, being passed down through the generations.
When Allan Frank Buckley, born 1873, lived in Noble Park he was married to Elizabeth Kate (Kitty) nee Douglas, in October 1902 , and their biological children were – Noble (Nobby) Sydney Douglas Buckley MBE, Bright Frank Douglas, Bonnie Boy Douglas and Horatio Octavious Douglas; and sisters Merrie Joie Kitty Douglas and May Flor Muriel Aenone.
In 1924 Allan Frank Buckley’s family moved to South Australia and by 1925 he married Agnes Helen Satchel in Adelaide.
They soon became parents to Allan David Buckley Senior who was the father to Allan David Buckley Jnr.
As Allan David Snr, born June 1925, had seen the ravage of the depression on his father’s fortunes and business, he never owed money to anyone and always used cash to buy into businesses – such as property, car dealership, glaziers and dry cleaning.
In 1936 Allan Frank died and so his second wife listed herself as a single woman so she could get a job, leaving Allan David Snr in Sydney as an 11year- old, living in their boarding house with boarders while she moved to Tasmania.
Finally, Allan David Snr reunited with his mother in Burnie, Tasmania where he married an Agnes and they had 3 children – Yvonne June Buckley, Allan David Buckley Jnr and Peri Helen Buckley.
Allan David Snr passed away in 2015 aged 90 years.
Of Allan David Buckley Jnr himself, when he graduated from Hobart University, he moved to Canberra where he took up a position with Department of Overseas Trade and in 1986 became the trade commissioner enabling him for 12 years to travel around work locations – Thailand, Philippines, Italy and Toronto.
Dawn and Gaye said they were thrilled to have the pleasure of meeting a descendant of Frank Buckley today, although Dawn had meet some of the older Buckleys when the hall celebrated its 75th anniversary.
“From the tales told today all generations of the Buckley family have been enterprising and helped develop the towns and suburbs they have lived in,” Guest said.
