The Family Home

46 Watkin Street NEWTOWN NSW

9th March 1915 JA & AE purchased their first family home that they lived in. They had obviously been moving from place to place since 1894 at 19 Gordon Lane Paddington where Josephine was born. This house is still in pristine condition. Attached is photo I took in 2025.

March this year Josephine their eldest would have been soon turning 21. Charles Hampden 19 is in Perth working as a steward before enlisting in the army. Margaret 16, Patrick 11, Joseph 10, Harry 8, Doris 5, Alma 3 & Albert was 22 months.

What happened to 46 Watkin St is disappointing as it was always trusted into a family member, but this occasion turned out not what I think JA & AE had in mind.

2nd February 1920 AE took a mortgage out on the family home this actually coincides with their setting up 23 Stanely Street and purchasing 54 Arthur Street. JA & AE Restaurants & Boarding Houses

On the 19th of April 1921 the loan was discharged.

28th April AE takes out another mortgage as they continue to invest in property. In the electoral rolls 1936 it is noted that Alma 25, Albert 23 & Freda his wife of 2 years is living with JA & AE. JA passed away on 15th October 1939.

In 1941 Alma gets married and moves out of the family home when she is 30 years old. 3rd October 1943 AE passed away. 8 weeks later on 20th November 1943 the loan is discharged finally again. The electoral roll shows that Albert and his wife Freda are living in 46 Watkin St after AE passed till at least 1962.

An application for transfer was lodged on the 23rd of February 1944, and I was presuming that the house was left to Joseph and Josephine in AE’s will.

But the same day a Cavet was put in place on 46 Watkins St.

Obviously, Josephine contested the will and nearly 2 years after finally on the 1st of March 1946 it was sorted but there was only one owner Josephine Miller, JA & AE’s eldest daughter.

Josephine had a long-time partner in William Joseph Naughton. In the early 1930’s they were living at 23 Stanley St a boarding house that JA had run for 13 years. The electoral roll shows they were renting at 160 Palmer St Darlinghurst NSW. They moved Melbourne where Willaim was a dock worker. Josephine married William in Victoria in 1959 and were living in a unit at 14 Park St South Yarra VIC till her passing on the 19th of January 1970.

18 months later on the 2nd of June 1971, 46 Watkin St became William Naughton’s. Well, he couldn’t resist himself by the end of July he sold it.

Sold to someone else outside family.