What happened to Ivor HOPWOOD who died in Australia

[Lucy2]

.... It didn't cross my mind that he left by plane as most Brits used the £10 Pom means of getting there.
   * I note that it says an 'extract' above the information about his arrival via Brunei(? ) and Singapore.

Hi maxidog

* 'extract'  - i think I use the word "excerpt" ... (passenger card info) ... but this was just to indicate that I had made a transcription of the information from the record I had found.  [Link to actual record now posted here.]

I've viewed your posts re: seeking information for Brunei. (Other Countries - Brunei,  thread)
Most of what I had been going to say (re: Brunei / travel to Australia), has probably now been covered.
I think though probably it is a stretch to assume that his air fare to Australia was paid for by the Australian Government.   

That passenger card also indicates - at point No. 3 (Nationality) -  that "is information as shown on passport".

Q.    Are you able to check - if and when - a UK passport was issued for Ivor HOPWOOD ?? 

You've said previously in this search, (in this thread), that there was a warrant out in GB for the arrest of Ivor HOPWOOD in relation to non-payment of child maintenance.

I'd be curious then about how a passport might be issued to a man who was wanted by police (or  by the authorities concerned in dealing with such matters) ?

And this same man marrying again, twice (1951 and 1954), and using his legal name (maybe risking being caught for outstanding debts) ?

        ~  Lu
 
 

[Dyingout]

...

I'd be curious then about how a passport might be issued to a man who was wanted by police (or  by the authorities concerned in dealing with such matters) ?

And this same man marrying again, twice (1951 and 1954), and using his legal name (maybe risking being caught for outstanding debts) ?

I think you have to think long and hard about the era that this happened in. There was no central database for criminals, any details were posted to other local constabularies head office and there, they would decide whether they would be worth pursuing.

As for the passport office I don't know if a civil case such as non payment of maintenance would  be registered with there. Then if no former passport was issued where would you file the details for future reference.

[Lucy2]

Hello "Dyingout"

Just wish to point out that you have attributed the quote in your recent post, to the wrong person (i.e. to "maxidog" ).

I'm guessing though that the thoughts you express, are intended for "maxidog"  ??

   ~   Lu

[maxidog]

Regarding the summons I mentioned that was issued against my father sometime in the 1940's I do not know why it was seemingly 'ignored' when he was issued with a passport. What is interesting is that in the letter my mother received in 1966/7 it was asking her if she has a claim on his estate. She had a claim as she was owed maintenance money from 1948 to 1960. She took her divorce nisi to the solicitor who dealt with her divorce and other documents but 2 years down the line she got a letter from the solicitors informing her that there had been prior claims to my father's estate and so there was no money for her. We had no idea who this prior claim came from until someone on RootsChat found information about the estate being left to Annie Malpass- his mother!
I fail to see how any claim by her took priority over my mother's claim but it is too late to do anything about it now as all the people concerned are no longer with us.
I am forever grateful for this forum for the information that has been found for me. I still have big gaps about my father's life especially his time in Brunei and in Sydney. I have had no responses to any enquiries I have made either by RootsChat or directly by email to different people and organisations.
I have pursued the likelihood of having a half sister as was hinted at apby a member here. I have sent for the birth certificate of the said person but the Preston office said they had no record of her and directed me to the Manchester office who in turn said that they didn't think she was the person for whom I was applying for the certificate. The Manchester application form would not accept the area she was born so I had to email them regarding the information I had and asked them if they could forward me the certificate. They responded by saying that they didn't think she was the person I was looking for and so I had my money returned without getting a chance to see the certificate. I have found the person I think who could be my half sister on FaceBook and have left her a private message but being very careful how I worded it. I haven't had a response so far as she doesn't use FB frequently. So all in all I am having to think of a new approach to getting all this information about my father's time in Brunei and Sydney and await a response on FB

[maxidog]

I haven’t used Roots Chat for a while as a lot has been happened here with my husband being diagnosed with highly aggressive bladder cancer. He has been successfully treated and today it was confirmed he is clear of it but will continue to have camera procedures every 6 months. He also was hospitalised in Northern Spaina flyer fracturing his femur there from slipping off the pavement. So a lot to deal with leading to not concentrating on Roots Chat
I have occasionally gone back to read postings and tried 3 more times to contact different government departments in Brunei as well as the British Consul but had no reply from the former and a standard response from the British Consul which was no help at all. I also have had a response from an archives librarian in Sydney who could only tell me that the Post Office is split into too many companies now and thus make it difficult to get information about my father’s time working for the PO there and the duration. If I had that information it would help towards finding when he left for New Zealand.
I am not sure if I mentioned that New Zealand sent me my father’s death certificate before I left to visit the library in Auckland. The death certificate said that he had died on April 4th, 1966. When in the library looking through the Auckland Herald at editions from that period I discovered the obituary announcement of his death in Auckland hospital. The date of the paper was April 3rd and the date of death given as the 2nd of April and funeral the 4th April. I contacted the BDM office in Wellington but they refused to accept the revised date as the Dr who gave evidence at his inquest in Wellington had said at the inquest the death was the 4th.
 I fortunately had been able to obtain his medical records from Auckland hospital and the death was recorded as the 2nd and signed by the same Dr who had given evidence at the inquest. I again contacted Wellington and included all this information to the BDM office again requesting a new death certificate with the revised, correct date. No argument that time - I got a new certificate. I wonder how many times mistakes like that have been made.
I still have had no response to my private message left on FaceBook to the person who is probably my half sister. I gave no indication of my connection to her as it is a sensitive issue especially as she is now about 70. I am 82 and am not sure it is a good idea to let her know at this stage in our lives of our relationship but I have said that whilst compiling my family history I believe that there could be be some family connection and asked her to confirm or otherwise if her mother was Margaret Brown from Preston and her father Ivor Hopwood.
I am still hoping to find a means of connecting to someone in Brunei who could do some research for me there but it is not looking very hopeful that I shall be successful. I need to pursue the Sydney Post Office connections and hopefully someone from the Sydney area who is a member of Roots Chat will be able to point me in the direction as to where I can get information about my father’s  time there and where he lived. All along this time I have not been able to get a photo of him as an adult. That would be my ultimate goal. I have no idea of what he looked like as an adult only as an infant and toddler.

[Jennaya]

Hi Maxidog
You could try National Archives of Australia for post office records. They do keep some of the records - not sure about personnel records though.

I googled National Archives Australia Post Office records and found a fact sheet.

The reason that the records are with the National Archives is because the postal services is a national entity, not a state one.

Regards Jennaya

[maxidog]

Thanks for that. I had only contacted the Sydney Archives. Hopefully the National Archives can point me to who/where/if  records of personnel are kept
I have had problems over here in UK trying to get information about my father’s twin brother who worked in Hawker Siddley aircraft factory in Broughton, Flintshire, North Wales. This is now known as the Airbus factory and has gone through other owners over the years. No one there has any idea who retained personnel or other records from that period and I should imagine that could have happened in Australia as the Post Office there was split up. But 🤞🤞🤞