Robert Stevens photographer

[majm]

Hi there,

Until 1949 there was no such thing as 'Australian Citizenship'.  Our various state and our federal constitution provided for British Subjects, male and female, aged 21 years and over, born here or born elsewhere in the British Empire, or a naturalised British Subject (if born outside the Empire) to be the voters.  It became compulsory for British Subjects to enrol to vote in the 1920s.   

If Robert was born anywhere in the then British Empire, he would have been expected to be enrolled to vote, if residing in Australia.    If Robert was in the AIF during WWI he needed to be a British Subject.  I can clearly confirm this from earlier efforts here at RChat and the findings on one of the Fromelles lads.  Aime Constant Verpillot, born in Switzerland to French parents who migrated to England, then New Zealand and then Australia.  He applied to join the AIF and was not fully attested until he had become a naturalised British Subject. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=694099.msg5378373#msg5378373

Various members of the generation older than me were in the Commonwealth Public Service and in the NSW Public Service.   They all assure me that even post WWII and even in recent times, a person with a British Passport would have been eligible to be a member of the Public Service.  I was born in NSW in 1947, my parents were born in NSW years earlier, so too all four grandparents and back so on.  In 1947 I was a British Subject, I was not an Australian citizen.

It was not until 1986 that from a constitutional point of view that Australia was fully separated from the United Kingdom.

ADD
The Australian Electoral Commission still permits British Subjects who were already on the roll before the final separation to remain on the electoral roll, even though they have not sought to become Australian citizens.   

So, basically, if Robert were born in India, he was born a British Subject and therefore if residing in Australia in the 1930s he should be found on the electoral roll.   If an employer wanted to check his citizenship status, the employer could ask to sight 'discharge papers' from the Defence forces, or simply check their local electoral roll which would have been readily available at their local Post Office.

JM

[judb]

Adding to JM's post, I think it was around 1986-8 that the Federal Government required new public service employees to have Australian citizenship.  My husband held a British passport when he joined  the Australian PS in 1977, but my son needed to be an Australian citizen when he joined in 1987/8. However, because my husband was already employed there was no requirement for him to become an Australian citizen.

Hospitals are usually administered by states and may have had different employment conditions.

Judith

[majm]

Hi Judith 

One of my older relatives has just phoned me from Childers Qld. He is keenly reading the thread (but still HE WON'T JOIN RCHAT  ), and he confirms Qld hospitals were definitely administered by the State government, as Joe would not give that up  (the then premier of Qld).  The effective date in 1986 was August 20, but Qld Parliament may not have brought about legislation until 1989. 

JM

[majm]

Electoral Roll info re Irvingdale.  Seems a Robert STEVENS was in the area from at least 1932.

QLD ER 1930 MARANOA, - Dalby
NO sighting of a Robert STEVENS in that 1930 roll.

QLD ER 1931 MARANOA, - Dalby
NO sighting of a Robert STEVENS in that 1931 roll.

QLD ER 1932 MARANOA, - Dalby
Robert STEVENS, Irvingdale, labourer

QLD ER 1934 MARANOA, - Dalby
Robert STEVENS, Irvingdale, labourer

QLD ER 1936 MARANOA, - Dalby
Robert STEVENS, Irvingdale, labourer

QLD ER 1937 MARANOA, - Dalby
Robert STEVENS, Irvingdale, labourer


JM

[majm]

More electoral roll listings, I think these are showing there’s definitely several chaps named Robert STEVENS in the 1930s. 

NSW ER 1930 RIVERINA, - Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Willurah Station, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1931 RIVERINA Deniliquin
NO listing for a Robert STEVENS.

NSW ER 1932 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1933 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1934 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1935 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Boorooban, station hand

NSW ER 1936 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Pages 52 and 53 are missing from the online images and so I cannot tell if there was a Robert STEVENS enrolled in 1936 at Deni.  Sorry.

NSW ER 1937 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1943 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
Robert STEVENS, Miegunyah, Booroorban, station hand

NSW ER 1949 RIVERINA – Deniliquin
NO listing for a Robert STEVENS

JM

[majm]

I will NOT type up the given names, because I have NO WAY of confirming if the person is no longer alive, BUT

From the Qld ER for 1943, I can see Robert and Myrtle STEVENS are both listed as residents of a road in Childers.   Also on that same road is another person, with the surname STEVENS.

I will send a PM to Betty.

EDIT .... OOPS, the year should be 1949.  Fingers got ahead of grey cells.

JM

[majm]

Myrtle STEVENS is on the supplementary list for 1943, for WIDE BAY - Childers.  And NOT Robert as he seems to be already on the main list ... but the other person is also on that supplementary list, and is shown as residing on same road as Myrtle.   Of course, the rolls do NOT have 'house names' or 'house numbers' or 'property names' and the road is several kilometres in length.

QLD ER 1943 WIDE BAY - Childers
Robert STEVENS, Doolbi, Isis line, labourer.

Myrtle may have waited to enrol until she was 21.   

JM

[BettyBoops]

From the Qld ER for 1943, I can see Robert and Myrtle STEVENS are both listed as residents of a road in Childers.   Also on that same road is another person, with the surname STEVENS.
In my earlier days of searching I came across this person also. So, I did some tracking. She was born 3.1.1920 and died 18.5.1994. Her husband (born 1912, Childers) died a few months later. When they were living in Childers he was a Linotype Operator. They later moved to Nambour. Which is another "secret" my parents had, as we holidayed in Maroochydore, not far from Nambour!! It made me wonder. When I was of high school age, I was sent to the High School. So, 3 weeks with no child about!  I'll see if i can obtain some more background on that family, though I can't see them being related. Cheers, and thanks, Betty

[majm]

Another thought

I am making an assumption.  Yes, I know …. Drip under Pressure… etc ….

Anyways,  NSW Marriage Act from about 1899 required that the clergy note IF the parents of either the bride or groom were known to be deceased. 

(‘dec’ ‘deceased’ or † as usual markings immediately after the name of each parent). 

I don’t know if that was a requirement in Qld, but IF IT WERE, then I notice from the 1941 Qld mc that it seems that Robert was aware his parents were still alive as they are not recorded on that document as ‘dec’ or ‘deceased’ or †

I will start a quick thread and ask if there’s any Rchatters familiar with the details on Qld marriage certs for 1940 or 1941, and if so, was there a requirement for the bride or groom to confirm if their parents were known to be deceased.  http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=768470.0


JM