Albert Ray (Bill) Stephens

  General Notes:

Electoral Roll: - 1936 - Cardross, Vic - labourer.

Albert Ray (Bill or Billy) Stephens was born March 3rd 1917 at Burwood. He was the 6th son in a family of seven boys and three girls and his parents ran the Post Office.
In 1919 the family moved to a 100 acre farm at Barnes Road, Ruby. The boys all had to help clear the blackberries and milk the cows each morning and night as well as attend school.
When Bill left school he sometimes went with his older brother Jack to work at Mildura picking fruit. One year they worked there digging ditches for drainage pipes as salt was building up and starting to kill the grapevines. This was hot, heavy work and the two brothers decided there must be an easier way to earn a living.
While Jack continued working to earn enough wages to finance them, Bill came back to Ruby and rented 10 acres. He bought two horses and ploughed the land and planted out 5 acres of potatoes and five acres of peas. When he finished harvesting the crops he got a good price for them both.
One of the neighbours in Barnes Road put his property on the market and Bill and Jack put down a deposit and Jack came home to help Bill run the farm.
Bill joined the Army in January 1941 and trained for 3 months with the Light Horse in Melbourne. He went back to the farm until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour.
Bill served in New Guinea and some of the surrounding Islands unloading supplies from ships.
The two brothers concentrated on building up a stud jersey herd. They became well known for their methods of building up the fertility of the farm and the quality of the Stud Herd.
Jack had married in 1940 but Bill remained a bachelor until he met Hazel Sando on a bus trip to Canberra. They married on the 4th May 1957.
A house was built for Hazel and Bill on the farm. The partnership hit a few snags and the two brothers parted ways.
Hazel and Bill bought a farm at Korumburra South. They stayed there for twelve years.
It was while here that they took in a foster child Barry . Hazel and Bill had tried to adopt a child but were told they were too old to do so. Barry was six when he came to live with them and stayed until his education was completed. He has kept in contact with them ever since.
They moved to house in Croydon and Bill worked for Woolworths Bulk Store for three years. He then worked in a Grocery shop at Kilsyth for 6 years until he retired.
Hazel kept herself busy knitting, sewing and being involved with the Church. They both regularly attended each week and Hazel was in the ladies group.
Hazel and Bill moved to a unit at Doncaster.
Hazel died in 2001. Bill continued to live in the unit at Doncaster until 2004. He then moved to a retirement home at Croydon.


Service Record
Name STEPHENS, ALBERT RAY 
Service Australian Army 
Service Number VX104937 (V23501) 
Date of Birth 3 Feb 1916
Place of Birth BURWOOD, VIC 
Date of Enlistment 11 Jul 1942 
Locality on Enlistment RUBY, VIC 
Place of Enlistment TAMWORTH, NSW 
Next of Kin STEPHENS, ELIZABETH 
Date of Discharge 24 Jan 1946
Rank Private 
Posting at Discharge 2/1 AUST PORT OP COY AATNC 
WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display
Prisoner of War No

  Noted events in his life were:

• Birth Certificate: (1379).

Albert married Hazel Rita Sando, daughter of John Thomas Sando and Elizabeth Theobalds, on 4 May 1957 in Melbourne, Victoria Australia. (Hazel Rita Sando was born on 8 Jan 1911 in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, Victoria Australia, died on 9 Feb 2001 in Mitcham, Victoria Australia and was buried on 12 Feb 2001 in Block Eb Beam 24 31, Lilydale Memorial Park, Victoria Australia.)