Leslie Hayes ~ 1898 - 1986
married - 1928
Grace Hill ~ 1899 - 1994
Young LesLeslie was born 18 April 1898 in Tooborac. He was the eight child and the fourth son of Edward and Sarah Hayes. As little sister Winifred had died two years before he was born, Les grew with three older sisters and three big brothers. Violet was born two years later to complete the family.
When Les was ten years old, the family moved into their new home, "Mimosa Glen" in 1908. So his teenage years were spent learning all about farming with his father and three big brothers. This arrangement didn't last long. Where did he go to school? In 1909 his brother Edward married but continued to work on the farm for another four years. Then in 1911, his brother Mark married and moved on to his own property. Jack went off to war from 1916 to 1919, returned to the farm, then married in 1923. Jack moved over the road to his own property, "Glenora". So at 25 years of age, Les and his father were the only ones working Mimosa Glen for the next five years. Young GraceGrace Hill was born 7 May 1899 in Ballarat East in country Victoria. Her parents were Colonel Rowland Hill and Catherine Finlayson McKay. Rowland was a Colonel in the Salvation Army. When Grace was born, she had a big brother Rowland who was 3 years old. Two years later a sister Helena joined the Hill family. Allan Mckay followed in 1904, Catherine Mckay in 1910 and John Frances in 1912. So when Grace was thirteen years old, she was the big sister in a family of six siblings. The three sisters are pictured on this page with Helena in Salvation Army uniform. (Helena married Major John Blake of the Salvation Army. Maj. Blake was a chaplain to the RAAF in the Middle East.)
Wedding BellsWhen Les married Grace Hill on 10 March 1928, he took over the property and Edward and Sarah retired to Camberwell. Les & Grace were married at the Thornbury Salvation Army Corps. (Thornbury is a suburb of Melbourne.)
Mimosa GlenHaving taken on Mimosa Glen, Les worked hard to maintain this healthy sheep property. His brother Jack was farming over the road from "Mimosa Glen" at "Glenora". Edward and Mark were sheep farmers but further afield.
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Retired to Hawthorn
Vale Les and GraceLeslie died 27th March 1986 while they were living in Kew. He had had a stroke about 5 years previously.
Grace lived on alone for a further eight years and died in 1994. During this time she moved to a hostel in Burwood Road in Vermont. |