Cr Robert Frazer

Robert Frazer

Robert Frazer was elected to the Shire of Altona council at the elections held on 24 August 1957. He had contested the earlier election, on 11 May 1957, as part of the independent team, but had been unsuccessful. However, in the four months, since the May election, the campaign run by the Independents was successful and saw Robert elected to the second Shire of Altona council.

Robert Frazer was born on 13 May 1915, in Swan Hill, to parents Robert Patrick Gordon Frazer and Gwynnivere Adriel Frazer (nee Wiltshire) and was the second oldest of six children. Robert spent his early years in Swan Hill but eventually moved to Melbourne where he undertook further studies to qualify as a pharmaceutical chemist, which he completed in 1937. He soon started working in a pharmacy in Brunswick where he was also living.

With the outbreak of World War 2, Robert enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 10 October 1941 at the rank of leading aircraftman, and commenced his training across various bases, in Victoria, including Point Cook. It was also around this time that he had met and married, 25 July 1942, Winifred Evelyn Taylor (1920-2014) and the couple set up home in Lygon Street Carlton. Five months later, Robert found himself embarking from the port of Melbourne destined for the United Kingdom (UK) and being assigned to the Royal Air Force.

During his time in the UK, Robert undertook further training to become a pilot which also saw him move through the ranks of pilot officer, flying officer and finally the rank of flight lieutenant. During his assignment to the Royal Air Force and then his time short time in the Middle East, Robert flew over 747 hours of non-operational flights flying the Airspeed AS.10 Oxford aircraft. This aircraft was mainly employed for training purposes and as a rescue and ambulance aircraft.

Flight Lieutenant Robert Frazer returned to Melbourne on 13 December 1945 and was discharged from service in January 1946. Reunited with his wife, Winifred, the couple moved from Carlton to the Western suburb of Altona where Robert established a pharmacy at 65 Pier Street and emersed himself into his new community. He soon became a member of organisations such as the Altona Charities Appeal, Altona Car Club, Altona Yacht Club, Altona Ratepayers Association, Williamstown (Kooringal) Golf Club and the Vice President of the Altona Boy Scouts.

In the mid 1950’s, Robert joined the committee of the Altona District Hospital on which he served for over seven years including two terms as its President. In August 1957, standing alongside Catherine McIntyre and Reginald Watson, as independent candidates, Robert won a place of the Shire of Altona council where he served for the next three years. He retired from council on 27 August 1960 and returned to his pharmacy practice and continued serving on the hospital committee.

Around 1963, Robert and Winifred sold their business and packed up to move to the rural town of Peechalba, near Wangaratta. Here they became graziers, enjoying the farming life that Robert may have experienced as a boy in Swan Hill. They did return to live in Melbourne about four years later, settling into the Inner eastern suburb of Kew.

By this time, Robert and Winifred’s daughter, Kathleen, had moved to Molyullah as a primary school teacher. On 2 September 1972, whilst on one of their visits to see their daughter, Robert was involved in a fatal car accident, and he passed away at the scene. Robert is interred within the Fawkner Memorial Park, aged 57. He was survived by his wife, Winifred, and their three daughters Carolyn, Kathleen, and Anne. Winifred Evelyn Frazer passed away 17 January 2014, aged 93 and was interred alongside her husband.