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Trevor Donald Oldham & Kathleen McLeod OldhamPrint Page 
27-June-2017
Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown
Tree planted in memory of politician Trevor Donald Oldham and his wife Kathleen who died in the Comet air crash in India in 1953 while travelling on State business.
Mr & Mrs Oldham were travelling to London to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11. The BOAC Comet crashed near the village of Jangipara a few minutes after leaving Calcutta. At the time a 60 mph dust storm and torrential rain were sweeping the area. Indian authorities arranged a communal burial of all victims of the Comet air crash in Calcutta. A memorial service was held at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral on 6 May 1953.
Trevor Donald Oldham (10 March 1900 – 2 May 1953) was an Australian politician, who was the leader of the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria from 1952 until his death in 1953. Oldham entered Parliament in 1933 as a member of the United Australia Party, he won the seat of Boroondara and held it until the seat was divided in 1945. When the UAP was reformed as the Liberal Party in 1945 Oldham won the seat of Malvern. Oldham served as Attorney General in Thomas Holloway`s first government in 1947, and he also served as Deputy Premier of Victoria for 8 months before the Liberals lost office to a Country Party and Australian Labour Party alliance in 1950.
More than 50 people, including several members of Parliament and local civic leaders, watched the mayor of Malvern (Cr. J. Wilson) plant a tree at Malvern gardens in memory of the late Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Oldham. While en route to the Coronation, Mr. and Mrs. Oldham were killed on May 2 last year when the Comet jet airliner, in which they were travelling, crashed in India. Mr. Oldham was M.L.A. for Malvern for 20 years up to the time of his death and was to have attended the Coronation officially as Leader of the State Opposition. Before planting the tree, Cr. Wilson said Mr. Oldham had devoted all his efforts to aiding the people of Malvern during his political life. He had done much to aid the development of a higher standard of citizenship. Mr. J. S. Bloomfield, M.L.A., who succeeded Mr. Oldham as member for Malvern, said in all his efforts Mr. Oldham had been aided by his wife. The planting of the tree in the Malvern gardens was Malvern's tribute to the Oldhams, he said.
Age (Melbourne), 18 October 1954.
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Mr & Mrs Oldham were travelling to London to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11. The BOAC Comet crashed near the village of Jangipara a few minutes after leaving Calcutta. At the time a 60 mph dust storm and torrential rain were sweeping the area. Indian authorities arranged a communal burial of all victims of the Comet air crash in Calcutta. A memorial service was held at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral on 6 May 1953.
Trevor Donald Oldham (10 March 1900 – 2 May 1953) was an Australian politician, who was the leader of the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria from 1952 until his death in 1953. Oldham entered Parliament in 1933 as a member of the United Australia Party, he won the seat of Boroondara and held it until the seat was divided in 1945. When the UAP was reformed as the Liberal Party in 1945 Oldham won the seat of Malvern. Oldham served as Attorney General in Thomas Holloway`s first government in 1947, and he also served as Deputy Premier of Victoria for 8 months before the Liberals lost office to a Country Party and Australian Labour Party alliance in 1950.
More than 50 people, including several members of Parliament and local civic leaders, watched the mayor of Malvern (Cr. J. Wilson) plant a tree at Malvern gardens in memory of the late Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Oldham. While en route to the Coronation, Mr. and Mrs. Oldham were killed on May 2 last year when the Comet jet airliner, in which they were travelling, crashed in India. Mr. Oldham was M.L.A. for Malvern for 20 years up to the time of his death and was to have attended the Coronation officially as Leader of the State Opposition. Before planting the tree, Cr. Wilson said Mr. Oldham had devoted all his efforts to aiding the people of Malvern during his political life. He had done much to aid the development of a higher standard of citizenship. Mr. J. S. Bloomfield, M.L.A., who succeeded Mr. Oldham as member for Malvern, said in all his efforts Mr. Oldham had been aided by his wife. The planting of the tree in the Malvern gardens was Malvern's tribute to the Oldhams, he said.
Age (Melbourne), 18 October 1954.
Location
| Address: | High Street (between Spring Road & Park Street), Malvern Public Gardens, Malvern, 3144 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.857187 Long: 145.035252 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Tree |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Tragedy |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 17th October, 1954 |
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Front Inscription
Plaque:
THIS TREE WAS PLANTED IN MEMORY OF THE LATE
TREVOR DONALD OLDHAM
MEMBER FOR BOROONDARA, AND MALVERN IN THE
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF VICTORIA
FROM 29th APRIL, 1933 TO 2ND MAY, 1953.
AND HIS WIFE
KATHLEEN McLEOD OLDHAM
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
IN INDIA ON 2nd MAY, 1953, WHILST ON STATE BUSINESS.
Planted By W.WILSON
MAYOR 17 ·10 · 1954
Source: MAPlaque:
THIS TREE WAS PLANTED IN MEMORY OF THE LATE
TREVOR DONALD OLDHAM
MEMBER FOR BOROONDARA, AND MALVERN IN THE
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF VICTORIA
FROM 29th APRIL, 1933 TO 2ND MAY, 1953.
AND HIS WIFE
KATHLEEN McLEOD OLDHAM
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
IN INDIA ON 2nd MAY, 1953, WHILST ON STATE BUSINESS.
Planted By W.WILSON
MAYOR 17 ·10 · 1954
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au
