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1995; she was 79.
They had the following children:
732 i. ELIZABETH HELEN ROLPH (1946-)
733 ii. ANTONIA MARGARET (1948-)
734 iii. ROSE (1950-)
735 iv. PHILIPPA (1951-)
477. NAIDA BONITA CHAFFEY (WILLIAM HERBERT 6, WILLIAM BENJAMIN 5, GEORGE 4, BENJAMIN 3,
BENJAMIN 2, RICHARD 1). Born in 1919 in MILDURA, AUSTRALIA.
FOR OVER 30 YEARS, BONITA HAS BEEN COLLECTING AND SYNTHESIZING INFORMATION ON THE
CHAFFEY FAMILY. SHE HAS LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS FROM PEOPLE IN NUMEROUS COUNTRIES OF
THE WORLD. SHE COULD BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FAMILY’S MOST ACCOMPLISHED
HISTORIANS.
BONITA GREW UP IN MERBEIN, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, CLOSE TO MILDURA. IN A SEPTEMBER 29,
1987, INTERVIEW PUBLISHED IN THE SUNRAYSIA DAILY, SHE DESCRIBES THE FOLLOWING
RECOLLETIONS THAT DEPICT LIFE IN HER AREA AT THAT TIME:
1. TRAVELING FROM MERBEIN TO MILDURA ONCE A WEEK TO SHOP WAS DONE IN A HORSE AND
BUGGY.
2. VISITS TO HER GRANDFATHER, W.B. CHAFFEY AT HIS ELEGANT RIO VISTA HOME (NOW A
MUSEUM)WERE KEPT SHORT BECAUSE BONITA AND HER BROTHERS WERE LIKELY TO RACE UP AND
DOWN THE STAIRS AND SLIDE ON THE BANNISTERS. THIS WAS ALWAYS AN INVITATION TO GO
OUTSIDE.
3. MEAT, PRODUCE, AND ICE FOR THE ICE-BOX WERE DELIVERED BY THE VENDORS WAGONS TO
THEIR DOOR SINCE THEY LIVED QUITE A DISTANCE FROM THE SHOPS. BREAD, BUTTER AND CHEESE
WERE MADE AT HOME WHERE COOKING WAS DONE ON A WOOD STOVE. THERE WAS NO
ELECTRICITY.
4. THERE WERE ELEGANT PARTIES GIVEN BY HER MOTHER THAT FEATURED FINE CLOTHING,
ENTERTAINMENT AND FOOD. THIS WAS IN CONTRAST TO FREQUENT PICNICS ON THE RIVERBANK,
FOOD SET AWAY FROM THE ANTS, A FIRE LIT AND THE BILLY BOILED FOR TEA. THERE WOULD BE
SINGING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AFTER DINNER.
5. WOMEN WORKED ALONG SIDE THEIR HUSBANDS. THE CHILDREN HELPED AS THEY COULD WITH
THE TASK OF MAKING A LIVING. THERE WERE NO LINES DRAWN BETWEEN WHAT MEN AND WOMEN
COULD DO. EVERYBODY HAD TO PULL TOGETHER TO BUILD A LIFE IN A PIONEER TOWN.
IN PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE, BONITA STATES THAT SHE ATTENDED MERBEIN PRIMARY
SCHOOL, MILDURA HIGH SCHOOL, AND CLYDE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL, AN EXCLUSIVE ACADEMY
POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF MT. MACEDON, VICTORIA.
DURING WWII BONITA WAS LIVING AND WORKING IN ADELAIDE: ARMY WORK IN CONNECTION WITH
MUNITIONS. ON A VISIT HOME TO MERBEIN SHE MET HER HUSBAND- TO- BE WHO WAS A GUEST IN
HER MOTHER’S HOME AT THE TIME. VERNON HAD BEEN ASKED TO TAKE OVER THE PARISH OF
WENTWORTH NSW AND MERBEIN. BEING A BACHELOR, HE WAS FREQUENTLY INVITED FOR DINNER
AT BONITA’S PARENTS HOME.
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