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GRANDFATHER, A WELL KNOWN PIONEER FIGURE IN THE MILDURA AREA WHO PARTICIPATED IN
MANY CIVIC AND BUSINESS VENTURES, INCLUDING OPERATION OF A FLOATING STORE WHICH
SAILED THE MURRAY PROVIDING SETTLERS WITH NEEDED GOODS.
BING WAS THE LAST OWNER OF THE BOWRING STORE IN MILDURA. HE SERVED IN THE NAVY IN
WWII. HE SPENT MUCH OF HIS ADULT LIFE IN NEARBY IRYMPLE WHERE HE HAD CITRUS TREES AND
GRAPES. THE BROCKVILLE (CANADA) CITY FLAG COULD BE SEEN FLYING OVER HIS BARN EVERY DAY.
BOB ELLINGWOOD, THE CONTRIBUTOR OF THIS INFORMATION, STATES: “WHEN I WAS THERE HIS
(BINGS) SON WAS PRESIDENT OF THE MILDURA CLUB. BING HAD BEEN PRESIDENT YEARS BEFORE.
EVERY CHAFFEY FAMILY MALE RELATIVE HAD TO BE PRESIDENT, ACCORDING TO BING, OF THIS CLUB
WHOSE FIRST PRSIDENT WAS WILLIAM BENJJAMIN CHAFFEY.”
NOW RETIRED, BING AND WILMA SPEND MUCH OF THEIR TIME WORKING AT THE AUSTRALIAN
INLAND BOTANICAL GARDENS NEAR BURONGA, NSW, WHICH BING HELPED TO FOUND. THEY ENJOY
TRAVEL AND VISITING FAMILY. 76
WILLIAM CHAFFEY married WILMA JOAN GOLDSWORTHY.
WILMA, BING’S WIFE FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS, IS KNOWN AS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FINEST WOMEN
GOLFERS. SHE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE MELBOURNE WOMENS GOLF CLUB. SHE HAS BEEN AN
INSTRUCTOR, ASSISTING MANY WOMEN TO GET STARTED IN GOLFING. 76
They had the following children:
743 i. MARK COLIN (1953-)
744 ii. GRAHAM LAURENCE (1954-)
745 iii. KIM CHAFFEY (1957-)
746 iv. ANDREW JOHN (1961-)
480. HELEN CHAFFEY BOWRING (EMILY MARION CHAFFEY 6, WILLIAM BENJAMIN 5, GEORGE 4,
BENJAMIN 3, BENJAMIN 2, RICHARD 1). Born in 1927.
HELEN BOWRING GREW UP IN MILDURA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA WHERE SHE HAS LIVED MOST OF
HER LIFE. SHE COMES FROM A STRONG FOUNDING TRADITION SINCE BOTH THE BOWRING AND
CHAFFEY FAMILIES WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MILDURA AND OTHER
MURRAY RIVER COMMUNITIES.
AFTER ATTENDING MILDURA HIGH SCHOOL SHE WENT TO MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY, EARNING A
DEGREE IN ART, FOLLOWED BY A DIPLOMA OF EDUCATION WITH SPECIALTIES IN TEACHING
ENGLISH AND LATIN. SHE RETURNED TO MILDURA TO BEGIN A 33-YEAR TEACHING CAREER AT
MILDURA HIGH SCHOOL. SINCE LATIN WAS NOT OFFERED THERE SHE TAUGHT ENGLISH AT ALL
LEVELS, MATH AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL AND SOME HISTORY.
DURING HER CAREER, AND LATER IN RETIREMENT, HELEN HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN LOCAL AFFAIRS. SHE
WAS AN ENTHUSIASTIC GIRL GUIDE AS A YOUNGSTER AND NOW BELONGS TO THE TREFOIL GUILD
FOR EX-GUIDES AND GUIDERS. SHE ASSISTS WITH VISION AUSTRALIA, AN ORGANIZATION THAT
HELPS PEOPLE WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT, BY READING THE NEWSPAPER OVER A SPECIAL RADIO
STATION. SHE IS ACTIVE WITH NIEGHBORHOOD WATCH, AND SHE FREQUENTLY ATTENDS LOCAL
THEATER AND MUSCAL EVENTS. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE MILDURA HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND
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