Chaplain John Francis Yeldham Hanlin - AIF Headquarters
John Francis Yeldham Hanlin was born in Fremantle WA on the 23rd May 1889 to Robert and Emily Hanlin. He was one of five Hanlin siblings, with, Emily 1890, Robert 1892, Reginald 1895 and Hugh 1897.
It was their Mother Emily's second Marriage, her first husband having died at sea. She was a member of the well known Fremantle Manning family.
Their father Robert was a Clergyman for the Presbyterian Church and the family initially lived at Burdop Cottage at 83 Cantonment Street Fremantle. In the 1900's they were living at 349 High Street (now 247 High Street) from 1903-1906 and then at 338 High Street in 1907 (now renumbered 186 High St) before taking up residence at 83 Victoria Road Fremantle. (later renamed to Queen Victoria Street-original house site now a car yard).
John was educated in Fremantle, then Scotch College and then went to Melbourne University and Ormond College in Carlton Victoria to continue his religious studies. He qualified with Master of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity studies and Diploma of Education.
He then qualified to become a Minister of Religion. During his studies in Victoria, John had served for two years with the Melbourne University Rifles.
A role as a Chaplain in the Australian Imperial Force was much sought after with not many positions available. John then served with the YMCA with the rank of Honorary Second Lieutenant. On the 8th August 1917 he left Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Themistocles and arrived in England in October 1917. He had the next several months working for the YMCA in England but in May 1918 was sent to France where he was attached for the 10th Australian Infantry Brigade. This unit was then in the Villers-Bretonneux sector of France.
It was not until the 9th December 1918 that John was called upon to serve as a Chaplain in the AIF. Even through the war was officially, it would take another two years for all the soldiers to return home from Europe, so there was still religious work to be undertaken.
John was given the role of Chaplain (4th Class) Presbyterian, which was equivalent to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Upon his enlistment, the medical officer recorded John's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 11 inches tall;
Weight - 182lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
On his arrival back in England, John was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny to work as a Presbyterian Minister. John would serve at Sutton Veny for the next several months. On the 1st October 1919 he was granted a period of leave until the 14th November 1919. The following day he boarded the transport ship Ypirnaga and set sail for Australia, reaching Melbourne on the 4th January 1920. He was discharged from the AIF on the 19th January 1920.
He resumed work in Victoria, with the Presbyterian Church in the youth welfare division.
John Hanlin was in England from 1922 to 1925 where he was studying educational psychology.
He was married on the 10th September 1925 to Dorothy Eathorne Walter at the Presbyterian Church in Geelong Victoria, with a son David born in 1928 and Robert 1931.
From late 1925 John was the headmaster of Fairbridge farm School at Pinjarra WA.
John's Mother Emily died in March 1929 in WA. The West Australian Newspaper published an obituary;
John's father Robert Hanlin died on the 9th October 1933.
By the 1930's John Hanlin was now a Minister of Religion in NSW, living at Thornleigh Beecroft Parramatta NSW. He was there through to World War Two when he moved to Manly to take charge of a parish there. He and Dorothy were living at 1 Kangaroo Street Manly.
John was a Minister here through to the 1950's. John died on the 2nd April 1955 in Manly.
