Rosewood History
Private Eric Arthur Edgeworth
QX52385
© Jane Schy 2025
Eric Arthur Edgeworth, known as “Tup”, was was born in Oakey 6th July 1916. His parents, John and Mary Eleanor Edgeworth née Stafford were farmers at Devon Park near Oakey, Queensland. The family moved to Edward Street, Rosewood in 1917 and John Edgeworth found work at Lanefield Colliery.
Eric was educated at Rosewood State School and in 1929 he enrolled at the Marburg Rural School where he learned leather work, as did his older brother Francis Jack 
aka “Bob.” Bob was a bootmaker in Rosewood from 1931 until he went to work in the mines in the 1960’s.
Eric’s occupation is given as “timber worker” in the electoral rolls from 1937. However, Eric soon set up business as a bootmaker and shoe repairer.
In 1941 he was Assistant Scout Master in the 3rd Rosewood Boy Scout Troop. David Elder was the Group Scout Master.
Eric decided to enlist for service in WW2. He signed the Oath of Enlistment on 16th March 1942 at Rosewood. He joined the 57-60th Australian Infantry Battalion in the (AASC) Australian Army Service Corps section. The AASC was responsible for the acquisition, storage, and distribution of essential supplies as well as transporting troops and delivering mail. They were often referred to as the “army’s grocers”.
He was 25 years 8 months old and his normal occupation/trade was stated as Boot Repairer and Shoe Salesman. His was single and lived in Albert Street, Rosewood. He had 2 years 14 days prior service in 15 Battalion (Militia), from which he was discharged because he had a reserved occupation. His religion was Congregational. Eric’s physical description stated that he had a fair complexion, was 5ft 5½ ins tall, had brown hair, brown eyes, and he had a scar on his shin.
His service records gives the following information:
- 16th April 1942 – At camp at Wolloongabba.
- 13th May – Classified as Act Boot Repairer T.G.111
- 25th June – Eric contracted measles and was sent to Camp Hospital at Enoggera, returning 4 days later.
14th August – Transferred to (AAOC) Australian Army Ordinance Corps’ training depot. - 21st September – Sent to cooking school at Fraser’s Park, Brisbane until 10th October. Classified as Cook T.G.11
- 16th October – Marched out to to Duty 1 Dock’s Central.
- 17th October – Transferred from (AAOC) training depot to 4 Australian Docks Central Detachment (Q. LOC) at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds.
- 4th November – Marched in from 4 Australian Docks Control Depot.
- 25th January 1943 – Marched out. Transferred from 4 Australian Docks to 57/60th Australian Infantry Battalion. (Q. LOC)
- 10th March 1943 – Eric embarked per H. T. “Katoomba” and disembarked at Port Moresby 5 days later.
- 1st May – Transferred to A.I.F and allocated a new Army No.
- 2nd May – Eric was sent to Divisional Cooking School and graded as General Class 2 Cook on 11th May.
- 30th May – Transferred from AASC to AACC (Australian Army Catering Corps)
- 23rd November – Eric was sent to a Visual Film Projection Course for 4 days, which he passed. He rejoined his unit on 27th.
- 10th January 1944 – Detached to 186 Supply Depot Platoon.
Eric was sent to Dumpu, a village in the upper Ramu Valley of the Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. After an action by Australian soldiers against the Japanese throughout September, the Dumpu area was occupied by the Australian Army without opposition on 4th October 1943. The village became the divisional headquarters of the Australian 11th Division. In April, patrols from the 57/60th Battalion pushed on after the Japanese as they retreated. They met troops of the 30th Battalion, moving west along the coast by landing barge, east of Madang. The combined force captured a now deserted Madang, completing the capture of the Huon Peninsula.
A War Cemetery was established at Dumpu for the Australian Army war dead. It was dedicated at a ceremony on 6th February 1944.
Rosewood is seen removing from a field oven some of the 12,000 bread rolls turned out daily by bakers of one unit. Dept. of Information.
- 26th July 1944 – Eric embarked per “Katoomba” at Madang and disembarked at Townsville on 30th.
- 10th November – His medical classification was assessed as “2” Constitutional (P).
- 18th November – Marched out to Qld LOC Area for two months leave without pay (from 23/11/44) and transferred to “X” List.
- 27th December – Eric was discharged at the Qld. LOC. Area i.e. the Exhibition Grounds in Brisbane. Reason for discharge: AMR & O 253A (1) (H). Demobilisation.
- Total service: 956 days. 447 active in Australia and 509 on active duty overseas.
After he returned home to Rosewood in 1945, Eric worked for local saddler, Charles Kildentoft. Eric was elected as secretary of the Memorial Hall Committee in 1945 and was a member of the P.A.F.S.O.A.
From 1947 he was Secretary of the Rosewood Sub-Branch R.S.S.A.I.L.A., and he held the position until 1953 when Ken Clare was elected. Eric was then appointed as a delegate to the Moreton District Council. Eric always read the names of the fallen at Anzac Day services.
On 25th July 1949, a branch of the Country Party was formed in Rosewood and officers were elected: Chairman, Mr. E. A. Edgeworth; secretary and treasurer, Mr. J. A. Loveday. Committee: the Chairman, the Secretary, Messrs. L. P. McKee, P. Brown, W. A. Brown, A. J. Loveday, H. M. A. Grant, and G. McGeary. Delegates: Messrs. J. A. Loveday and E. A. Edgeworth.
Eric married Ivy Kate Batzloff at 2p.m. on 25th March 1950, at the Central Congregational Church in Ipswich and they made their home at 42 Albert Street. Eric and Ivy had 3 children.
Discussion about the erection of a memorial hall in Rosewood started in 1945 and in 1951 it was time to take more decisive action. In order to obtain particulars of various memorial halls in other centres, particularly the memorial hall at Tweed Heads. N.S.W, a delegation from the Rosewood R.S.S.A.I.L.A. Sub-branch travelled to inspect the Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Memorial Hall. Messrs. J. Bodman, E. A. Edgeworth, R. H. Kerle, and C. H. Fogg were the members who reported back to a meeting in June. They said that they were impressed with the possibilities of a similar hall being erected in Rosewood, but thought a slightly larger hall could be built for approximately £3000. It was decided to proceed with plans for the erection of a similar but slightly larger hall for Rosewood. (The Rosewood Memorial Hall was opened 4 years later.)
Eric was also elected to the committee for the Coronation celebrations in Rosewood in 1953. He was working as a Pay Clerk at Rosemount Colliery in the 1960’s.
Eric Edgeworth, Tup, died in 1973. His ashes are interred in the Rosewood Uniting Church Columbarium Wall with Ivy’s ashes. Ivy passed in 2004.
Here are some photos taken in Dampu 20/04/1944. from the Australian War Memorial. Click on a photo and then click on 
to see the caption.
