Owen Family
Robert Owen, the first member of the Owen family to arrive in Australia was born at Tynemouth, Northumberland on 8 September 1799, the second son of Robert Owen (a sea captain) and Sarah Hall. Robert was admitted as an attorney on 20 April 1820 . On the 14 February 1824 he married Jessie Threipland, the daughter of Lord Moncrieff (legal) of Fingask Castle, Perth, and had three sons and one daughter.
About 1840 Robert Owen and his two sons, Percy and Robert Hall Owen, arrived in Melbourne in the family’s small schooner. By June 1842 Robert was in Sydney and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. In 1841 he had purchased a property at Jamberoo known as ‘Sarah’s Valley’, which had been a grant to Michael Hyam. The property was of 1280 acres (about 150 acres cleared) and included an inn, store, tannery, farmhouse and other buildings. A school and church were almost completed. Owen subdivided this land which became the town of Jamberoo. Over the next few years Robert Owen purchased many more land holdings in the Illawarra and elsewhere, and as a squattor occupied two Murrumbidgee properties, ‘Coppacumbalong’ and ‘Lanyon’, each of 16,000 acres.
In 1859 Robert Owen was the first and only solicitor appointed a District Court judge and chairman of Quarter Sessions, but only two years later resigned from the bench. He was also appointed to the Legislative Council as a government representative and gained a seat on John Robertson’s ministry. Although Robert spent a lot of time in Sydney, his home was situated in Market Square, Wollongong. Also living in Market Square was Percy, his eldest son. From Percy’s Market Square residence the Illawarra College, a school for training boys in commercial occupations was operated. On 25 November 1878 Robert Owen died at 88 Elizabeth Street, Sydney and was buried at Rookwood Cemetery.
Percy, the elder of Robert Owen’s sons who had travelled to Australia with him, married Eleanor Martha Haylock, the daughter of Dr Thomas Busick Haylock of Penrith, in 1859. Percy Owen, a colonel in the volunteer artillery, was the first of a number of members of the family to become involved in military activities. Following Percy Owen were his two eldest sons, Robert Haylock Owen (born 7 January 1862) and Percy Thomas Owen (born 16 September 1864), both of whom were born and raised in Wollongong.
See Robert Owen 1799-1878 for more information.
Robert Haylock Owen (son of Percy Owen)
1881 joined New South Wales Volunteer Artillery as lieutenant.
1885 member of New South Wales Contigent to the Sudan (Infantry)
28.04.1886 commissioned in the Prince of Wales Volunteers, 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment. Stationed in Natal.
07.02.1890 marries Hilda Grace Rowell in London.
18.11.1890 A son, Percy Irvine Haylock Owen born at Gibralter
1900 appointed chief staff officer of the New Zealand Local Forces. Recruited, equipped and dispatched New Zealand contingents to the Boer War
Oct 1902 promoted to Major, but resigned from British Army at the end of that year. Continued to serve in New Zealand Militia as Lieut.-Colonel.
c1907 returned to Australia and was living in retirement in Wollongong at the outbreak of WWI
20.08.1914 Lt.-Col. Robert Haylock Owen appointed commander of 3rd Battalion AIF
15.05.1915-20.05.1915 temporary commander Ist Infantry Brigade
22.06.1915 wounded at Gallipoli
Feb 1917 appointed as temporary director of military training at Duntroon
May 1917 chief instructor of Officers’ Training School Duntroon
April 1918 appointed honorary commissioner under the Repatriation Act.
1921 posted to reserve of officers and went to live near Bristol in England with wife and daughter.
05.04.1927 died of cerebro-vascular disease at Barnstaple, Devon.
Percy Thomas Owen 1865-1936 (son of Percy Owen)
1881 matriculates to University of Sydney
1884-86 served as an officer in the New South Wales Volunteer Artillery
1884-88 serves pupilage at Mort’s Dock & Engineering works, studying mechanical and civil engineering. Feb
1889 re-enlists in New South Wales Volunteer Artillery when appointed resident engineer for military works in NSW southern division.
1890 promoted to assistant engineer and took charge of defence works under construction in Wollongong.
10.02.1897 married Florence Hilda Flood at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Darling Point.
late 1899 appointed special services officer in the Boer War.
Jan 1900 sailed for South Africa, serving briefly as staff officer to Major General (Sir) Edward Hutton.
Apr 1900 appointed staff officer, Royal Engineers, at Kimberley but fell sick and was invalided to England.
Sep 1900 resumed his former position in Sydney.
Percy Irvine Haylock Owen (son of Robert Haylock Owen)
13.10.1915 enlists AIF
25.07.1916 promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
03.11.1916 embarked Sydney on transport HMAT A19 Afric with 53rd Battalion,7th reinforcements. Was later transferred to his father’s old battalion, the 3rd.
22.09.1917 killed in action, Polygon Wood
Evelyn Owen – creator of the Owen Gun (son of Ernest William Owen and nephew of Robert Haylock Owen and Percy Thomas Owen)
15.05.1915 born Wollongong to Ernest and Constance (McMillan) Owen.
25.05.1940 enlists AIF 2/17 Inf. Btn.
25.06.1941 discharged AIF as required for employment in a reserved occupation.
01.04.1949 Death of Evelyn Owen
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