Enjoy Andrew's photos. Over the years he has build up a reputation of being
patient, observing and nature caring photographer
(In answer to questions ,Andrew uses a Olympus E300 DSLR)
It is with great pleasure that the website has the opportunity to introduce Irene Bould’s history.
Irene is regarded by many Islanders as the Matriarch of our Island and when you read her story, as written by her son Andrew, it is not surprising.
Take a few moments to read about Irene, her family, a story so inherently part of our Island's history .
We trust that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed recording .
Irene is regarded by many Islanders as the Matriarch of our Island and when you read her story, as written by her son Andrew, it is not surprising.
Take a few moments to read about Irene, her family, a story so inherently part of our Island's history .
We trust that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed recording .
Irene Bould
A fantastic milestone was achieved on Raymond Island when long-time resident, Mrs Irene Bould celebrated her 80th birthday with an afternoon tea at the Raymond Island Community Hall over 150 guest attended.
Irene is the youngest daughter of Frederick and Annie Haylock whose family farmed a property at Gravelly Point on Raymond Island, later moving to a house in the township in Eighth Avenue.
The Haylock property is one of the remaining rural properties on Raymond Island that has been in the same family since before the turn of the century in 1900.
Daniel and Elizabeth Haylock, Irene’s grandparents took up land on Raymond Island late in 1890 at Gravelly Point with their sons, Frederick and Thomas and daughter Edie.
Both Fred and Tom joined up for the First World War with Tom being one of the 13 Paynesville men who died in the war when he was killed at Gallipoli in 1915.
His name is honoured on war service rolls at the RSL and on the cypress pine carving feature near the Craft Centre in Paynesville.
Fred married Grace Robinson from Raymond Island who died 3 months after being married. He then remarried an English lady, Elizabeth Hammond he met during the war, having a son, Frederick jnr.
She died having their second child who also didn’t survive.
In 1922, Fred again remarried another English lady, Annie Pearson who also had a daughter Edie.
Son Dan was born in 1925, Dot in 1927 and Irene was born in Bairnsdale on the 25th February 1930.
Irene grew up on the Haylock family property at Gravelly Point just missing out on going to the Island School when it finally closed in 1934.
She attended the Paynesville Primary School which involved a trip from the farm to the ferry boat on horseback, spring cart or bicycle, then crossing McMillan Strait by ferry boat and then a short walk to school.
Irene was at Primary school when war broke out in 1939 and her older brother Fred jnr enlisted.
Irene’s secondary education was at the Bairnsdale High School in Dalmahoy Street to where a bus service from Paynesville was provided.
Irene joined the Volunteer Air Observers Corp and spent time rostered on duty observing from the spotting tower located in Paynesville.
After completing her secondary education, Irene became a student teacher, teaching locally at Lucknow and as temporary head teacher at Combienbar before completing a Teacher’s Certificate at the Melbourne Teachers College in 1949.
In the same year, residents of Raymond Island formed a new community group called the Raymond Island Advancement League of which Irene was a foundation member.
Irene applied for several schools before commencing her teaching career at Poowong, Combienbar, Sandy Creek and Kiewa Consolidated School and then Hazelwood North.
Irene’s brother, Fred jnr died unexpectedly in 1950 at a young age of 32 leaving a widow Betty and two children.
Sadly, in 1954 Irene’s father Fred died and was buried at Paynesville.
Having met local farmer, George Bould, in the North East, they were engaged in 1955 and married in March 1956 at Paynesville Methodist Church, taking up sharefarmer positions in Gundowering Nth and working at Rutherglen Research Farm.
Eldest son Kelvin was born in 1957 at old Tallangatta, twin daughters Dianne and Lynette at Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne and youngest son Andrew in 1960 at Rutherglen.
They moved to a share farm in 1962 in the Tallangatta Valley.
In 1964 the Bould family moved to Raymond Island, later purchasing the homestead of the Ray family at 109 Western Boulevard.
George took up work assisting Fred Barton with erecting erosion protection at Sperm Whale Head and then with the Shire of Bairnsdale including ferry operator on the old punt and was first to drive the new ferry in 1969.
He also joined the local Paynesville Fire Brigade competing in competitions and assisting with Island fire management and suppression.
Irene, after raising the family returned to teaching in 1970 with a position at Paynesville Primary School where she taught until retirement in 1989 after 29 years of teaching in total.
In the late 1960’s George built an extension to the family home as well as relocating a house on the Island for his mother who had moved from the Northeast.
1972 the old house was towed out back and Turner & Southon extended the house to provide the three main bedrooms, bathroom and laundry.
George resigned from the shire position to take on a furniture removal business, Bairnsdale Van Lines and would leave the truck parked over at Paynesville near the slip-yard and come home by boat.
The ferry timetable stopped at 6pm with no late night service so all the children would row, or in later years motor over and back to Paynesville to attend Scouts, Guides, sports, part time work and in Irene’s instance, night school.
In 1978 George got work with St Anne’s and Gippsland Grammar School at Sale, driving the school bus daily from Paynesville to Sale and working with Gordon Kyle and Ernie Boyce at the Grammar School.
Kelvin held his 21st in 1978 in June just when the floods raised the lake level significantly with Dianne and Lynette celebrating their 21st in 1979.
The push for a fire tanker on the Island took momentum in 1977 and Irene along with several other Island ladies formed a fund raising group for the Island unit, later joining the Paynesville Fire Brigade Auxiliary.
Kelvin got an apprenticeship with the Forests Commission at Orbost, Lyn got a position with the National Bank and Dianne went to Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education to complete a diploma in Education.
Andrew became an apprentice shipwright and boat builder at the Paynesville Slip yard, and after injuring his back returned to secondary school and then to GIAE and Chisholm to graduate as a Civil Engineer.
Kelvin married Island girl Judy Gray in 1982 and have a son Nicholas (Nick) who was born in 1985.
Irene’s mother Annie celebrated her 90th birthday in 1983 and passed away the following year at age 91.
Irene continued teaching at Paynesville until retiring in 1989 after accumulating nearly 30 years of teaching service.
In 1990 Dianne married Bruce Scott who grew up on a farm at Lakes Entrance and was working with Telstra at Sale.
George and Irene were very proud parents as they joined with Dianne for a horse drawn carriage ride from home to St Peter’s Church.
In 1991, George’s mother Fannie passed away after 8 years in the Geriatric Centre in Bairnsdale and was buried with her husband Walter at Albury.
Daniel Scott was born at Sale in July 1991, and was the second grandchild for Irene and George.
Sadly, in January 1992, after a very short retirement, George passed away suddenly from a heart attack whilst carting hay for his beloved Galloway Hereford herd.
His service was held at St Barnabas Chapel which he had helped relocate from Bundalaguah in 1990 and at which Irene attended many church services.
The third grandchild, Robert George Scott was born in 1992 at Sale.
Irene’s only grand-daughter, Erin Bould was born to Lyn in 1994 at Bairnsdale.
Kelvin remarried to Val Thomas and lived in East Bairnsdale.
Val sadly developed cancer and died in 2001.
After the merge of RIAL and the RI Protection Committee in 2003, Irene and Andrew were both made Honorary Life Members of the Raymond Island Community Association.
Although these days, Irene would rather be at home with Missy the cat than at another meeting.
Kelvin remarried to Oilin and they have just had built a new home on a 5 acre block at Calulu.
Irene is also a very talented artist and has completed some very life-like animal portraits, lake scenes and floral works.
She now has a one acre block and a jetty berth with Chugga, a 22 foot timber boat.
Thanks to the new owners of the farm block, Ian and Andrene Richardson, it is still the home of our horse, Lady, who is 34 years old. Irene celebrated her 80th birthday last Thursday.
Irene is the youngest daughter of Frederick and Annie Haylock whose family farmed a property at Gravelly Point on Raymond Island, later moving to a house in the township in Eighth Avenue.
The Haylock property is one of the remaining rural properties on Raymond Island that has been in the same family since before the turn of the century in 1900.
Daniel and Elizabeth Haylock, Irene’s grandparents took up land on Raymond Island late in 1890 at Gravelly Point with their sons, Frederick and Thomas and daughter Edie.
Both Fred and Tom joined up for the First World War with Tom being one of the 13 Paynesville men who died in the war when he was killed at Gallipoli in 1915.
His name is honoured on war service rolls at the RSL and on the cypress pine carving feature near the Craft Centre in Paynesville.
Fred married Grace Robinson from Raymond Island who died 3 months after being married. He then remarried an English lady, Elizabeth Hammond he met during the war, having a son, Frederick jnr.
She died having their second child who also didn’t survive.
In 1922, Fred again remarried another English lady, Annie Pearson who also had a daughter Edie.
Son Dan was born in 1925, Dot in 1927 and Irene was born in Bairnsdale on the 25th February 1930.
Irene grew up on the Haylock family property at Gravelly Point just missing out on going to the Island School when it finally closed in 1934.
She attended the Paynesville Primary School which involved a trip from the farm to the ferry boat on horseback, spring cart or bicycle, then crossing McMillan Strait by ferry boat and then a short walk to school.
Irene was at Primary school when war broke out in 1939 and her older brother Fred jnr enlisted.
Irene’s secondary education was at the Bairnsdale High School in Dalmahoy Street to where a bus service from Paynesville was provided.
Irene joined the Volunteer Air Observers Corp and spent time rostered on duty observing from the spotting tower located in Paynesville.
After completing her secondary education, Irene became a student teacher, teaching locally at Lucknow and as temporary head teacher at Combienbar before completing a Teacher’s Certificate at the Melbourne Teachers College in 1949.
In the same year, residents of Raymond Island formed a new community group called the Raymond Island Advancement League of which Irene was a foundation member.
Irene applied for several schools before commencing her teaching career at Poowong, Combienbar, Sandy Creek and Kiewa Consolidated School and then Hazelwood North.
Irene’s brother, Fred jnr died unexpectedly in 1950 at a young age of 32 leaving a widow Betty and two children.
Sadly, in 1954 Irene’s father Fred died and was buried at Paynesville.
Having met local farmer, George Bould, in the North East, they were engaged in 1955 and married in March 1956 at Paynesville Methodist Church, taking up sharefarmer positions in Gundowering Nth and working at Rutherglen Research Farm.
Eldest son Kelvin was born in 1957 at old Tallangatta, twin daughters Dianne and Lynette at Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne and youngest son Andrew in 1960 at Rutherglen.
They moved to a share farm in 1962 in the Tallangatta Valley.
In 1964 the Bould family moved to Raymond Island, later purchasing the homestead of the Ray family at 109 Western Boulevard.
George took up work assisting Fred Barton with erecting erosion protection at Sperm Whale Head and then with the Shire of Bairnsdale including ferry operator on the old punt and was first to drive the new ferry in 1969.
He also joined the local Paynesville Fire Brigade competing in competitions and assisting with Island fire management and suppression.
Irene, after raising the family returned to teaching in 1970 with a position at Paynesville Primary School where she taught until retirement in 1989 after 29 years of teaching in total.
In the late 1960’s George built an extension to the family home as well as relocating a house on the Island for his mother who had moved from the Northeast.
1972 the old house was towed out back and Turner & Southon extended the house to provide the three main bedrooms, bathroom and laundry.
George resigned from the shire position to take on a furniture removal business, Bairnsdale Van Lines and would leave the truck parked over at Paynesville near the slip-yard and come home by boat.
The ferry timetable stopped at 6pm with no late night service so all the children would row, or in later years motor over and back to Paynesville to attend Scouts, Guides, sports, part time work and in Irene’s instance, night school.
In 1978 George got work with St Anne’s and Gippsland Grammar School at Sale, driving the school bus daily from Paynesville to Sale and working with Gordon Kyle and Ernie Boyce at the Grammar School.
Kelvin held his 21st in 1978 in June just when the floods raised the lake level significantly with Dianne and Lynette celebrating their 21st in 1979.
The push for a fire tanker on the Island took momentum in 1977 and Irene along with several other Island ladies formed a fund raising group for the Island unit, later joining the Paynesville Fire Brigade Auxiliary.
Kelvin got an apprenticeship with the Forests Commission at Orbost, Lyn got a position with the National Bank and Dianne went to Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education to complete a diploma in Education.
Andrew became an apprentice shipwright and boat builder at the Paynesville Slip yard, and after injuring his back returned to secondary school and then to GIAE and Chisholm to graduate as a Civil Engineer.
Kelvin married Island girl Judy Gray in 1982 and have a son Nicholas (Nick) who was born in 1985.
Irene’s mother Annie celebrated her 90th birthday in 1983 and passed away the following year at age 91.
Irene continued teaching at Paynesville until retiring in 1989 after accumulating nearly 30 years of teaching service.
In 1990 Dianne married Bruce Scott who grew up on a farm at Lakes Entrance and was working with Telstra at Sale.
George and Irene were very proud parents as they joined with Dianne for a horse drawn carriage ride from home to St Peter’s Church.
In 1991, George’s mother Fannie passed away after 8 years in the Geriatric Centre in Bairnsdale and was buried with her husband Walter at Albury.
Daniel Scott was born at Sale in July 1991, and was the second grandchild for Irene and George.
Sadly, in January 1992, after a very short retirement, George passed away suddenly from a heart attack whilst carting hay for his beloved Galloway Hereford herd.
His service was held at St Barnabas Chapel which he had helped relocate from Bundalaguah in 1990 and at which Irene attended many church services.
The third grandchild, Robert George Scott was born in 1992 at Sale.
Irene’s only grand-daughter, Erin Bould was born to Lyn in 1994 at Bairnsdale.
Kelvin remarried to Val Thomas and lived in East Bairnsdale.
Val sadly developed cancer and died in 2001.
After the merge of RIAL and the RI Protection Committee in 2003, Irene and Andrew were both made Honorary Life Members of the Raymond Island Community Association.
Although these days, Irene would rather be at home with Missy the cat than at another meeting.
Kelvin remarried to Oilin and they have just had built a new home on a 5 acre block at Calulu.
Irene is also a very talented artist and has completed some very life-like animal portraits, lake scenes and floral works.
She now has a one acre block and a jetty berth with Chugga, a 22 foot timber boat.
Thanks to the new owners of the farm block, Ian and Andrene Richardson, it is still the home of our horse, Lady, who is 34 years old. Irene celebrated her 80th birthday last Thursday.
Return to Irene’s story Click here
Irene's 80th Birthday Click here
More of Andrew's photos Click here
Island Identities
BENTLEY Bill and Pat
BEESLEY Midge
BOULD Irene
BENNAN Mark
CHAFF-BAG Charlie
COULTER Marj & Keith
DARROCH Lee
EVANS Georgina
FISHER John & Rhondda
FOREMAN Peter
FRECHEVILLE James
GREENAWAY Darren & Susan
HAMILTON David & Judy
HOLBROOK Jack & Cathy
HUGHES Stuart
KENNER Phil
LANGLEY Iris
MANUELL Peter
MARSDEN David & Merle
MARSDEN Dennis & Carol
MARTIN John & Judy
MASKIELL Ron
MOTHERSOLE David & Jo
MEDWIN Bowling Club
MOORE/ McCOLL Kay & Don
MUELLER Willi & Inge
MOUNTAIN Carol
RUTTER Nick & Katherine
RENNICK Judy
REIDY Ian & Robyn
SCARFACE
SIACCI Colin & Wyonne
SIMPSON Donna
TRENERY Ken
UEBERGANG Jill
ROSSETTI Fae
van MANNEN Gerry & Barbara
WILLIAMS Elsie
WILLIAMS Glenn & Bernadette
YOUNG Barbara