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Errol Mortimer ALCOCK (1907-1984)

- coast watch service, businessman

Ivy Mary ALCOCK (1905-1986)

- charity worker, zoo keeper

 

Errol Mortimer Alcock was born on 27 September 1907, the eldest of the six children of  Harold M Alcock and his wife Annie Jane, nee  Johnston.

In 1926 Errol Alcock married Ivy Mary Williams in Cooma. Ivy had been born in 1905, the eldest daughter of the four children of Albert L Williams and his wife Elizabeth nee  Elliott.  All four children were born in Narromine.

After their marriage Ivy and Errol settled in Bega. On 21 March 1927, in Bega, their only child Kevin Maurice Alcock was born. Later the family name was changed from Alcock to Alcott.

Errol worked as a motor mechanic while Ivy concentrated on being a homemaker. In 1936 the family moved to 43 North Parade, Auburn in the Sydney metropolitan area. Errol became the owner of a service station. The move to Auburn had probably been influenced by the 1932 appointment of Ivy’s father, Albert L Williams as postmaster at Merrylands and then in 1934 as postmaster at North Auburn.

Like her parents and other members of the Williams family, Ivy was an enthusiastic tennis player and competed in many local competitions. In 1944, as the oldest member of the Auburn-Lidcombe Hardcourt Tennis Association, Albert Williams, aged 73, played against two of his grandchildren in a semi-final of the local mixed doubles tournament. His partner was another grandchild, Norma Cornford aged 13. His wife, Elizabeth, had won a NSW hardcourt title in 1902 and was still playing occasionally.

In 1946 Errol and Ivy purchased a large Burraneer Bay property, then known as ‘Mandalay’, for £8000. This was a large sum of money but the property stretched from the top of Fernleigh road to the waterfront. It was said that Errol had been boating on the bay, saw the property from the water, went to the owner sitting on the front verandah and made an offer on the spot. Also on the land was a sandstone residence, now known as ‘Fernleigh’, constructed about1859 and listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. In the 70s, part of the land holding, including the waterfront and blocks at the rear, were subdivided. 

 

After moving to Burraneer Bay, Errol, a keen sailor and experienced motor mechanic, set up and operated a marina on the waterfront which was known as ‘The Three Pines’. Errol also purchased an ex-WWII army work boat affectionately known as ‘George’ to help in the running of the marina.

At this time there was no official Coast Guard. Errol, being a keen ham radio operator, would often intercept distress calls from boating people who were in trouble in and around the Port Hacking/Bate Bay area. He would also assist police in conducting rescues any time of the night or day using his boat ’Ivy’ and bringing those saved back to his marina. Errol was credited with directly saving 131 lives was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 1975.

‘The Tree Pines’ was later sold and now operates as the Burraneer Bay marina. Jack Felgate at the marina refurbished ‘George’ which was often seen in later years in and around local waters still towing disabled boats to safety.

Errol built a small dingy that had a car starter motor. It was run by a battery which turned the propellor and was ideal for scooting around the moored boats – possibly the first electric boat in Australia. Later he had a sea going vessel, ‘Ivy II’, with twin V8 engines in which he won second place in a Sydney to Newcastle race. Errol also had a passion for cars including a cream 1956 Chevrolet with a pink top, also a Rolls Royce which he drove in some episodes of the TV show ‘Skippy’.

Ivy Alcock had a passion for animals and developed a reputation for caring for them.  As the owner and operator of one of only two private zoos in Australia, she was frequently seen on TV with some of her animals which included monkeys, an orang-utang, kangaroos, emus, bats, Shetland ponies, Mexican walking fish, dogs and snakes. Her marmoset monkey, Mitzi, dressed in baby clothes, often appeared with Ivy on TV or attending charity events. The bats were named Count Yorga and Dracula and were let out each evening and returned by morning. Her animals also appeared on the front page of the ‘Australian Women’s Weekly’ on 18 December 1957. Ivy and Errol were friends of Rolf Harris and it was said that his song ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport’ was launched on their front lawn in 1960.

In the forties and fifties, Ivy Alcock was a well known sight driving around Cronulla in her little Fiat car nearly tipping over with her huge Great Dane, Caesar, hanging out the passenger side window. She always carried spare pet food in the car and would stop to feed any stray animals she saw as she drove around the local streets.

During WWII, Ivy Alcock became well known as a charity worker in Sydney raising funds for Legacy, Red Cross and Food for Britain. She was a familiar sight near Wynyard Station with her champion Alsation dog ‘Fang’ which she had trained to growl when the names Mussolini and Hitler were mentioned and to wag his tail at the name of Churchill. So well known and loved was ‘Fang’ that when he died aged 12 it was reported in the Sydney newspapers.

Of particular interest was the Old Men’s Home (later State Hospital) at Lidcombe which Ivy regularly visited on behalf of Red Cross to distribute comforts such as tobacco, cigarettes and books. In 1947 she noticed that there was a special need for winter overcoats and began canvassing her friends but soon realised this was not enough. She then wrote to the Minister for Health (C A Kelly) who made urgent enquiries and 1000 ex-Royal Navy overcoats were supplied. 

In 1948 Ivy and the Old Men’s Home was again in the news. She had befriended an elderly man who had been an inmate for 25 years. Bob Scott was aged 74, was bedridden and had outlived all his relatives. His one terror was that he would be buried in a pauper’s grave. Bob liked horse racing and had backed a winning double which paid him £25, enough to cover his cremation. Ivy promised him that she would attend his funeral and in December, 1948, as the sole mourner, she placed a small wreath on his coffin with a card reading ‘Bob Scott, you are not forgotten’. She had also promised to scatter his ashes to the four winds and this she did.

Ivy was a tireless fundraiser and worker for other charities such as the RSPCA, Animal Welfare League, hospitals, the blind and geriatric patients, Legacy and underprivileged children. For her 34 years of working for Red Cross, she was awarded the organisations Medal and Bar. Ivy was also an honorary ranger of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and foundation member of a number of Sutherland Shire organisations including the Sutherland Shire Historical Society. In 1957 Ivy Alcock was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) and the Order of the British Empire in 1974 for contribution to the community. In 1974 she was Sutherland Shire Citizen of the Year.

Kevin Maurice Alcott only child of Errol and Ivy Alcock was born in Bega on 21 March 1927. He attended The Kings School Parramatta as a day pupil.  Later he graduated from university in Medicine. For many years Kevin was part of the Cronulla Medical Centre in Gerrale Street Cronulla.

In 1950 Kevin married Shirley Margaret Gillroy in The King’s School Chapel. The marriage registry records his name as ‘Alcock. Shirley had been a nurse at the Masonic Hospital at Ashfield. Shortly after the marriage the surname was changed to Alcott. Three children were born from this marriage.

He later married Mary Veronica Feint and they had one child.

Errol Mortimer Alcott died on 27 October 1984 and was cremated at Woronora Crematorium.

Ivy Mary Alcott died on 30 October 1986. A funeral service was held in St Andrew’s Anglican Church Cronulla followed by cremation at Woronora Crematorium.

Kevin Maurice Alcott died on 30 June 2004 and was buried at Woronora Cemetery.  He was survived by four children including Ben Alcott, Managing Director of ‘Black Sheep Productions’ a film production company and Errol Alcott long time Physiotherapist in charge of the  Australian cricket team and known throughout the sports world as ‘the best in the business’. He has been associated with St George and South Sydney NRL, Sutherland Shire Netball, Sydney Swans AFL, St George and Sutherland District Athletics and many Hollywood productions. He set up private clinics in the southern suburbs of Sydney.

Martin Alcott, son of Kevin and grandson of Errol and Ivy Alcott, is the father of Dylan Alcott named as Australian of the Year 1922. Martin and his wife, Resie nee Snepvangers, were born and raised in the Sutherland Shire. After their marriage, they moved to Melbourne. They had a son Zac and then another son, Dylan who was born on 4 December 1990.

Dylan was born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord. This was operated on soon after his birth. The tumour was successfully removed but Dylan was left a paraplegic requiring him to use a wheelchair. This has not prevented him from leading a remarkable life, taking part in various sports and representing Australia in wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball.

Wheelchair tennis was Dylan’s first sport of choice perhaps reflecting the involvement of his ancestors in the Auburn-Lidcombe Hardcourt Tennis Association. In 2021 Dylan Alcott became the third professional tennis player and only male player to win the calendar-year Golden Slam, winning singles titles in the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and the singles gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

In November 2021 Dylan Alcott announced he would retire from professional tennis following the January 2022 Australian Open. Dylan has a Commerce Degree from the University of Melbourne, works as a motivational speaker and as a radio host on Triple J. In 2017 he established the Dylan Alcott foundation with ‘the core purpose of helping young people with disabilities gain self-esteem and respect through sport and study’. In accepting his award, Dylan made clear his intention to improve the career opportunities for, and end discrimination of people with disabilities. His speech was inspiring. “Should be a ripper of a year!”

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Colleen Passfield 2020/22

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