Violet Agnette Oaten

     Her common name was Vi.¹ NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.


Violet was born on Saturday, 18 June 1910 at the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.² She was the daughter of Albert Edward Oaten and Violet Barbara Cheyne. She presumably lived with her parents at at 14 Fergie Street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in 1911.³ She presumably lived with her parents at at 868 Nicholson Street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in 1913.⁴ She presumably lived with her parents at at 15 Coleman street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in May 1913. They were to stay in this house for another four years.⁵

Her father died 2 May 1919 at the age of 31 at the approximate age of 31. Violet was aged 8 when this happened. He died of influenza during the epidemic.

For the next 5 years, Violet and her children moved addresses a number of times. In 1924 she was living at 162 Queens Parade in North Fitzroy, then seven years later was at 3 Groom Street.^6,7 Violet Agnette Oaten was a dressmaker in 1931.^7,8

She likely attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of Hubert Nicholson and Mavis Lily Oaten in a Church of England ceremony at All Saints on Saturday, 17 February 1934 at the Melbourne suburb of Kooyong. Mavis married with the consent of her mother. They went on to have some eight children together, only two of whom reached adulthood.^9,10

Five years after that she was living at 68 Riversdale Road Glenferrie, then at 39 Currajong Avenue Camberwell in 1939.^11,12 Violet Agnette Oaten was a designer in 1936.¹¹ Her niece says that Vi was a career woman and designer with Lucy Secor, and that she travelled to Japan in connection with this.¹

She married Harold John Neill, an ex-football player, son of William Neill and Frances Jordan, at St. John's Church of England on Saturday, 20 January 1940 at the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. She was 29 and her husband Harold was 32. The marriage was featured on the 'Weddings and Engagements' page of The Age and included a photo.. Others attending the wedding included Charles Henry Oaten as giver of the bride; others who may have been there include Violet Barbara Cheyne as mother of the bride, Frances Jordan as mother of the groom and William Neill as father of the groom. Aunts, uncles and grandparents who may have attended include Lydia Amelia Oaten, Charles Henry Oaten, Henry William Oaten, Margaret Mary Oaten, Alice Eleanor Mary Oaten, Winifred Amelia Oaten, Lily Hawthorne Cheyne and Daisy Agnnete Cheyne. Harold and Violet went on to have two children together.^13,14

She may have attended the wedding of her brother in the marriage of Charles Henry Oaten and Margaret Alice Hume in a Church of England ceremony at All Saints on Saturday, 28 August 1943 at Kooyong. Margaret and Charles went on to have just one known children together. Violet was employed at Buckley and Nunn's department store as a handbag saleswoman at Melbourne on 1 July 1960. She apparently remained there for many years.

Her mother died September 1962 at the age of 73. Violet was aged 52 when this happened. Violet lived at at Harold Street in the Melbourne suburb of Middle Park.¹⁵

Violet died on 10 January 1985 at at Francis Cabrini hospital in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern at age 74.¹⁶ Her body was interred in January 1985 at the Melbourne suburb of Altona.

Her will was probated on 7 June 1985.¹⁶