Gee, I thought I was quick but the viewers are even quicker.Tulla's much loved teacher was Alexander Hansen Rasmussen who married Ellen Wright in 1902 (Reg.24/1902.) Alec was born 19-9-1875 (Reg. 23933/1875) in Malmsbury, which is not far from the Castlemaine turn off. He was cremated 4-10-1955 at Springvale Crematorium, having died in October (Reg.11542/1955.) Ellen was born 1871 in Lockwood and was cremated at Springvale on 23-3-1948 (which has to be a typo as she died on the 25th according to the Argus; the cremation was probably on the 28th.) Many thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ etc! Was Ellen related to the Tulla Wrights?

I'm not as quick as others but I do have the good oil for you.

Ellen RASMUSSEN died in Caulfield in 1948 aged 76 years. Ellen's parents were named as Charles WRIGHT and Eliza GREEN.

Looking good so far!

Sorry - Ellen's VDI number for her above death in 1948 is 3226.

Ellen's VBI number is 17783. Birth place Lockwood, Victoria. Parents: Charles WRIGHT and Eliza GREEN.

The VMI #024 for Alexander and Ellen's marriage in 1902 is correct.

Recent correspondence from the City of Hume advises that a plaque will be installed on a boulder in the Tullamarine Reserve in Melrose Drive,Tullamarine to acknowledge Alec Rasmussen's contribution to the Tullamarine community. The plaque will read:

In memory of
Alexander (Alec) Hansen Rasmussen
1875-1955

Founding Secretary of Tullamarine Progress Association and
former teacher at Tullamarine Primary School.

The Tullamarine Progress Association donated 6 acres of land to the
Broadmeadows Council for recreational purposes in November 1929
establishing this park for the local community to enjoy.

letter from Hume City Council, 29-9-2014.
I have been notified that the plaque, of which a photo was provided, with wording exactly as in the previous comment, has been installed at the Tullamarine (Melrose Drive) Reserve. A second photo showed the plaque on the boulder. Hopefully it will not be ripped off by vandals as was the plaque mounted on a boulder in Camp Hill Park directly across Mickleham Rd from Green's Corner.

Natalie of Leader newspapers rang in my absence and when I returned the call,I found that Natalie Savino from the Hume leader intended to write an article about Alec and the Tullamarine Reserve. After our conversation,I sent her an email with the link to this journal but her questions later made me realise that much of the information I presented to council was not included in the journal.

ME.
Natalie, Here's my journal about Alec Rasmussen. One of the first 90 year olds that I interviewed was Colin Williams who grew up on Broombank, between the Tadstan Drive and Derby St corners. He was in a nursing home in the eastern suburbs. He'd attended the old Tullamarine State School 2613 (north corner of Melrose Drive and Link Rd.) He was there in 1906 when Miss Rowe told the pupils that their schoolmate,Will Mansfield and his father,William had drowned at Bertram's Ford in Arundel Rd. Miss Rowe resigned to marry Frank Wright and before Alec was appointed from 1909 there were two memorable incidents. One hot day, the new teacher was dismayed to find that all the pupils had disappeared during lunchtime. They'd all gone to a swimming hole called the bone mill at the end of Wright St.

The second almost ended Colin's life. It was probably Colin's fault because he confessed to being a bad boy; he slipped at school and almost cracked his skull open. He was away from school when the 1909 school year started and was terrified about going back to school because of tales he had heard about what a hard task-master the new teacher was.

That was when Colin pulled out two treasured photos from a box. The first was a photo of hundreds of Tullamarine residents at one of the three picnics that Mr Rasmussen organised on Alex. McCracken's Cumberland in 1909, 1910 and 1911.

The second was a postcard that Colin received while fighting in world war 2.
It had a photo of Alec, probably at the address mentioned in the journal, on the front and a lovely message on the back. That's the sort of teacher and citizen Alec Rasmussen was. Writing to a student he'd taught about three decades before!

Confirmation of this opinion of Alec Rasmussen was evident at the Back to Tullamarine reunions that Winnie Lewis (nee Parr) helped me to organise in 1989 and 1998. People were asked to give an afternoon version of MORNING TALK describing their memories of Tullamarine. Without exception, the first thing the older people wanted to say was what a wonderful teacher and person Alec Rasmussen was.

Tullamarine has had three great leaders, Alexander Rasmussen, Leo Dineen and Walter V.(Major)Murphy. I wrote a poem about them in 1989 and this inspired me to see these great community workers honoured. Alexander is now honoured by the plaque at Tullamarine Reserve in Melrose Drive (which the community gained because of his wisdom and leadership), and Spring St Reserve has been renamed after Leo.

One to go! Tullamarine's war memorial would have been vandalised (like the gravestones at Bulla and Will Will Rook cemeteries) had it been left at the S.S. 2613 site, the memorial at Westmeadows (between the bridge and the pub) would have been wrecked, along with the lives of drivers and passengers, and St Mary's (on the south west corner of "Woodlands") would have been shattered by aircraft vibrations had Walter not moved them to their present locations (the old windmill site, Dalkeith, and Bulla Village respectively.)

N.Just a quick one on Alec again. I've seen in one place that he was born in 1875 and died in 1955, but another website says 1892-1971.
Do you know which of these is true?
I'm guessing the first one is more accurate being that he was already teaching by 1909.

ME.Alec was definitely born 1875, died 1955.
RASMUSSEN. - On October 2,
in hospital, Alexander Hansen,
husband of tho late Ellen Ras-
mussen, son of the late Rasmus
Hansen and Maria Rasmussen,
brother of Annie (Mrs. Bartlett,
deceased), George (deceased), Wil-
liam (deceased), Frederick (de-
ceased), Harriet (Mrs. Johnson, of
Warburton), and Charles (of Chel-
sea), aged 80 years. (Late of
Drummond and Tullamarine.)
RASMUSSEN.-On October 2,
at private hospital, Alexander Han
sen, loved uncle of May Wright,
aged 80. -In God's care.
RASMUSSEN.-On October 2,
Alexander Hansen loved friend of |
Burt and Esther-Cram and family. In God's care. (P.19, Argus, 4-10-1955.)

ME.
Natalie, while waiting for the Asia Cup highlights to start, I idly googled TULLAMARINE PROGRESS ASSOCIATION. The first result showed that an article about the unveiling of the pioneers honour board was wrong about Alec teaching at Tullamarine S.S.2613 for thirty years (unless I misread it.) I'll try to find that article.
P.S. I WAS WRONG. BOTH ARTICLES CORRECTLY STATED 20 YEARS ALTHOUGH THE SUNSHINE ADVOCATE ARTICLE WROTE CASTLEMAINE INSTEAD OF TULLAMARINE (SCHOOL.) SEE LINKS BELOW.

Tullamarine Progress
Association
(From a correspondent)
At the monthly meeting of the above,
Mr. P. Blom was in the chair. In the
absence of the secretary, Mr. Rasmus
sen, the acting secretary, Mr. H.
Wright, took up his new duties and
was congratulated by the President.
Mr. Rasmussen, who had been head
master in the Tullamarine school for
20 years, resigned from the department
owing to ill health. Prior to their de
parture Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen were
entertained, and presented with a silver
tea and coffee service and gold-mounted
wallet and notes from the residents; a
gold pencil from the boys, and a cut
glass cruet from the girls. Although
he has left the district, Mr. Rasmussen
still acts as secretary to the Association.
(P.2, Sunshine Advocate, 14-7-1928.)

ME.
I found the Argus article about the pioneers honour board which correctly gives Alec's tenure at Tulla as being nearly 20 years. The Sunshine Advocate reporter obviously attended and must have heard mention of Alec's connection with the Rasmussens of Castlemaine which caused him to write Castlemaine (school) instead of Tullamarine. You may wish to quote from the article about the donation of the land in 1929.

RESERVE AT BROADMEADOWS.
At a meeting of the Broadmeadows Council on
Thursday representatives of the Tullamarine Pro-
Progress Association waited on the council to deliver
to the council the deeds of six acres of land
near the Tullamarine boundary of the shire, which
have been acquired for recreation purposes. The
deeds were handed to the president of the council
(Councillor Laffan) by Mr. A. H. Rasmussen, sec
retary of the association, who said that it was
intended that the land should always remain in the
possession of the people of Broadmeadows.
Cr. Parr, of Keilor, a member of the association,
said that it was proposed to have a tennis-court
constructed on the land at a later date, and it
was hoped that the council would assist in carry-
ing out the work.
Councillor Laffan, in thanking the members of
the association for their generous gift, said that
he could assure the donors that they would have
the united support of the council in the matter
of beautifying and improving the land.
(P.30, Argus, 30-11-1929.)

TULLAMARINE PIONEERS Honour Board Unveiled
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Monday 1 April 1935 p 6 Article

TULLAMARINE REUNION MANY PIONEERS ATTEND
Sunshine Advocate (Vic. : 1924 - 1954) Friday 5 April 1935 p 3 Article