Walter Henry Noack (1908 - 1996)

Born 16 Mar 1908 in Freeling, South Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Muriel Wilson — married 8 May 1940 (to Nov 1947) in Glenelg, South Australia, Australia

Died 29 Feb 1996 at age 87 in Penneshaw, South Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ed Noack [send private message]

Biography

Walter was born at Freeling, South Australia on 16 March 1908 , to father Martin Samuel NOACK Martin Noack and mother Emma Christiane KUHNE Emma Kuhne .

(Gold lease, Danjera Creek, near Nowra, NSW) (Return to Adelaide, motorcycle racing)

His mother Emma, died on 29 August 1928 when Walter was 20 years of age. Walter then lived with his father at Kingswood, South Australia.

In July 1934, at the age of 26 years , Walter was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Unley Road and this appears to have caused long term detrimental impact on his health and behaviour:

“Two Men Injured in Collision” “The driver of a motorcycle received serious injuries and the pillion rider escaped with a broken finger and abrasions when a motorcycle came into collision with a milk delivery lorry at the intersection of Unley Road and Hart Street Unley, early this morning.”

“The injured persons were Walter Noack, 24 Seafield avenue, Kingswood, probable fractured skull, broken leg and arm and abrasions; and Eric Hawker 28 Kyre avenue, Kingswood, who was riding pillion, broken finger and abrasions.” “The motorcycle was proceeding along Unley road, and the lorry emerged from Hart avenue.”

The injured men were taken to the Adelaide Hospital in an S.A. Ambulance and detained.” (3)

On 16 March 1940, at the age of 32 years, Walter became engaged to Dorothy (Dot) Wilson, daughter of Mrs M. Gill, Auburn NSW and Late Walter Wilson (4).

They were married on 8 May 1940, May at Glenelg, the marriage being solemnized by Rev E.C. Zweck (5).

In December 1941, Walter was involved in another motorcycle accident:

“Walter Noack, 34, of Dover street, Malvern received lacerations, concussion and head injuries when he was thrown off a motorcycle on Port Road, Woodville”. He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. (6)

Walter was working as a stevedore on the wharf at Port Adelaide at the time of the accident. However, he was experiencing difficulties in dealing with life issues as evidenced by a number of reported misdemeanours committed during the early to mid 1940's involving both he and Dot.

A son Errol Wilson Noack, was born to Walter and Dot at Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide on 28 March 1945. However, a subsequent breakdown of their marriage ended with a divorce in November 1947. The circumstances of the breakdown and divorce were particularly acrimonious and were well reported at the time, in the Adelaide press. Errol's middle given name was changed to Errol Wayne.

Throughout his disturbed adult life with son Errol, Walter depended very much on Errol's support. They worked together as fishermen for a time at Port Lincoln, South Australia. The news of Errol's death at the age of 21, in Nui Dat, Viet Nam on 24 May 1966, shattered Walter's life. He spent his remaining years at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island where he never stopped mourning the loss of his only child. Errol was the first Australian conscript to be killed in the Viet Nam conflict.

This is borne out quite poignantly from his discussion with the poet Geoffrey Dutton in the Penneshaw Hotel on the night of 15 May 1978, this being the night of Sir Robert Menzies death. To Walter, Menzies was responsible for Errol' s death - as Prime Minister he had made fateful decisions about Australia's involvement in the Viet Nam conflict. Walter spoke to Geoffrey Dutton about the loss of his son Errol in Viet Nam. In a state of agitation later that evening, he visited the poet at the Dutton holiday house in Penneshaw, after which Geoffrey Dutton penned a poem “The Night Sir Robert Menzies Died – for Wally Noack”. The poem was published in the Nation Review, June 1978.

(Channel 7 documentary) (Errol Noack House)

Walter passed away at Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, South Australia in 1996. He lies at rest in the Penneshaw Cemetery.

Sources

(1) NOACK, Walter Henry, In Genealogy SA database, “Birth Registration Certificates Index 1842 – 1928”, Registration Certificate Book 800/ Page 212. www.genealogysa.org.au

(2) WILLOUGHBY, Lorraine. The Noack-Hondow-Schmidt Family History from Tauer to Australia. Willaston, S.A. The Author. 2001. Page 597. ISBN 1 876901 02 0 Extract page 597 "Walter was educated at Freeling and Mitcham schools, then attended Concordia College for one year. He then worked at Horsham on relative's farms; after the Kuhne farm was sold he went to Yalwal near Nowra to look for gold. Later he worked with his brother Herb doing wood cutting and with chemical manufacturing. After this he did local and interstate transport driving. Walter was married in 1940 and divorced in 1947. He spent the last years of his life on Kangaroo Island where he did mechanical work, farming, boating and fishing."

(3) Advertiser (Adelaide SA; 1931 – 1954), Saturday 14 July 1934, page 15. National Library of Australia, Trove Digitised Newspapers, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article

(4) 1940, 16 March (32 years of age), Engagement Notice: “WILSON-NOACK engagement announced, Dorothy (Dot) daughter of Mrs M. Gill, Auburn NSW and Late Walter Wilson to Walter Henry Noack, second son of M.S. Noack and the late Mrs Noack of Kingswood.”.

The Advertiser (Adelaide SA; 1931 – 1954), Saturday 16 March 1940, page 10. National Library of Australia, Trove Digitised Newspapers http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article

(5) 1940, 8 May, Marriage Notice “Noack-Wilson, On the 8th May at Glenelg, the marriage of Dorothy M. Wilson of Sydney, to Walter H. Noack of Kingswood, was solemnized by Rev E.C. Zweck.”

The Advertiser (Adelaide SA; 1931 – 1954), Friday 31 May 1940, page 12. National Library of Australia, Trove Digitised Newspapers, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article

(6) The Advertiser (Adelaide SA; 1931 – 1954), Saturday 20 December 1941, page 9. National Library of Australia, Trove Digitised Newspapers, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article

(7) NOACK, Errol Wilson, Family Notices: Births, The Advertiser, Adelaide, Friday 30 March 1945, page 8.

"NOACK (nee Dot Wilson) on March 28 at Calvary to Dorothy and Walter- a son (Errol Wilson). Both well. Thanking Dr Wurm and Hospital Staff."

(8) Poems of Geoffrey Dutton, In https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/dutton-geoffrey/poems/the-night-sir-robert-menzies-died-0731090