Frank Tippin Ballard

Police Sergeant Frank Ballard - portrait by Stan Ballard - small Norris Sisters' Husbands - 1964 at Rene's daughter's wedding.  L to R - Howard Russell, Jim Scofield, Fred Taylor, Frank Ballard & Ted Norris.. Tyseley, Birmingham.. Frank & Celia Ballard.. Frank and Celia Ballard at their Reservoir home Frank Ballard milking the cow Ballard family visiting in England 1950 - small Ballard and Norris families, Birmingham, England 1950 - small Sopwith_Pup_9917 Sopwith Pup 1917 Heidelberg Police Station by Frank Ballard - small Old Heidelberg Police Station at 7 Jika Street, 2012 - small

Frank was born on October 1st, 1901.  Frank's father was Frank Ballard and his mother was Florence Beatrice Gilbert.  His paternal grandparents were Henry Ballard and Clara Benton; his maternal grandparents were Stephen Gilbert and Mary Ann Tune. He had a brother and two sisters, named Tom, Florence and Beatrice.  He was the oldest of the four children.  He died from cancer, Stomach Cancer, at the age of 79 in 1980.

• Death Notes

  Died of stomach cancer.

• General Notes

  Born in Birmingham, England.
  Sergeant of police for many years at Heidelberg Police Station, Melbourne, Victoria.
  Amateur artist.
  In WWI was an engineer with the Royal Flying Corps, servicing Sopwith Pups. 
  Joined the RFC in May 1917 when he was 16 - trained as a mechanic.
  From April 1918 he was in active service at Cranwell air base, Lincolnshire, and worked on a number of fighter and bomber aircraft when they returned from raids.  The planes he serviced included Sopwith Pups & Camels, DH4's, RE8's, Bristol fighters, Handley Page bombers, and blimps.
  Discharged 4 December 1918.
  Joined the Coldstream Guards April 1921 - discharged after 3 months as unfit due to pain from flat feet.
  
  Frank met Celia Norris in August 1920 and they married on 7 July 1924 at St. Mark's Church, Ladywood.
  Frank and Celia emigrated to Australia on 17 July 1924 on the SS Barrabool, arriving in Melbourne on 7 September 1924. 
  Frank became a policeman.
  They were subsequently joined by brother Tom and their mother Florence, along with sister Beatrice "Beat" and her husband George Paisley.
  Frank and Celia lived for many years in Reservoir when it was only paddocks.  They then lived for a number of years at Heidelberg Police Station in Jika Street, when Frank was police sergeant there. 
  When he retired they moved to a house in nearby Mortimer Street, Heidelberg, and then finally to Rosa Street in Lower Templestowe.
  In his retirement had an extensive vegetable garden, did carpentry jobs around the home, and did some amateur watercolour painting.
  
  He wrote a diary late in life with his recollections of the family history - this is in the possession of Ralph Ballard.
  
  Note: Frank's great grandfather was a publican who ran the Barrel Inn in Birmingham.
  
  **** From information supplied by Pat Horton of England, Frank Ballard married Celia Norris on 7 July 1924 in Birmingham.  They then emigrated to Australia shortly after.
  

Details of Frank's family with Celia Norris