Cranford (Extant) 9 Fulton Street

Cranford is one of the few remaining large houses in Fulton Street. With its circular driveway and generous entry, it provides a welcome glimpse of the past. It should however be even more famous for its previous inhabitants. One in particular was an antarctic explorer with Mawson and should have been awarded a medal for his bravery. He was however killed in WW1 before that medal could be bestowed. Read on to find out more.

MMBW Map 46 Extract 1990s. House identified with green middle. Other remaining houses in area marked green.

Not on Vardy Maps See Plan MMBW 46

Bob Bage 1912C Photographer Frank Hurley	Freda Bage 1949 Portrait	Bob Bage 1915

State Library of NSW http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2012/04/19/1226325/928892-120421-rev-bage.jpg

Ted (Edward) Bage and Mary (Marie) Charlotte (nee Lange) shared their early married life in Cranford from the 1890's until Mary's death in 1930's - Ted was a partner in the wholesale pharmacy business Felton, Grimwade & Co which made Felton a wealthy man.  Ted's health however failed and he died in 1891 when Bob (Robert Edward) was just 3 years old.  Mary subsequently took her young family to the UK for five years, where the girls attended Oxford High School. Ted appears to have come from a well endowed family with a brother Charles Bage ( 1859-1930) doctor lived in South Yarra who was a member of the Felton Bequest committee from its inception in 1904. Mary Bage (referred to as Charlotte Marie in obituaries) went on to be part of many organizations including being an inaugural member of the National Council of Women of Victoria, the Lyceum Club .......The Bage family came from Colac. This history is yet to be explored.. Their joint stories as well as Mary and Ted's childiren's illustrious contributions appear in the biograpies and obituaries with links below..

Charles Bage - http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/bage-charles-15676

Charlotte Marie (Mary) nee Lange) Bage - http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/bage-marie-charlotte-15673 There appears to be various errors in this orbituary and some significant exclusions regarding Mary's children. eg Mary died at Cranford in St Kilda not Kew. She went under the name Mary not Maire or Charlotte and had 3 children not mentioned in the orbituary.

Edward Frederick Robert Bage (Bob)  (17 April 1888 – 7 May 1915) was an Australian polar explorer with Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition's Australasian Antarctic Expedition in 1912, and a soldier with the Royal Australian Engineers during World War 1. He was killed at Gallipoli on May 7, 1915. In addition to his bravery and untimely death aged 27 he had already fitted a great deal into his life. Of particular interest was his participation in the Mawson Expedition where he took a key role asan engineer/magnetist and contributed the chapter 'the Quest of the Souther Magnetic Pole' to Sir Douglas Mawson's book 'Home of the Blizzard'. He was away for over 2 years and 3 months as he was one of the 6 volunteers who formed the relief party left in the Anarctic for a second winter when Sir Douglas and his ill fated companions, failed to return to winter quarters at the appointed time. His untimely death subsequently at Gallipoli robbed him of the polar medal to be awarded by HM the King.

http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/bage-edward-frederick-robert-15674

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59609176

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/109149

 Miss Ethel Bage  University of Melbourne

Anna Frederika (Freda) Bage OBE (11 April 1883 – 23 October 1970) was an Australian biologist, university professor  and women's activist. She held the postion of first principal of he Womens College at the University of Queensland for 32 years and took on a range of roles representing organization in lncluding Australian women at the League of Nations  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freda_Bage