Mr Ernest Henry Guppy was a valuable staff member at Beechworth, Ararat and Mont Park Mental Health facilities over a number of decades.
Ernie Guppy (1916 – 1994) was born in Ararat and he married Nellie Marie nee Smith (1923 – 2001) in 1948. She had been born in Beechworth, and together they had 3 children who lived with them on site at Mont Park for many years, in the Secretary’s Residence.
Ernie Guppy had been in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve during WWII assigned to the HMAS Lonsdale from February 1941, at the Flinders Naval Base, as a Writer.
Early placements in Mental Health
He began his career with the Victorian Health Authorities in 1939 working at the Beechworth Hospital as a clerk. He was promoted to work as the Hospital Secretary until 1953. At Mr Guppy’s farewell from Beechworth it was noted that his work was always of ‘such a high standard’ that he would be ‘greatly missed’. He was a keen sportsman, and had been a valued member of the Hospital Cricket Club, and also a player, then coach and Secretary of the Beechworth Football Club. He was also on the committee of the Beechworth RSS and AILA, the precursor to the RSL.
May Day Mental Hospital Beechworth in about 1955
The Guppys moved to live in ‘The Lodge’ at Ararat Hospital in 1954 where Ernie became the leader of the Secretarial staff of the Ararat Mental Hospital, and again he played, then coached football now with the ‘Ararat Caledonians’. Ernie always maintained an interest in football, and was a keen Collingwood supporter!
Mont Park recollections
Mr Ernie Guppy was then promoted to work at Mont Park Hospital from 1963, and the Guppys began living in Wattle Ave, near the Hannah and the Fernando families. The Hannah boys were often invited in to watch television with the Guppy’s son and two daughters. Ernie Guppy offered Lister, the oldest of the Hannah boys, some work at the Mont Park hospital when he first finished school.
The Fernando girls remember the kindness and generosity of the Guppys in welcoming them to Mont Park in 1973 when Derrick Fernando began his employment. Ernie Guppy recognised the value of Derrick Fernando’s work experience as an engineer in the Sri Lankan Navy, and readily employed him. The girls all remained friends for many decades until Ernie and Nellie Guppy passed.
Ernie Guppy is best remembered now for his involvement with the 9-hole Strathallan Golf Course on the Mont Park site. This Course had been opened in 1957 with the tees, greens and club house designed and constructed by Mont Park staff. Ernie became the club Secretary in 1964, then Treasurer in 1965-1970, and finally President from 1971–1992.
He was a keen golfer, and stories are told of Ernie taking a chain saw to a particular tree which had been regularly interfering with his golf shots! The E.H. Guppy Knock-Out Trophy Event at the club is named in his honour.
The Guppys stayed in the area when Ernie retired, living in Montmorency from 1977, and he continued enjoying his golf.
Complied by Kathy Andrewartha (2026)
Thanks to members of the Hannah and Fernando families for their recent recollections of the Guppy family and Gary Cotchin for photos from the Strathallan Golf Club
Resource:
TROVE
