Thomas James (Tom) was born, 1909, Moliagul (registered Dunolly) where his father worked as an “engine-driver”. He was born in the old schoolmaster’s home where Rev. John Flynn, founder of the Australian Inland Mission and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, was born in 1880. John Flynn’s father, Thomas, was the Moliagul Schoolmaster from 1871 to 1883 and a shareholder, along with Thomas Deason (Thomas James’s uncle) in the She Oak gold mine at Moliagul. Today the house is a ruin – it is situated directly opposite the Flynn memorial in the centre of Moliagul.

By 1912 the family were probably living in Inglewood where Tom’s sister, Venus, was born and prior to August 1913, in Bridgewater where his brothers Alfred and Hugh (Hughie) and sister, Leaflet attended school.

From August 1913 until early 1914 the family lived in Moliagul where Tom’s brothers, Alfred and Hugh, and sister Leaflet attended school.

In early 1914 the family moved to Newbridge (as noted on Alfred, Hugh and Leaflet’s school records) and where Tom’s father, Alfred, worked as a “miner” and later in 1914, to Fryerstown where Tom’s father continued work as an “engine-driver”.

By late 1915 the family were again back in Newbridge. Moliagul State School records:
Thomas Deason; date of birth: 19 May 1909; admission: 4 October 1915; parent: Alfred Deason; parent’s residence: Newbridge; distance from school: 2 miles; parent’s occupation: engine driver; school last attended: Newbridge; date last attended: 15 September 1915; highest grade attained: 1; left: end 1915: destination: Newbridge State School.

The family continued to live in Newbridge in 1916 (as noted on Zephyr’s school records).

In 1919 the family moved to Diamond Hill, Bendigo and by 1924 closer to central Bendigo at 627 Hargreaves St. The 1931 Commonwealth Electoral Roll noted Thomas James’s occupation as: “hairdresser” and his residence as: 619 Hargreaves St, Bendigo.

Thomas (Tom) married Edna Margaret Mayling in 1934, Golden Square, Bendigo.
After their marriage Tom and Edna continued to live at the same address. The 1936, 1937, 1942, 1949 and 1954 Commonwealth Electoral Rolls noted Thomas James’s occupation as: hairdresser”, Edna Margaret’s as: “home duties” and their residence as: 619 Hargreaves St, Bendigo, , , , .

In 2012 Tom and Edna’s children, Thomas (Jnr) and Winston recalled:
Thomas James Deason was a grandson of “John Deason of Welcome Stranger Nugget” fame. Thomas was born on 19 May 1909 at Moliagul, a small village in Central Victoria, not far from where his grandfather found the famous nugget. He understood that he was born in the same miner’s cottage as another famous son of Moliagul – John Flynn, who went on to found the “Flying Doctor” service, bringing medical services to settlers of Central and Outback Australia.

Thomas’ father, Alfred Deason, born at nearby Dunolly, was an engine driver working on the deep seam gold mines that sprung up after the first flush of alluvial gold workings had been exhausted.

Thomas (Tommy or Tom to his family & friends and business colleagues) attended primary school at Moliagul as had his father, Alfred, and many of John Deason’s (Welcome Stranger) children and grandchildren. The school is now closed but the building remains in its original condition and now used as a community centre.

While still a young boy, Tom’s family moved to the nearby town of Newbridge where Tom continued his primary education. Later the family moved to Diamond Hill (near Golden Square) Bendigo where Tom finished his education. These moves were necessitated by Alfred’s occupation as an engine driver: as mines declined through diminishing yields and closed, engine drivers, like Alfred, had to move on to new mines that opened up new gold reserves.

The family settled in the centre of the village of Diamond Hill, on the outskirts of Bendigo, and established an orchard but Alfred was off again – this time to work on a mine at Harrietville, near Bright in the Victorian alpine area. Tom’s mother, Alice, said “no” to moving the family again, so Alfred went to Harrietville with his brother Hugh while Tom and his five siblings stayed put at Diamond Hill with their mother. At this time, Tom had a “paper round”, delivering newspapers around Diamond Hill by bicycle, to help out with the family finances.

While working the Harrietville mine, Tom’s father noticed that the gold miners were mostly a scruffy lot and wrote home to the family suggesting that if Tom could cut hair, there was plenty of work in Harrietville from many thankful men who would like a “trim” or “cut”!

Tom at 14, set out for Harrietville with a pair of scissors and a comb. He charged 3 pence (2 cents) a cut. It was the start of the life long career which most people remember him for – Tommy Deason the hairdresser of Hargreaves Street, Bendigo.

The Great Depression had hit with much unemployment. Using the experience he had gained at Harrietville Tom took up an apprecenticeship with an established male hairdresser in Bendigo –George Walter (Wally) Jarvis, Mitchell Street, Bendigo, on 1 September 1923. Tom was 14 years of age and was indentured for 5 years.

At the age of 19 Tom opened his own “shop” at 335 Hargreaves St, Bendigo where he cut hair, sold pipes, tobacco, cigarettes and fancy goods until he retired in 1975, aged 66.

On opening his business in 1929 many said he would “go broke” as the Depression had already stifled new enterprise. However, through hard work and very long hours (8:00 am to 6:00 pm) and standing most of the time, Tom’s hairdressing salon became the biggest in Bendigo and boasted “four chairs, no waiting”! Actually, there was often a big wait for a haircut, especially on Saturday mornings as the local lads all lined up for the latest “style cut” (like a crew cut!) to impress their girlfriends at the Saturday Night dances or at the pictures (movies) – it was the 1950’s after all! The point was that you went to Tommy Deason’s to get the “look”. So on a Saturday morning there would be constantly up to 20 men patiently reading the newspapers and waiting their turn!

Tom trained many apprecentices in the business including his two eldest sons: Thomas and Brian.

Tom married Edna Margaret Mayling – the “girl next door” – at the Golden Square Methodist Church on 10 March 1934. With the Depression still lingering, there was no money for the honeymoon, and after the ceremony Edna was back at the shop, cleaning and polishing, her Saturday afternoon contribution to the business until the children came along. Edna also laundered the many towels and wraps used daily by all the hairdressers at the shop. Undoubtedly, Tom and Edna were very hard workers.

Tom was at the shop 5½ days a week but on Saturday afternoon he found time to play lawn bowls in the summer months (Golden Square Bowling Club) and golf in the winter (Bendigo Golf Club). He also was a dedicated Freemason, being received into Lodge Composite, No 314, Bendigo, on 20 August 1942. He was Past Master and also Choir Master for many years.

Tom and Edna had four surviving children: Thomas; Brian; Winston & Denise (a fifth child, Dennis, died shortly after birth). Tom died 5 April 2004, aged 94 years and was buried at the Bendigo Cemetery (Carpenter St) with Edna, died 3 June 2003, aged 91 years, following a memorial service held at the Golden Square Uniting (former Methodist) Church.

Acknowledgements:
• Rick Smith, Launceston Tasmania, Australia
• Joyce Tuohey, Quambatook, Victoria, Australia
• Billy Warburton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Arthur & Lola Semple, North Croydon, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Tom & Kath Deason, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
• Brian Deason, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
• Winston Deason, Mt Macedon, Victoria, Australia

References:
Births, baptisms, marriages, deaths & burials (Aust):
• Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (Vic), 1951, Death Certificate, Dennis John Deason (ref – D_Doc_#013)
• Bendigo Cemeteries Trust, 2005, Bendigo Cemetery (Carpenter St) map, (ref – D_Doc_#056)
• Bendigo Cemeteries Trust, 2005, Bendigo Cemetery (Carpenter St) map of Section N7 (ref – D_Doc_#057)
• Digger, 2005, Marriage Index Victoria 1921-1942, extract for Deason (ref – D_Doc_#105)
• Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Vic), 2001, Historical Index (1855-1920), extract for Deason (ref – D_Doc_#106)
• Winston Deason, 2008, Vale Denise Deason 1953 – 2008, (eulogy) (ref – D_Doc_#199)
• General Register Office (UK), 1905, Index to Births registered July, August, September, p 250 (ref – D_Doc_#523)
• Bendigo General Cemetery (Carpenter St), 2011, headstone inscriptions for Harvey (Deutscher)
• Digger, 1997 & 1998, Birth, Death & Marriage Indexes Victoria 1836-1920
• Digger, 2005, Marriage Index Victoria 1921-1942
Family trees & history:
• Billy Warburton, 1969, Deason Family Tree (ref – D_Doc_#015)
• probably Venus Free (nee Deason), c1967, Deason Family Tree (ref – D_Doc_#016)
• Rick Smith, 2005, Deason Family Tree, (ref – D_Doc_#136)
• Thomas (Jnr) & Winston Deason, 2012, Thomas James Deason (ref - D_Doc_#662)
Other information:
• Marion R McAdie, 2006, Mining Shareholders Listing 1857-1886 (Vic), extract for Deason (ref – D_Doc_#255)
• State Elementary School, Moliagul, No 746, 1914-1970, Pupils’ Register (ref – D_Doc_#279)
• Commonwealth Electoral Office, 1909, Dunolly, Vic, 1914, Dunolly, & Campbell’s Creek, Vic, 1919, 1924, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1942, 1949 & 1954 Golden Square, Vic ((ref – D_Doc_#290)
• The Aberdeen Line, 10 October 1923, Names and Descriptions of British Passengers embarked at the Port of London, for Diogenes (ref – D_Doc_#524
• Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2011, at http//:adb.edu.au, information for Rev John Flynn
• Bill Humphreys, 2009, Moliagul School : a Second Innings, p 108
• Arthur & Lola Semple, 2005, Correspondence
• Tom & Kath Deason, 2005, 2013, Discussions & Correspondence
• Brian Deason, 2006, Correspondence
• Winston Deason, 2005 & 2006, Discussions
• Greg Campbell, 2008, information from funeral service, Denise Deason