In the first instance I wish to acknowledge the amazing contribution I received from Marilyn Fordred and Noel Hope, both descendants of RA Hope and both through a different marriage.

Richmond Armstrong Hope was born at Apsley, the 6th child of Richmond Armstrong Hope and his wife Isabella Edgar on 19 August 1885.

Very little is known about Richmond's earlier life except that he lived at Apsley and Powers Creek before he moved with his parents to Casterton. Richmond was distinctive with his red hair and was just on 6' tall. Around 1908 he married his cousin, Edith May Badams.

Edith May Badams was born at Telangatuk on the 30 April 1885, the youngest daughter of John James Badams and Mary Edgar. Telangatuk was a small farming community north of Harrow in the Western District of Victoria. At the time of Edith's birth, the area specialised in the breeding and raising of sheep, the growing of oats and wheat, saw milling and bee keeping. The area was very isolated, it taking seven days for produce to be carted to Port Fairy. Usually home supplies were bought in bulk; enough for twelve months at a time being brought back on the drays and in wagons after loads of wool or grain had been sent to Port Fairy. The distance was shortened when Noradjuha became the destination for produce. The school at Telangatuk opened in 1883 and it is assumed that the Badams children attended before their move to Casterton.

In 1891 the family moved to Casterton. Edith May was just six years old. By this time Casterton had become a bustling centre for the rich pastoral and agricultural land surrounding it and boasted a population of 1,500 people. Edith May would have been one of the 230 pupils at the overcrowded Casterton Primary School, being taught by Mr Duff and Misses Hooper, Griffiths and Keyms. She eventually married her cousin Richmond Armstrong Hope, a labourer who eventually joined the Victoria Police Force. During 1912 Richmond and Edith Hope moved to Melbourne with their two infant sons Jack and Halbert, whilst Richmond was stationed at Russell Street and Richmond Police Stations. However, Edith's health deteriorated during 1913 as she had contracted consumption (tuberculosis). She returned to Casterton to stay with and be nursed by her mother but died on 12 December 1913. Her new born baby, Edna, was just three weeks old. Edna stayed in Casterton where she was reared by Mary Badams, Halbert was reared by his paternal grandmother, Isabella Hope, and Jack was old enough to be looked after by his father.

They had three children (with LINKS):

• Richmond John (Jack) Hope
• Halbert Edgar Hope
• Edna May Hope

When Halbert was a year old his father gave up his labouring job and joined the Victoria Police Force. This was on 19 August 1912, Richmond's twenty seventh birthday.[1]

A letter from the Victoria Police Force dated 19 January 1984, confirmed that Richmond Armstrong Hope was born on 19 August 1885 at Apsley, Victoria and prior to joining the Force he was a labourer.

After initial training he gained experience on "foot patrol" as essential initiation for all new Constables. Between 1912 and 1914 he was stationed at Russell Street, Richmond, Praham and St Kilda.

Sadly his wife passed away not long after the birth of their third child in 1913. In the October of 1914 Richmond remarried. His new wife was Harriet Veronica Hill. In the same month he was transferred to Footscray, a post he held until 1920, which is where he and his family were living. During his years at Footscray (1914) he rescued a three-year old child from a burning building and subsequently was awarded the Valor Badge and the Royal Humane Society Certificate for Bravery. Early in 1922 he transferred to Kyneton where he resided for 2 years, after which he spent nearly 3 years at Hamilton.

Geelong was his next post and he spent nearly 2 years on watch-house duty. Late in 1926 he was in charge of Diamond Creek Police Station and during his time there he received a promotion to First Constable and later to Senior Constable.

This was followed by several years duty in Melbourne. In 1933 he was put in charge of Maribyrnong and from 1936 to his retirement at 55 years of age in 1940 he worked at Russell Street and North Melbourne.

To his second wife Harriet, Richmond had five children (with LINKS):

• Joseph (Dick) Richmond Hope
• Anzac Noel Hope
• Donald Clement Hope
• Thomas Rutherford Hope
• Isabel (Betty) Elizabeth Rebecca Hope

His two sons from his first marriage followed in their father's footsteps and became policemen also. Richmond spent 23 years in retirement until his death on 13 July 1963.

[1] Family Ties by Marilyn Fordred

LINK to Home Page

Richmond Armstrong Hope [father]

Thomas Hope (grand father)

see above for LINKS to his children's pages