By Alva “Bobbie” Davies

Arthur Victor Cowen was born at home at 30 Rokeby St. Collingwood on 17th November 1921.
 
He started school at Tynong, Victoria in 1927 then the family went to Macedon.
 
Arthur was of slender build, light brown hair eyes probably blue. He was a gentle and delicate boy.
 
He began to learn the violin when very young going every Saturday to Bunyip for lessons. He passed music lessons very easily, sometimes passing two instead of one every year.
 
He was with the Athletic club in Tynong, and had his share of chores around the house as well as Doug and Mick. Movies were a rare treat in those days but occasionally the three boys were allowed to see a Tom Mix movie perhaps at Bunyip.  They used to go adventuring all over the paddocks, finding leeches in the creeks, gathering rubbish all year to put on the block next door to us for the annual Guy Faulks night.

The boys waited for the train on Saturday nights to get the latest football results. When we first moved o Macedon and the locals saw the piano being unloaded, the boys were asked to play for a bit. Our house was just across the road from the station, and when they were practicing, the passengers used to wait near the end of the platform and listen. Arthur’s playing of Humoresque was a delight to hear.
 
At Macedon the boys used to swim in the freezing water of the dam, and then lie on the railway lines to get warm.
 
Not long after he took sick, Arthur found that he had been awarded a medal (one of only three issued in Australia) for musical excellence for the level he had reached. Unfortunately he died before he received it.
 
Arthur was a very talented violin player who received a medal for his craft, being only one of three awarded for his level of expertise in Australia. He knew that he had won, but didn’t live to actually see the medal.

Died at Macedon on 12/9/35 of Rhumatic Fever.