(Material researched & presented by Barbara Armstrong)

John James Cocking was born in 1879 at Ballarat East, the son of John Cocking and Catherine Lynch.

The Examiner newspaper (Launceston) of 17 May 1903 provides the first mention of Mr Cocking being a chemist. He was present at the meeting of the Northern Tasmanian Chemists' Assistants and Apprentices' Association with the topic being Poisons and Their Antidotes.

On 2 November 1903 the Bendigo Advertiser announced that J.J. Cocking had purchased the homœopathic pharmacy business of the late Mr C. Cook, High Street. (Mr Charles Cook had died on 25 May 1903.)

Interestingly, the announcement also stated that Mr Cocking "comes with good credentials from Martin and Pleasance's, and all those who are in the habit of homœopathic treatment can depend upon receiving his most skilled and careful attention.

John James Cocking married Carol Edith Watson (also known as Edith Caroline) at Kyneton on 14 November, 1904. They had three children, one of whom (Lyndsay John) was listed in 1931 as being a chemist's assistant, although it appears that he did not continue in that profession.

For a while the family lived at 48 Shamrock Street, Bendigo, before moving to 83 Barkly Place, Bendigo.

For more details about his activities as a chemist, see J.J. Cocking, Homœopathic Pharmacy.

© Barbara Armstrong