Anniversary of two Birthdays:
These twin sisters were my maternal 1st cousins 2x removed. Myreen however was also the wife of my maternal grand uncle, making her my grand aunt as well. This is the first instance I've uncovered where I have two different relationship paths to a relative.
Discovering that Myreen had a twin sister was a recent find and set me off on a frantic research effort so I could tell both their stories today, on the anniversary of their birth.
- Laurine Florence and Myreen Catherine were born on the 2nd of April 1916 to parents Michael Farrell and Hannah Margaret Hynes. Laurine was the first born of the twins. The girls were born in Charters Towers, Queensland.
- They were the youngest of the seven children born to Michael and Hannah, and entered a family already scarred by loss. Their eldest sibling Myreen Florence has passed away tragically just a month short of her second birthday. In her honour, Michael and Hannah gave one of the twins her name.
- Laurine and Myreen's siblings included:
- Myreen Florence born in 1902 (died in 1904)
- Muriel born in 1904
- John Michael born in 1905
- Arthur Thomas born in 1907
- Edward Francis born in 1911.
- It appears that the children had a rather chaotic upbringing. Father Michael Farrell ran a busy auctioneering business and was a well-known figure in the business community. Mother Hannah (although she was also known by her middle name of Margaret) was a licensed victualler and ran The Australian Hotel in Charters Towers.
- With both parents engrossed in their extremely busy working lives, the children appear to have spent a lot time being cared for by their grandparents in Charters Towers initially, and then by their aunt Margaret McCane nee Farrell and their uncle Owen McCane (Muckian), on their farm near Gumlu.
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| Enrolment No 42 should read 'Muriel Farrell' not 'Murill Farrell' (William Patrick Farrell is from a different family) Source: Gumlu State School Centenary Booklet |
- The older siblings, Muriel aged 14, and Edward Francis (Ned) aged 7, appear to have been dispersed to their aunt and uncle first. In 1918 they were both enrolled at the Molongle Creek Provisional School (later it became the Gumlu State School). That is a clear indication that they were living with their aunt and uncle, and no longer living in Charters Towers.
(An interesting side note: The teacher at the school from 1914 to 1919 was Susan Mary McCane. She was an older cousin to Muriel and Edward, as she was a daughter of Owen and Margaret McCane. Susan was also living on the McCane family farm at the time.)
- Tragically, in mid-1918, when the twins were only two years old, their father Michael died rather unexpectedly leaving their mother Hannah widowed at the young age of 36. It seems Hannah struggled to manage the children still under her care, and more went to stay with their aunt and uncle.
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| Source: Gumlu State School Centenary Booklet |
- At the start of the following year, 1919, older brother Arthur Thomas, aged 12, was also enrolled at the Molongle Creek Provisional School (later the Gumlu State School).
- In a heartbreaking twist of fate, the twins' mother died in 1923, leaving the Farrell children orphaned - Muriel was 19 at the time, John Michael was 17, Arthur Thomas was 16, Edward Francis was 12, and the twins were just 7 years old.
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| Source: Gumlu State School Centenary Booklet |
- At the start of 1924 the twins, Laurine and Myreen were enrolled at Gumlu State School as well. (The school had been re-named in 1920).
(Another interesting side note: In mid-1924 the teacher at what was then Gumlu State School, Thomas Owen McCane, was another of Laurine's and Myreen's cousins. He was also a son of Owen and Margaret McCane, and brother to Susan Mary McCane who had taught the twins' older siblings.)
- Laurine and Myreen's early childhood years had unfolded against a backdrop of familial upheaval but after the move to the McCane farm at the age of 7, they were then living and seemingly thriving in a more stable family home. Their education, initially disrupted by family circumstances, regained momentum and their talents began to shine.
- Their names appeared in newspaper items in local newspapers a few times in the late 1920s and early 1930s. By that time they had both moved to the Catholic Convent Boarding School in Bowen, and were attending the Catholic Convent School. They were excelling in their studies and showcasing talents in drawing and music.
- In 1929, when they were both aged 13, they were winning prizes in the local show competitions for drawing:
- Laurine won second prize in the 'Best Drawing Book, 12 drawings shaded' competition and won 2 shillings. Myreen won first prize in the 'Best Group of 5 drawings in free-hand design, shaded large'. She won 5 shillings. I wonder if they pooled their winnings and spent it on something special?
- In 1930, aged 12, they completed their Australian University College board examinations for piano, as well as examinations for commercial subjects:
- Laurine achieved a credit on her Grade V piano examination, and Myreen achieved a credit on her Grade V1 examination. They were impressive results! They both passed Elementary Typewriting, Elementary Bookkeeping and Junior Shorthand, typical subjects offered to girls in their final years of schooling paving the way to a career in secretarial work.
(Note: There was a misprint in the newspaper - under the results for Elementary Typewriting the name 'Kathleen Farrell' should have read 'Laurine Farrell'. There was no Kathleen Farrell enrolled that year! There was a Kathleen Caldwell and a Laurine Farrell.)
- In 1931, aged 15, the twins were completing their last year of schooling. The Queensland school leaving age had been raised from 12 years to 14 years, back in 1912. It's likely the girls had missed a year or so of their education during their younger years, so then stayed in school until they completed their final year, even though they were probably older than their peers.
- As reported in this end-of-year newspaper item, their commercial subject examinations results were rather good:
- Laurine and Myreen passed the Advanced Bookkeeping, Intermediate Shorthand and Speed Typewriting subjects.
- As they approached adulthood, Laurine and Myreen faced diverging paths. While one pursued a career, the other embraced married life and motherhood at a young age. Their lives took them to opposite ends of the country where they carved out their individual stories.
Laurine Florence Farrell
After completing her education and honing her skills as a typist, Laurine sought opportunities away from home.
The 1937 Australian Electoral Record shows Laurine living and working in Brisbane, Queensland. Her occupation was listed as: typist.
Her name was recorded on the Supplemental Roll for the Division of Toowong. The original roll showed her older sister Muriel and brother John Michael also living in Brisbane.
It seems that these three siblings had all embarked on a journey southward seeking employment and independence. They were all living together in a boarding house / property on the corner of Milton Road and Ridley Street in the Brisbane suburb of Auchenflower.
By 1939 Laurine's career had flourished and she was working for Butler Brothers in Brisbane. Her photo (third from the left) appeared in a local newspaper in late 1939, attending the first annual staff ball for that company.
War was now looming and Laurine answered the call to serve her country.
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| Enlistment Photo 1942 |
In March of 1942, a month before her 26th birthday, Laurine enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force.
She served at various wireless / telegraphic stations in Melbourne, Victoria; and in Townsville and Brisbane, in Queensland. After the war, Laurine's life took a new turn. She was discharged in Victoria, where her beloved older sister Muriel and brother John Michael were then living. So it was that these three siblings moved even further away from the rest of the family, and continued their life journeys in Victoria.
By 1949 Laurine was living with her older sister Muriel in South Yarra, Victoria, and was now working as a stenographer. The role of a stenographer is to record spoken words using a stenography machine, typically at legal proceedings, and this is the career that Laurine continued for the remainder of her working life.
Older brother John Michael had remained in Victoria after serving during the war years, also living in Melbourne.
In 1952, at the age of 36, Laurine married Ronald Vincent John McInnes, aged 30, at St. John's Catholic Church in East Melbourne.
The marriage certificate shows that Laurine's husband was a soldier with the Australian Armed Forces and Laurine herself was working as a stenographer.
Laurine and Ronald were married for 23 years, until Ronald passed away in 1975.
Laurine and Ronald spent their married life living in one of Melbourne's eastern suburbs. They had no children.
Laurine outlived her siblings by many, many years. Her twin sister died 20 years before Laurine passed away.
The two older brothers Arthur Thomas and Edward Francis died in Queensland. They had remained living on their aunt and uncle's farm for many, many years; then as they grew older moved a little further away. Arthur Thomas Farrell died in Mareeba, Queensland, in 1961, aged 54. Edward Francis Farrell died in Bowen, Queensland, in 1977, aged 66.
The two eldest siblings, who had moved to Victoria, never returned home to Queensland. Eldest sister Muriel Farrell died in Victoria in 1984, aged 80. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery in Melbourne. Eldest brother John Michael Farrell also passed away in Victoria in 1989, aged 83. He was cremated at the same crematorium as his sister Muriel. His ashes were interred at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery. His memorial plaque is located at the A.C. Downard Lawn, Bed 19, Position 57. John Michael also has a memorial plaque at the Victorian Garden of Remembrance.
Laurine died on the 29th of April 2015, aged 99!
She was cremated and her remains were collected from the Springvale Crematorium, situated within the Springvale Botanical Cemetery in Melbourne, Victoria. I have no other information, but I'm assuming her remains would have been collected by a family member, possibly a relative of her husband.
Myreen Catherine Farrell
Myreen married not long after she had completed her education. In 1933, at the age of 17, Myreen married John Michael (known as Jack) McCane.
(Yes, Myreen's husband's Christian names are the same as her brother's - John Michael - so in order to avoid confusion I'll refer to Myreen's husband as John Michael (Jack) from now on.)
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Myreen (in the middle) standing beside the car that her sweetheart had won! |
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John Michael (Jack) is on the far left of this photo. The photo was taken on his father's farm. Owen McCane, John's father (and Myreen's uncle), is far right. |
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| John Michael (Jack) McCane Photo taken at his sister Sarah's wedding in 1921 John was 20 years old |
John Michael (Jack) McCane was the son of Myreen's aunt Margaret and uncle Owen McCane, so he was Myreen's cousin.
Obviously, Myreen and John Michael (Jack) had spent a lot of time in each other's company after Myreen had moved to her aunt's and uncle's home, and it seems a romantic relationship had developed.
At the time of their marriage John was 32 years old, so there was a considerable age difference between them. Permission to marry was needed as Myreen was under the age of 21 at the time. It was her older sister Muriel who provided that permission, as she was Myreen's legal guardian.
Myreen's uncle, and John Michael's (Jack) father, Owen McCane had passed away by the time they were married. After Owen's death, John Michael (Jack) and his brother James (known as Jim) stayed on the family farm with their mother Margaret. They had spent years and years helping their father work the farm, and had now taken up residence on the property. Settling into life as a farmer's wife, Myreen embraced her role with determination and she remained living on the farm where she had spent many of her childhood years.
Myreen and John Michael (Jack) were married for 52 years, until John died in 1985. They had three children together over a period of sixteen years.
- Margaret was born in 1933, when Myreen was still 17 years old.
- Florence was born in 1940, but sadly passed away the following year.
- Ailsa Janice was born in 1949. Myreen was 33 years old at the time.
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| Myreen, husband John Michael (Jack) and baby Margaret are all circled in orange |
The photo above shows the large family unit that enveloped Myreen with love throughout her lifetime. The McCane farm served as the heart of this tight-knit family as they all either lived close to the McCane family farm or indeed on the family farm for many, many years through the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and some into the 1960s.
In the middle of the photo is Myreen's aunt, and John's mother, Margaret McCane nee Farrell. Around the matriarch of this close family are Margaret's children (Myreen's cousins), Margaret's daughters-in-law (including Myreen) and Margaret's grandchildren. This photo was taken the year after Myreen had married on the McCane family farm, and I think shows a very happy and contented Myreen.
As the years passed, her life would have revolved around the rhythms of farm life and the warmth of frequent family gatherings and celebrations.
