The Story of James Thomas O'Donnell / Memories ... June 14

This post tells the story of my maternal uncle, James Thomas O'Donnell  1928 - 2005.  

Our common ancestors are:  James O'Donnell and Sarah Mary Josephine McCane

I'm publishing this post on the anniversary of his birth.

Anniversary of a Birthday

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

So many of my family stories are about milestones but also about the fabric of ordinary daily life - about the land beneath our feet, the people who raised us, and the quiet, enduring contributions of those we knew and loved.  This is another of those stories.

James Thomas, affectionately known as "Jim", was born into the close-knit O'Donnell clan on the family farm at Armstrong Creek, near Gumlu in north Queensland.  He was born in June of 1928, the son of James O'Donnell and Sarah Mary Josephine McCane.  His birth wasn't just a family event - it was a family affair.  His maternal grandmother (my great grandmother), Margaret McCane nee Farrell, a nurse and midwife, attended the delivery.

Born into a large and loving family, James Thomas was the fifth of eight children born to James and Sarah, both of whom were deeply connected to the land and to community life.  By the time James was born, there were already four siblings:

- Edmond James born in 1922

- Margaret Brigid "Mina" born in 1923

- Maurice Owen "Morrie" born in 1925

- John Joseph "Jack" born in 1926

Following James Thomas's birth, another three siblings were born:

- Edward Martin "Eddie" was born in 1931 when James was three years old

- Marcella Therese was born in 1934 when James was six, and

- Terence William "Terry" was born in 1937 when James was nine years old.

James Thomas grew up among these seven siblings in a warm, boisterous household.  The family home was nestled amid sugarcane fields, vegetable plots filled with crops of tomatoes and pumpkins, and other small crops.  It was a rural life, with children helping with the planting and harvesting, often barefoot and sun-browned, steeped in the rhythms of seasonal farming.

James Thomas (far right), aged 5, with five of his siblings in 1933.
L-R:  Maurice Owen, John Joseph, Edmond James with his arms on the shoulders of Edward Martin, Margaret Brigid (my mother) and James.

This special black and white family photo, taken on the O'Donnell family farm, features the six eldest children standing together in an open paddock, framed by a vintage utility truck and the tall, sparse gum trees of the surrounding bushland.  The backdrop - dry earth and scattered eucalyptus - tells a story of place: one where family, nature and hard work shaped the childhoods of these O'Donnell children.

The O'Donnell family farm was located in the same vicinity as the properties of many close relatives.  James Thomas's maternal grandparents, Owen and Margaret McCane, and several of their grown children also lived and farmed in the district around Gumlu.  James Thomas's aunt, Susan Bidgood nee McCane, and her husband Frank Bidgood were among the nearby neighbours, and together the extended family formed a strong and supportive farming community. 

This treasured family photo taken around 1935 shows the matriarch, Margaret McCane nee Farrell, seated in a wicker chair surrounded by her adult children, their spouses, and her grandchildren - many of whom would become James Thomas's classmates, teammates, and lifelong companions.  This interwoven, family-centred, rural existence was foundational to James Thomas's sense of belonging and shaped the rhythm of his daily life until the end of his teenage years. 

James Thomas, aged 8, with seven of his siblings in 1936.
L-R:  Edward Martin, Edmond James holding Marcella Therese, James Thomas,
Margaret Brigid (my mother), John Joseph and Maurice Owen.

Another cherished photo captures a moment in 1936 on the O'Donnell family farm and shows all seven siblings gathered together.  They are standing on a dusty farm track, surrounded by tropical foliage and all are dressed in neat attire.  Perhaps they were off to a special family event or perhaps headed to church for Sunday Mass. 

James Thomas was enrolled with the Primary Correspondence School (what was later named Distance Education) in January of 1934 when he was 5 years old.  His mother Sarah had been a teacher before her marriage so she would have educated James Thomas at home, using the materials provided by the Correspondence School.  Lessons would have occurred in between the daily farm routines and James's older siblings would have been his home school classmates. 

In February of 1938, at the age of nine, James Thomas was officially enrolled at Gumlu State School along with his brothers John Joseph (Jack) and Edward Martin (Eddie).  That meant the brothers would have then received a more formal education at a school which was a round trip of about 10 kms / 6 miles away.

The record indicates that James Thomas was enrolled in Third Class at the start of 1938 and he remained at school until the end of 1942, completing Seventh Class when he was 13 years old.  

Gumlu State School was a one teacher school at the time and the teacher was his uncle, Thomas Owen (Tom) McCane (his mother's brother), making school yet another family environment.

The 1939 school photo shows all the students that attending Gumlu State School that year, with James Thomas circled.  These were true bush kids: most rode bicycles or horses to school, some walked.  Uniforms were not worn, and shoes were rare - but the education was well-rounded.  Art, music, woodwork, craft and sport, along with the 3 R's were part of the curriculum.

Among James Thomas's classmates were his brothers Morrie and Jack, and several of his McCane and Bidgood cousins; illustrating how deeply rooted the extended family was in the region.  The school had its own clay tennis court and two cricket pitches.  Sport was taken seriously, and the O'Donnell and Bidgood boys were remembered as being very athletic and competitive.  They even created a cycle circuit around the nearby Gumlu Store, and informal cycle races were often held.

Photo likely taken in 1939/1940.
James Thomas is seated in the back row on the left, aged 10.
Back row L-R:  James Thomas (Jim), Margaret Brigid, John Joseph (Jack).
Front row L-R: Edward Martin (Eddie), Marcella Therese, Terence William (Terry) and
Maurice Owen (Morrie). 

Yet another treasured family photo shows seven of the O'Donnell children sitting outdoors in what is likely to be the back yard of the house on the family farm.  There are established bushes in the background and what could be the corrugated iron wall that is the side of a shed or water tank.  The oldest brother Edmond, aged 17, is noticeably absent in this photo, likely working out on the family farm or perhaps working away from home.  This photo includes the youngest of the O'Donnell children, Terence William (known as Terry), the baby of the family.

Fortunes changed significantly for the family in the early 1940s.  After many very difficult seasons, with lots of hard work and very little return to support the family, James Thomas's parents made the heartbreaking decision to walk off the family farm at Armstrong Creek and leave that lifestyle behind.  By 1945 the entire family had relocated to Bowen, which was about 66 kms / 41 miles away on the coast.  

Back row L-R:  James Thomas (Jim), John Joseph (Jack), my mother Margaret Brigid (Mina), Maurice Owen (Morrie), Edmond James.
Front row L-R:  Terence William (Terry), mother Sarah O'Donnell (nee McCane), Marcella Therese,  father James O'Donnell and Edward Martin (Eddie).

This photo was taken soon after the move from the farm to a rented house on Richmond Road in Bowen.  At the time this rented property would have been on the outskirts of the township.  

In November of 1945, when he was 17 years old, James Thomas was mentioned in the local Bowen newspaper after he was involved in a cycle race smash.  He had become a member of the Bowen Cycle Club, along with a couple of his brothers and cousins.

According to the newspaper item, James Thomas came down as the race was almost over and suffered abrasions to his left elbow, right knee, shoulder and forearm.  He was treated at the site of the accident and didn't need hospitalisation. 

Just a little while after this, the family moved once more to a house on Dalrymple Street, which was located close to the main street of Bowen and just one hundred metres from the front beach and port.  That house was the one that the grandchildren of James and Sarah, and nieces and nephews of James Thomas, knew as the O'Donnell home.

Back row L-R:  Edward Martin (Eddie), James Thomas (Jim), Edmond James, Maurice Owen (Morrie), father James, John Joseph (Jack).
Front row:  Terence William (Terry).

The photo above was taken in the back yard of Dalrymple Street in the early 1950s.  By this time James Thomas was employed with Queensland Rail along with his brothers Edmond, John Joseph (Jack) and Maurice (Morrie).

James Thomas was an active participant in the local Bowen sporting community, and was a strong presence in Bowen's cricket scene.  His name was often mentioned in the local newspaper highlighting his prowess in the sport.

This is a photo of the Railways Institute Cricket Team taken during the 1951-1952 cricket season.  James Thomas is seated in the front row, second from the right.  The team were the runners-up in the Camp Cup that cricket season.

My father Bede (known as Bernie or Bern) Connors is seated third from the right, next to James Thomas.  They knew each other very well as they both worked for Queensland Rail and played on the same cricket team for many years.  My father was also dating James Thomas's older sister, Margaret Bridget, during this time.

When there was a break from work and sport, James Thomas and my father, along with other work mates or team members, enjoyed taking holidays together.  

This photo shows James Thomas and my father holidaying on South Molle Island (known as Molle Island then) in the early 1950s.

In January of 1953, James Thomas was playing for 'Railways Cricket Team' and despite the loss his side endured that day, James's name was listed on the Honour Board for both his batting and bowling.

The same local newspaper published an item in August of 1953 that listed his name among "Bowen's leading players", alongside his cousin Fred Bidgood and my father Bern Connors.

In October that same year, James Thomas was mentioned in yet another local newspaper item.  This time James was listed amongst the top scoring batsman for the 'Railways' team.

These frequent mentions in local newspapers over the early 1950s highlights James Thomas's talent and community presence.

The 1954 electoral record shows James, aged 26, living at his parents' home on Dalrymple Street with brothers John Joseph (Jack) and Maurice Owen (Morrie).  His occupation was listed as Railway Fireman, which was essentially the second-in-command to the engine driver.

The 1958 electoral record shows James Thomas, aged 30, living on Dalrymple Street with his parents, James and Sarah, his sisters Marcella and Margaret, and his brother John Joseph (Jack).  James's occupation was listed as Railway Fireman.  

These photos were taken on Christmas Day, either in 1957 or 1958, and shows James Thomas with his parents and siblings sitting around the Christmas Day lunch at Dalrymple Street.  Sadly, it turned out to be the last time that they were all gathered around the table together.

There were two guests who joined the O'Donnell family at the table on that Christmas Day - Desley Yvonne Hockings (first on the left) and Maureen Currie (second on the left).   These two young ladies would marry into the O'Donnell family not long after - Desley Yvonne married James Thomas (Jim) while Maureen Currie married John Joseph (Jack).

James Thomas married Desley Yvonne Hockings in 1959, when he was 31 years old.  They began their married life together at 9 Livingstone Street in Bowen, a home filled with the bustle of railway routines, the laughter of family, and the trials of everyday life and it was there that they raised two daughters, Therese and Kristine.  

The 1963 electoral record shows James Thomas living on Livingstone Street with his wife Desley.  His occupation was listed as:  Railway Driver, as he had advanced in his working life and this new position marked a career milestone.

Not long after his wedding day, there were a few family tragedies that unfolded and heralded a significant change in the O'Donnell family life for James Thomas.

In 1961, James's younger sister Marcella Therese Webber nee O'Donnell passed away.  James Thomas was 32 years old at the time.

In 1968, James's older sister Margaret Brigid Connors nee O'Donnell passed away.  James Thomas was 39 by that time.

Two years later, in 1970, James's mother Sarah Mary Josephine O'Donnell nee McCane, died.
Then four years after that, in 1974, James's father James O'Donnell also died.  James Thomas was 45 years old when he lost his father.

James's brother Edward Martin O'Donnell passed in 1986, and his brother Edmond James O'Donnell passed in 1995.

James Thomas died in April of 2005 at the age of 76.  At the time he was living in Brisbane, in southern Queensland, but he was buried at the Bowen General Cemetery - the final resting place of his mother, his father, his two sisters and four of his five brothers.

This was a final return to the place that shaped his beginnings, his family, and his legacy.

James Thomas's life is remembered through photos, newspaper mentions, cricket scores, railway service, and the enduring bonds of a family who shared work, faith, hardship, and love in the bushland and a coastal town of northern Queensland.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  If there are events that are not quite correct, do please let me know.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  All contributions are invaluable and will provide future generations with a story to truly treasure.

A Mother and Her Daughters - Lillian Brown, Lorna Connors, Lillian O'Donnell

Some family stories arrive like whispers from the past, pieced together not through memories or passed-down tales, but through many quiet hours spent perusing and reflecting on records, certificates, and newspaper items.  Such is the story about my paternal grandmother's sister, Lillian Ruth Brown (1887-1911) and her two daughters Lorna Mary Grace Connors (1907-1975) and Lillian Madge O'Donnell (1911-1997).

Though I never met them nor heard their names woven into family conversations, research has revealed a narrative of love, loss, and resilience across generations.  While I have no photographs of my grand aunt Lillian or her eldest daughter Lorna, and only one photo of Lillian Madge, I'm hoping my words will paint a vivid and touching portrait of these women.

I have to acknowledge that there are wheels within wheels in this family story and I still don't really know all that went on and have not yet unravelled all the details.  There were obviously a number of influences, reasons and actions which made my great grand aunt's situation quite complicated, and it's something that I still don't fully understand.

Love and Loss in Quick Succession

Lillian Ruth Connors / O'Donnell nee Brown 

Born the second of four daughters to my paternal great grandparents Richard Brown and Ellen Cusack, Lillian Ruth Brown grew up alongside her older sister Grace - my grandmother - and two younger sisters - Elsie and Marcella - in Lismore, New South Wales.

Childhood bonds strengthened into adulthood when Grace and Lillian married Connors brothers just months apart in 1906.  Lillian wed James Alfred Connors in September, already expecting their daughter.

Tragedy struck swiftly.  Barely six months after the birth of a little girl named Lorna Mary Grace Connors in 1907, Lillian was widowed when James died in a horrific workplace accident.  At only 20, Lillian face the unimaginable task of raising a baby alone, likely leaning heavily on the Brown family circle for support.  She worked as a dressmaker, possibly while living with her parents and younger sisters.

Possibly in an effort to seek stability, Lillian remarried at 21 to Jeremiah (a.k.a. Gerald) O'Donnell, an Irish immigrant from County Cork.  While this Irish man had been baptised in Ireland as Jeremiah O'Donnell, he married under the name Gerald O'Donnell, and as it turned out, Jeremiah / Gerald was an interesting character!

This new chapter held both joy and sorrow for Lillian.  Her son Roger died a mere seven hours after his birth in 1909, and then in 1911, Lillian gave birth to her second daughter, Lillian Madge.  In a tragic turn of events, my grand aunt Lillian passed away just two weeks after giving birth.  

Her confinement was described as "normal" on the private hospital record until August the 27th.  The hospital record goes on to say "Then pneumonia set in and patient became weaker until death on the 31st".  The infant, at the time of delivery, was described as "delicate".  

Lillian's second daughter had been born at a maternity hospital known as Nurse Atkins' Private Hospital run by Nurse Eleanor Atkin.  That is a fact that will become quite significant as this story unfolds further.

When my grandaunt died at the age of 24, she was survived by her second husband, her daughter Lorna aged 4, and her newborn daughter Lillian.  

It is heartbreaking to know that my grand aunt, who had experienced quite a lot of grief and trauma in her short life, never got to see her two daughters grow up.

The question I've always pondered is - what happened to these two girls after the death of their mother?

The Path Of Two Sisters

Eldest Daughter - Lorna Mary Grace Everson nee Connors

Lillian's eldest daughter, Lorna Mary Grace Connors had turned four years old just a few months before the death of her mother.  The question of who cared for Lorna after her mother's death has long puzzled me.  She did not go into the care of her stepfather, Jeremiah, and while many relatives were nearby, it is unclear which family member took her in.  Who raised Lorna has remained a mystery for me.

Both Lorna's paternal grandparents (Thomas and Susan Connors) had passed away in 1910.  Her maternal grandparents (Richard and Ellen Brown) were both still living and were aged 50 and 49 respectively, in 1911.  Did Richard and Ellen took Lorna into their care?

Perhaps she passed into the care of one of her aunts. Marcella May (known as Marcy) Brown was still living in Lismore, but was only 19 years old at the time of her sister's death.  It's unlikely that she would have taken on the responsibility of her four-year old niece.

Lorna's other aunt, my grandmother Grace, was living with her husband and three children at Mullumbimby, nearly 50 miles away.  Grace and her husband George were moving around quite a lot around this time in their marriage, following opportunities for work as George was a dairyman and continually looking for work on dairy farms.

Lorna's aunt Elsie, aged 21, had married by the time her sister Lillian died, and had a one-year old daughter.  She was still living in Lismore, so perhaps she was the one who stepped in.

Alternatively, perhaps Lorna became part of the Connors family, her father's family.  As previously mentioned, Lorna's paternal grandparents were no longer alive at this point, so they are ruled out.

Lorna's paternal aunt, her father's oldest sister, Mary Ellen Bates (nee Connors) was 36 at the time, married with three children and pregnant with her fourth. They were all still living in Lismore, so could they have taken on the responsibility of raising Lorna?

I've not found any evidence during my research that can help me answer the question of what happened to Lorna during her childhood years.

I do however know something of Lorna's adult years.  

By 1926, Lorna had married Frederick James Everson in Annandale, New South Wales.  Motherhood, however, brought grief mirroring her mother's story.  Lorna gave birth to twin daughters, Florence and Sheila, in 1928.  Tragically, Florence died the day after she was born, and Sheila passed away two years later. 

Lorna's later years were spent near Broadwater, where her aunt Marcella May Tyler nee Brown lived, suggesting family ties may have quietly persisted.

Lorna passed away in 1975, aged 68.

She was buried at the Evans Head Cemetery, near Broadwater, in New South Wales.

Youngest daughter - Lillian Madge Rapmund / Robertson nee O'Donnell

Of the two sisters, Lillian Madge's story is perhaps the most astonishing.  

Records have led me to discover who cared for Lillian Madge after the passing of her mother.  Many, many years later, in 1934, Lillian Madge, appeared in Sydney's Probate Court to 'apply for leave to swear to the death of her father, Jeremiah O'Donnell.'  She pleaded her case and the leave to swear to her father's death was granted.

During this probate court hearing Lillian Madge Rapmund nee O'Donnell shared some heartbreaking information about her life and her relationship with her father.  Details of the probate application were published in several newspapers at the time, and here is an example:

"The applicant (Lilian Madge Rapmund) had no memory of having seen her father, but identified herself as his daughter from particulars shown upon the marriage certificate of her mother and the certificate given at her mother's death.

It appeared that O'Donnell (Jeremiah, her father) was born at Murwillumbah in 1883 (This detail was not correct as proven by the details Jeremiah supplied when he enlisted).  In 1908 he married at Lismore, his wife's maiden name being Brown.

In 1911, a child (the applicant) was born at a maternity hospital in Lismore.  The mother died 14 days later and from then onward (until marriage in 1931) the child remained with the matron of the hospital (Mrs. Atkin).

O'Donnell made no attempt to support his child and eventually left Lismore and enlisted in the A.I.F.  While on sick leave from France he went from England to Ireland.  He never rejoined his regiment, and was recorded as a deserter."

So it was that Lillian Madge grew up in the care of Eleanor Atkin nee Jones - Nurse Atkin - the matron of the maternity hospital where she was born.  Obviously, the father of the baby never turned up at the hospital to take his daughter home, and what is also rather strikingly obvious is that this little baby girl did not go home with any of the Brown family (my grandaunt's sisters or parents).  This was such a shock to me!   

My great grandparents, my grandmother and my other grandaunts, apparently left this infant to the care of the woman who ran the maternity hospital.  My incredulity about this situation led me to dig deeper.  Who was this Nurse Atkin?  

She was in fact a relative of my grand aunt Lillian Ruth and her daughter Lillian Madge. Nurse Atkin was Eleanor Atkin nee Jones, and was my grand aunt Lillian Ruth's 1st cousin once removed. 

 

They were both descendants of Susannah Exton nee Lancaster.  

Eleanor Jane Atkin nee Jones (Nurse Atkin) was the daughter of Susannah's eldest daughter Harriett. 

Lillian Ruth Brown was the granddaughter of Susannah's daughter Eliza (my 3x great grandmother).

Eleanor Atkin nee Jones had taken over her parent's home, and had established a maternity hospital in the building known as 'Lochiel', following in the footsteps of her mother Harriet, who had acted as midwife to all the families in the district for many years in the late 1800s.

So it came about that Lillian Madge, "remained" with Mrs. Eleanor Atkin until the day of her marriage.  Did any of her close Brown or Connors relatives have contact with her during these twenty years?  I'm unsure about that, but Lillian Madge lived in Lismore for her entire lifetime, and there would have been extended Brown and Connors family living in the same town that entire time! 

The knowledge that Lillian Madge's father appears to have abandoned her from birth, having no contact with her at all from then on, caused me some consternation.  I felt compelled to do some further research into the life of this man, Jeremiah / Gerald O'Donnell.

He was the son of Rodger O'Donnell and Margaret Molan, born in 1880 in Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland.  He had been baptised in the Parish of Brigown and Marshalstown in the Cloyne Diocese.  At some point (I'm still researching this) it appears he emigrated to Australia, where Jeremiah sometimes used the name Gerald.

At the age of 28, he married Lillian Ruth Connors nee Brown, under the name of Gerald O'Donnell.  Six years after the death of his wife and the birth of his daughter, he enlisted with the AIF under the name of Jeremiah O'Donnell.

The attestation paper he completed in January of 1917 indicated that he was born in Mitchellstown, County Cork, Ireland.  

He stated he was a widower and that his next of kin was his daughter Lillian Madge O'Donnell.  

Jeremiah recorded the address for his daughter as:  c/- Nurse Atkin, North Lismore, Richmond River, N.S.W.

After enlisting with the 9 / 54th Battalion, Jeremiah served in France from September 1917 to February 1918.  He went on leave at the end of February and went to England.  Jeremiah's war service record however indicates he did not stay in England for his leave, but travelled home to stay with his brother William O'Donnell in Carragnane, Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland.

He failed to return from his leave, could not be tracked down in Ireland, and was declared an illegal absentee in March of 1918.   In July of 1920, Jeremiah was discharged from the A.I.F. in consequence of being an illegal absentee. 

In Jeremiah's war service record, I found a copy of a letter written by Eleanor Atkin (Nurse Atkin) in 1923, concerning Lillian Madge, although Eleanor refers to her as Madge Lilian:

She was writing in answer to a letter that had been sent to Lillian, but obviously the Australian Army was unaware of Lillian's age.  Eleanor stated she had not heard from Lillian's father since 1918 and mentioned that she had "adopted" Lillian.  It was made clear that Eleanor (and therefore Lillian) had not heard anything about the fate of Jeremiah during and after the war.  

While he had listed Lillian as the beneficiary on the will he made before shipping out from Australia, he did not send any of his army pay back home to provide support for her.  He had to all intents and purposes, abandoned her and was never heard from again.

I have found evidence that Lillian Madge had indeed been adopted by Eleanor and Joseph Atkin.  

When Joseph passed away in 1941, Lillian is mentioned in his obituary as his "adopted daughter", but mentioned as Mrs. H. Rapmund.

Lillian Madge had married Henry David Rapmund in 1931 when she was 20 years old.  They went on to have three children, but their married life was to be cut short after eleven years.  Lillian's husband enlisted for service in January of 1942 and never returned home.  He served in New Guinea, where he was killed in action in December of 1942.  

Lillian was 31 years old when she became a widow with three young children to support.  She re-married five years later, in 1947, to a Scottish immigrant named James Brown Robertson.  She was 36 years old.

I stumbled upon a newspaper item with a photo showing Lillian on the day of her second wedding.

She is the lady standing on the right wearing "a blue crepe street-length frock trimmed with sequins at the neckline and featuring a full skirt".   The description continues, she "carried a white handbag and a posy of cream roses".

Interestingly, the newspaper item states that Lillian was "attended by Mrs. Adrian Rix" and she was "given away by Mr. Rix."

Adrian Rix was the son of Irene Eliza Atkin - yes, Atkin - the niece of Eleanor Atkin (Nurse Atkin).   

Eleanor had married Joseph Atkin, while her sister Hannah had married Thomas Atkin (Joseph's brother).

So, it seems Lillian did end up with family, but a totally different branch of the family.  While I feel somewhat comforted to know Lillian was amongst her own, I am still left wondering whether or not she ever had interactions with closer relatives of her mother.

Lillian passed away in 1997 at the age of 85.

She was buried at the Northern Rivers Memorial Park Cemetery in Lismore, New South Wales. where her story began.

The intertwined lives of Lillian Ruth Brown and her daughters reflect a lineage marked by grief but also perseverance and resilience.  From Lillian's brief yet eventful life to Lorna's quiet endurance and Lillian Madge's remarkable independence and fortitude, their journeys remind us how love, loss and kinship - sometimes from the most unexpected corners of a family tree - shape the generations that follow.

While gaps remain in their stories - especially about childhood years and family connections - I share what I have pieced together with care and respect.  These women now take their rightful place in our family's ongoing story.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  If there are events that are not quite correct, do please let me know.  You can use the comments box below or use the 'Contact Form' at the top of the sidebar on the right side of my blog post.  All contributions are invaluable and will provide future generations with a story to truly treasure.

I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  The prompt for this week's challenge is:  Wheels.

For anyone wishing to join the challenge, please click on this link:  Generations Cafe (Facebook Group)

Spotlight ... In The Beginning!

Lately, I've been deeply invested in uncovering the exact birthplaces of my ancestors and extended family.  This pursuit has been spurred by the realisation that familial accounts of birthplaces were often misleading or outright incorrect.  

Though verifying these details has sometimes required purchasing official birth records - an expensive endeavour - I find immense satisfaction in knowing I am uncovering and preserving the truth about precisely where my ancestors' and relatives' stories actually began.

The Start of My 'Beginnings' Quest

I started this recent journey of discovery with the exact beginnings of my parents and their siblings.  

In this post however, I will only share some of the interesting details uncovered in relation to the births and birthplaces of my mother and a couple of her siblings, because it led to a further discovery - an intriguing story about someone who is not a relative, but who's impressive story I'd love to share.

Accessing birth records through the Queensland Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths has been a valuable resource, albeit with limitations.  Currently, only birth records up to 1925 are available, so I've only been able to locate records for three of my maternal grandmother's eight children:  my uncle Edmond James O'Donnell, my mother Margaret Brigid Connors nee O'Donnell, and my uncle Maurice Owen O'Donnell. 

Upon initially receiving these records a few years ago, I really only gave them cursory glances.  Recent deeper dives, however, have revealed fascinating insights.

Birthplaces and Surprising Details

The birth record of Edmond, my grandmother Sarah O'Donnell nee McCane's first child, lists his birthplace as "Kyburra, Bowen-Ayr Railway."  

At first glance, this might sound as though he was born at a railway station!  Not so.  Edmond was born at home on his parents' farm near the Kyburra siding, along the Bowen-Ayr railway line.   

This entry highlights how rural life during the 1920s shaped the recording of important events in my grandparents lives.  They didn't live in a town.  They lived in a farming community that was recognised and named according to the nearest important landmark - the railway siding where the farmers loaded their produce onto trains for shipment to markets elsewhere in the state.

So this home birth provided me with a very interesting insight into how a fact like "where born" was completed by my grandparents on their child's birth record.  An interesting aside is what's recorded in the 'witnesses' column further along on the record.  

There are three possibles for an entry in this column.  

1. is for the name of a medical attendant (usually a doctor).  

2. is for the name of a nurse attending the birth.   

3.  is for the name or names of any other witnesses (such as family members - husbands, aunts, grandmothers etc.)

Immediately I noted that my maternal great grandmother, Margaret McCane nee Farrell, was listed as the attending 'nurse'.  

This indicates she acted as a midwife during the birth of her own grandchild.   This role within families would have been quite common for women in her era.  Many would have gained hands-on experience assisting relatives and neighbours in childbirth.  My great grandmother Margaret had first-hand knowledge, having witnessed her mother giving birth to her siblings when she was 14 and 21 years old, and having given birth to seven children herself.

In addition, Margaret lived on a farm that was located quite close to daughter Sarah's home.  This proximity to her daughter and son-in-law's farm further cemented her role as a supportive presence during childbirth. 

Along with all of that, the tradition of midwifery appears to have run in the family.  My great grandmother's sister, Helen Ann Davies nee Farrell, had made a career of it, operating as a midwife after her husband's death in 1911.  No doubt, Margaret and her sister Helen would have had long conversations about childbirth over the years, and this combined wisdom would have comforted my grandmother Sarah during the delivery of her first-born.

When Sarah gave birth to her second child, my mother Margaret O'Donnell, in 1923, the birth record lists her birthplace as "Broadlands, Ayr-Bowen Railway", which essentially means that she was also born at home on the family farm, just like her older brother Edmond.   Instead of using 'Kyburra' as the recognisable local landmark, my grandparents used the name often used for the area around the Kyburra siding.

 

The role my great grandmother Margaret played in the birth of this grandchild of hers was once again listed as 'nurse'.  By this time, my great grandmother was aged 56, supporting her daughter (my grandmother) Sarah once again with the birth of a child.

Shifting Traditions

When my grandmother Sarah gave birth to her third child however, things had changed.

It was 1925 by then and the birth record for my uncle, Maurice Owen O'Donnell, lists his birthplace as "Palm Cottage, Poole Street, Bowen".  This means that my grandmother Sarah had travelled almost 70 kilometres / 43 miles to the nearby town of Bowen to give birth.

The name "Palm Cottage" intrigued me and I wondered what sort of place this was!  I also noticed that the witness listed for this birth was not my grandmother Sarah's mother (my great grandmother Margaret) as before, but someone named Nurse Amy Field.

I realised in that instance that my grandmother had travelled to what was called a "lying-in hospital" run by a midwife named Nurse Field.

Uncovering Nurse Amy Field's Legacy

My previous research into the history of the midwifery career of my maternal great-grandaunt, Helen Ann Davies nee Farrell (mentioned before as the sister of my great grandmother Margaret and therefore the aunt of my grandmother Sarah) had uncovered the fact that she had been running her "lying-in hospital" for around 23 years by this stage.  

(Her story can be found here:  The Story of Helen Ann Farrell )

It was not common practice for women to give birth in hospitals back in the early 1900s.  The beginning of many babies' lives happened in a "lying-in hospital", which was a facility run by a private midwife in her own home.  Pregnant women would go there just before the birth of their baby and remain there throughout labour and for several days afterwards, supported by the midwife.

It would seem highly likely that my grandmother Sarah had received advice from her aunt Helen about the benefits of giving birth at a highly regarded establishment like Nurse Field's 'Palm Cottage'.

My interest had been piqued!  I was curious about Palm Cottage and I embarked on a research journey to learn about Nurse Amy field.

Immediately, I found that she had been mentioned in a blog post written by Trisha Fielding, a professional historian and writer who has worked at my local university, James Cook University.  Trisha Fielding is a Special Collections Library Officer there, and is a published author of quite a number of books about aspects of North Queensland history.

The post from Trisha's blog North Queensland History is titled NQ Midwives - "Invisible Heroines" and there is a great photo of Nurse Field at the top.

The author of this post, Trisha Fielding, goes on to say:

"Born in Bowen in 1879, Amy Louisa Wilcox Field trained as a nurse in Warwick for three years under Matron McNamara and later nursed in private homes in Bowen and Proserpine. ....  In 1908 she opened a private hospital in Bowen called Palm Cottage, where, by the time of her retirement in 1936, more than 2,000 children had been born. .... Nurse Field died in August 1939, at the age of 68, only three years after retiring from nursing."

There was an excerpt from a newspaper obituary included in this post as well, so I went off to Trove (Australia's free online research portal located at the National Library of Australia) to see what I could find in the newspaper archive.

In the Bowen Independent, dated Friday 28th of July 1939, this obituary appeared:

It was followed by this "Mother's Tribute":

An article published in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, dated Monday the 24th of July 1939, mentioned that from Bowen's early years in the late 1860s, up until 1922, there had been around 948 successful births in the town, but by 1936 (when Nurse Field had retired), the number had passed 2000!

That particular article also stated that "She had a marvellous record.  Her patients always returned".  

Historian Trisha Fielding had described Nurse Field as one of the "invisible heroines" of North Queensland's history, and this sentiment was echoed in contemporary newspaper articles, praising her exceptional record and the loyalty of her patients.

A Broader Perspective

The shift from home births on rural farms to seeking care at facilities like Palm Cottage highlights the evolving practices of childbirth in the early 20th century.  Discovering these details has enriched my understanding of not only my family's history, but also the broader context of maternal care in rural northern Australia.  It has also connected me to remarkable individuals like Amy Field, whose contributions deserve to be remembered and celebrated.

I now wonder if Palm Cottage might appear on the birth records of my other maternal aunts and uncles.  Did my grandmother Sarah return to Nurse Field's care for the birth of her subsequent children?  This question is a tantalising thread I intend to follow in my ongoing beginnings research.

I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.

The prompt for this week's challenge is:  In The Beginning.

Anyone who wishes to join the challenge, please click on this link:  Generations Cafe (Facebook Group)