Memories ... February 19

Anniversary of a Birthday

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

Today is the anniversary of the birth date of my paternal grandfather, George Thomas Brown.

I have written a longer, far more detailed post about my grandfather before (follow this link if you are interested in reading: The Story of George Thomas Connors), but for this 'Memories' post I will simply include some of the important events in his life.

• George was the fourth of ten children born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• He was born on the 19th of February 1880 in the township of Meroo, New South Wales.

• His siblings included 

          - Mary Ellen, born in 1874

          - John Edgar, born 1876

          - William Adolphus, born 1878

          - Alice Adelaide, born 1882

          - James Alfred, born in 1884

          - Percy Jerome, born 1886

          - Cyril Ernest, born 1888

          - Frederick Augustus, born 1890

          - Erice Sylvester, born in 1892

• George spent his childhood years learning the work of dairy farming, following in the footsteps of his father.

• Over his lifetime however, George was employed in various occupations.  He worked on railway gangs.  He worked as a butcher, and he also found employment at a forestry logging camp at one point.

• In 1906, when he was 26 years old, George married Grace Brown in Lismore, New South Wales.

• They went on to have 11 children, but sadly lost two of their children in infancy.

• George and Grace were married for 60 years, until George passed away.

• In 1966, at the age of 86, George died.

• He was buried at the Gympie Cemetery.

• George was survived by his wife and his nine children.

Memories ... January 10

In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Click on this link  The Story of James O'Donnell  if you want to read more about James.

Click on this link  The Story of Edmond O'Donnell  if you want to read more about Edmond.

My maternal grandfather James and his father, my maternal great grandfather Edmond, both died on January 10th, which is a coincidence I've only just become aware of recently.  It seems sad in a way that my grandfather died on the same day in January as the father he barely knew, as Edmond died when my grandfather was only 5 years old.

Collating various bits and pieces of information about their lives showed that their day of passing seems to have been the only thing they really did have in common.

On my father's side of the family, January 10th is also the day my paternal Granduncle died.  Tragically he died by his own hands, having seemingly never recovered from the trauma of witnessing the gruesome death of his younger brother.  Life can be cruel sometimes!

I've told the stories of both John Edgar and his brother James Alfred in this post:  Fire!

Spotlight On ... A Timeline for My Grandparents

Memories of my maternal and paternal grandparents are few, and that's because I really only knew them for a few short years. 

George Thomas Connors
1880 - 1966
(photo courtesy of Carmel Ryan)

 My paternal Grandfather George was 79 years old when I was born  and died when I was 6 years old.

Grace Olive Brown
1885 - 1974
(photo courtesy of Carmel Ryan)

 My paternal Grandmother Grace was  74 by the time I was born, and Grace  passed when I was 14.  

 They lived at the other end of my home  state and visits only happened every   couple of years until Grace died.

James O'Donnell
1887 - 1974

My maternal Grandfather James was 72 years old when I was born, and passed away when I was 14.

Sarah Mary Josephine McCane
1894 - 1970

My maternal Grandmother Sarah was 65 when I came into this world, and Sarah passed when I was 10.

By the time I had celebrated my 15th birthday, my grandparents had all passed on and the memory-making times were ended.  I was left with just a few scant memories of elderly people, and to be honest, had not given them much thought for quite a long time.

In recent years though, since I began researching my family tree, I have started reflecting on the times and historical events that shaped my grandparents lives, and have often wished I had had more time with them to talk about the things that made a mark on their thinking and experience of the world.  

All four were born within a 14-year time period at the end of the 19th century - between 1880 and 1894 - and they lived for six or seven decades into the 20th century.  

My paternal grandparents:   George lived until he was 86.  Grace lived until she was 89.

My maternal grandparents:  James lived until he was 86.  Sarah lived until she was 75.

All lived what could still be considered quite long lives, and would have seen some incredible changes to the world they knew.

Here are some of the events that shaped world and Australian history during their lifetimes:

(pictures are taken from the National Museum of Australia's 'Defining Moments In Australian History' timeline).

1880s

• Irish-born bushranger Ned Kelly had achieved notoriety stealing animals and money. To some he was a hero, as he passed on money to the poor, but unfortunately he also killed a number of policeman, which meant he was seen a vicious criminal to others.
• Ned Kelly was hanged at Melbourne Goal in 1880. 
• Australia had defeated England in a cricket match that had been held on English soil for the first time in 1882.  This match led to the birth of a cricket series known as "The Ashes" played between Australia and England, which has been a significant event throughout the decades since. My grandfathers would have eagerly followed the Test Cricket series throughout their lifetimes.
• The Australian Women's Suffrage Society was formed in 1889.  Their aim was to obtain the same rights for women as for men, including the the right to own property. It's amazing to think that the movement to secure voting rights for women only began around the time both my grandmothers were born!

1890s

• South Australian women were granted the right to vote in 1894, followed by the women in Western Australia in 1899.
• The Australian Olympic Committee was founded in 1895.
• "Waltzing Matilda" was first sung in public in 1895 in Winton, Queensland.
• Edwin Flack was the first athlete to represent Australia in the Summer Olympics, held in Athens in 1896.
• The 1890s Depression occurred after the land boom bubble of the 1880s burst.  Overseas investment dried up, banks failed and unemployment soared. The formative childhood period of my grandparents happened during these Depression years and their day-to-day life at this time would have been quite austere.  Long into their adult years, they all lived 'working class' lives, making do with what they had.

1900s

• Australia became a federation in 1901.
• Edward Barton (later Sir Edward Barton) became the first Prime Minister of Australia.  He was elected in 1901.
• The original design of Australia's national flag was first flown in 1901.
• Women in Queensland, where my maternal grandmother was born, were granted the right to vote in 1905, when my maternal grandmother was 10 years old. I wonder if she was made aware of this major change for women by her own mother at the time?
• Women in New South Wales, where my paternal grandmother was born, had been granted the right to vote in Federal elections in 1902, when my paternal grandmother was 17. I imagine my paternal grandmother would have been well aware of this meaningful change to basic rights for women in her home state.

1910s

• The Royal Australian Navy was founded in 1911.
• The first national census was conducted in 1911.
• The Australian Capital Territory was proclaimed in 1911.  
• Canberra, in the ACT was officially named as the capital of Australia in 1913.
• Australia sent women to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1912.
• Australian soldiers landed at ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey.
• Australia suffered heavy casualties in the Western Front Battle of the Somme.
• The Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade launched the last cavalry charge in modern warfare to capture Beersheba from the Ottoman Turks.
• First World War ended in 1918 - 60,000 Australians dead. Two of my paternal grandfathers' brothers served in WW1, and only one returned home.  My grandfather George's youngest brother died in the Somme, in France in 1916.  Three of my maternal grandmother's uncles served in WW1.  Two returned home, but one died in Belgium in 1917.  All my grandparents' lives were impacted by the war in some way.

1920s

• Australia's own airline, QANTAS, was founded in 1920.
• Edith Cowan became the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament.
• Vegemite was first produced in 1923.
• Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge began in 1923.
• Australian pilots Bert Hinkler and Charles Kingsford Smith completed successful first ever flights in 1928 - Bert Hinkler flew from Britain to Australia, and Charles Kingsford Smith flew from the United States to Australia.  
• My maternal grandparents began their married life in the early 1920, whilst my paternal grandparents celebrated nearly 15 years of marriage.  My maternal grandparents were about to start their family, with their first son born in 1922, followed by the birth of another four children by the end of the 1920s.  My paternal grandparents already had a family of six children by 1920.  Sadly, they would lose two newborns in 1921 and 1922, before welcoming twin boys in 1924 and their last child in 1929.

1930s

• New South Wales batsman Don Bradman scored a world record first-class individual innings of 452 not out in a 1930 Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.
• In the 1930 Third Test at Leeds, against England, Don Bradman scored 100 before tea, 100 before lunch, and 100 by the end of the day's play - 309 in total. I would think that both my grandfathers raised a glass or two in celebration that day!
• Legendary horse, Phar Lap, wins his only Melbourne Cup race in 1930.
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932.
• Sir Charles Kingsford Smith disappears during a flight in 1935.
• The last thylacine (commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger) dies.
• Victoria is devastated by the Black Friday bushfires in 1939.
• Australia enters the Second World War in September of 1939.  The thought of having to live through another war must have weighted heavy on all my grandparents.  My paternal grandparents would have immediately thought about the possibility of some of their sons having to go off to war!   They had sons aged 31, 28, 25 and 15.  Thankfully, my maternal grandparents had sons who were considerably younger at the time, and they no doubt breathed a sigh of relief that they could remain safe at home.

1940s

• A team of scientists, under Howard Florey, develops penicillin in 1940.
• In 1941, three divisions of the newly formed 2nd Australian Imperial Force join operations in the Mediterranean.  After initial successes against Italy, the 2nd AIF suffered defeat against the Germans in Greece, Crete and North Africa.
• In April to August of 1941, an Australian garrison (known as the Rats of Tobruk) halt the advance of Hitler's panzers for the first time during the Siege of Tobruk.  One of my paternal grandparent's sons (my uncle) served in WW11 and was one of the Rats of Tobruk.  His war service impacted the remainder of his life, and would have been keenly felt by his parents (my paternal grandparents) and his siblings. 
• Singapore falls in 1942 and 15,000 Australians become Prisoners of War of the Japanese.
• Japanese air raids on Australia occurred in 1942 and 1943 - almost 100 attacks on sites in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.  No doubt my maternal grandparents in particular would have been extremely concerned about the possibility of Japanese air raids impacting their place or residence, as the lived in north Queensland and would have heard about raids in places nearby.  
• The bombing of Darwin in the Northern Territory saw the largest attack on Australia by a foreign power.
• In May of 1942, the U.S. and the Royal Australian Navy halt the advance of the Japanese towards Port Moresby, in the Austalian Territory of Papua.
• During July to November of 1942, Australian soldiers halt the Japanese march on Port Moresby in what became known as the Battle of the Kokoda Trail.
• Australia wins its first Oscar in 1943, with cinematographer Damien Parer honoured for his 'Kokoda Front Line!' documentary.
• 1945, Nazi Germany and Japan surrender.
• Australia becomes a founding member of the United Nations in 1945.
• Australia becomes a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
• Holden starts manufacturing its first Australian designed and built car in 1948.
• The Nationality and Citizenship Act is passed in 1949.  The Act established Australian citizenship marking the end of Australians being identified as British subjects.

1950s

• Australian troops are sent to the Korean War in 1950, to assist South Korea.
• In 1952 the first nuclear test was conducted in Australian by the United Kingdom, off the coast of Western Australia.  By this time my paternal grandparents were now grandparents, whilst grandparenthood (is there such a word?) was not far off for my maternal grandparents.  I have no doubt they would have reflected on what sort of world their grandchildren would witness.   
• Television was launched in Australia in 1956.
• The 16th Summer Olympics was held in Melbourne in 1956.
• Construction of the Sydney Opera House began in 1959.  It would eventually cost $102 million.   

1960s

• Robert Menzies' Commonwealth Electoral Act of 1962 provided that all indigenous Australians should have the right to enrol and vote at federal elections.
• The Beatles' 1964 world tour reached Australia.
• Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, announced in 1964 the reintroduction of compulsory military service for men aged from 18 to 25 years old.
• The first troops were sent to the Vietnam War in 1964.
• The Australian currency was changed to dollars and cents in 1966, with the Australian dollar replacing the Australian pound.
• In 1967, the constitution was changed to allow Aboriginal Australians to be included in the population count 
• Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in 1967 while swimming.
• Australia signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1968.

1970s

• In 1970, more than 200,000 people participate in the largest demonstration in Australian history, against the Vietnam War.
• Neville Bonner becomes the first Aborigine to become an Australian member of Parliament in 1971.
• In 1972, the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission rules that women doing the same job as men have the right to be paid the same wage.
• The first Labor government since 1949 is elected under the leadership of Gough Whitlam in 1972.
• The Sydney Opera House is formally opened by Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1973.
• The Vietnam War ends in 1973. 
• The White Australia Policy (established back n 1901) is officially dismantled.
• "Advance Australia Fair" is recognised as Australia's national song in 1974, but not as the national anthem.

By the mid-70s, all my grandparents had passed.  They had lived through the very end of the 19th century, and over half of the 20th century and had witnessed some quite extraordinary world-changing events including World War 1 and World War 11, the rise of nuclear weapons, space exploration, as well as fantastic technological and scientific advances.  

Their birthplace, Australia, changed significantly in their lifetime with the development of nationalism and decolonization.  Australia was becoming a nation that was standing on its own two feet, developing its own national identity, and no longer regarding itself as just another colony of the British Empire. 

At the start of their lifetimes, Australia could have been characterized as an overwhelmingly Christian nation with inhabitants born almost exclusively in Australia, the United Kingdom or Ireland.  So much has changed since then.

My Close Family

 When I began researching my family tree about ten years ago, I literally had just a handful of photos of my parents and grandparents.  I think there were about six or seven of my mother, taken quite a long time ago, as she had died when I was quite young. Similarly, the photos I had of my maternal grandparents, aunt and uncles were were from the 1940s / 1950s, and I could count them on one hand!

As for my paternal side, I had two photos of Dad when he was in his early 20s, and the rest of the collection dated from the his wedding day onwards until his death in 2016, but nothing from his childhood.  Additionally, I had only one photo of my paternal grandmother and none at all of my paternal grandfather.  

Now, as a result of reaching out and renewing contact with close relatives, along with around a decade of research, I have a much larger collection of precious photos of my close family.  I've put these together to make a brief family movie that I can pass on to the next generation.

Unfortunately, the movie was too big to upload as a whole, so I've had to split it into two parts:

Part 1:  The Connors side  (paternal)

                (hover over screen and click on the box in the bottom right-hand corner to go full screen)

Part 2:  The O'Donnell side  (maternal)

Music:   Arvo Pärt- Spiegel im Spiegel

The Story of James O'Donnell

This is the story of my maternal grandfather, James O'Donnell (1887-1974), known as Jim.

James O'Donnell
Photo contributed by Terry and Carmel O'Donnell

In the year of my Grandpop's birth, 1887, work began on the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; Anne Sullivan began teaching a 6-year old blind and deaf girl named Helen Keller; Britain was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria; Australian swimming legend Annette Kellerman was born and Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opened in London.

Toowoomba, early 1880s.  Item held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.  In the public domain.

James O'Donnell was born in October 1887 in Toowoomba, Queensland.  

His birth certificate records his birthplace as 'The Showgrounds', which I suspect is not commonly sighted on birth records.  What exactly does that mean?

Back then, I think the old showgrounds was a place where itinerant workers, poverty stricken, unemployed or homeless people could live, and it's highly likely they would have lived in tents or temporary shanty structures. Perhaps there were actually little houses erected around the edges of the showgrounds, but I doubt that.  I'm intrigued to know what it would have been like, living at the showgrounds.

James's older brother and younger sister were all born at the Toowoomba Agricultural Showgrounds, but not his oldest sister or youngest brother, so it seems there was definitely a period of about five years when the family appears to have been in dire straits and were living in a place of makeshift housing.

My grandpop James's parents, Edmond O'Donnell and Bridget Burke, were Irish immigrants who had both arrived in mid-1883.  They had come from County Kilkenny, disembarked at Brisbane and had then travelled on to Toowoomba.  At that time my great grandfather Edmond had an older brother somewhere in Australia, and my great grandmother Bridget had a much older brother in Toowoomba; so there was some family here when they arrived.  It doesn't seem though that any of those family members were doing well and were in the position to help set up Edmond and Bridget.

When my grandpop James was born, his father Edmond was aged 25 and his mother Bridget Burke was 36.  

That, even now, could be considered a bit of an age difference, and I assume it might have been considered unusual back then as well.  Whilst it was not unheard of for the man to be considerably older, the woman being over 10 years older may have raised some eyebrows.  Perhaps it escaped anyone's notice. Edmond might have looked older than his years, or Bridget may have looked younger than hers! 

James was the third of five children born to Edmond and Bridget.  

Catherine (known as Kate), the eldest child, was born in 1884, just outside Toowoomba in a place named Aubigny.  

The second child, John, was born in 1886 at the showgrounds.  He died in 1888, when my grandpop was less than a year old.  On the death certificate John's name was recorded as 'James Patrick' which was an error.  Parents don't usually give two sons, born one after the other, the same first name.

Mary Margaret was born in 1890 at the showgrounds, when James was 3 years old. 

Maurice Patrick was born in 1892 at James Street, when James was aged 4.

In a cruel twist of fate James's father died the following year, in January 1893, having only been in Australia for 10 years.  His demise is a sad tale, which I've written about in this post:  The Story of Edmond O'Donnell 

At the time of his father Edmond's death, James was 5 years old.

Bridget O'Donnell's Free Selector's Hotel, Toowoomba 1894 -
that's probably Bridget, daughter Kate and son James standing in front of the sign
(Photo contributed by Terry and Carmel O'Donnell)

James's mother, Bridget, was now widowed with 4 children aged between 1 and 9; having already lost a son.  She became the licensed victualler of a hotel, not long after the death of her husband, obviously in an attempt to provide a fairly stable source of income so she could take care of her family.  She re-married the following year, in 1895, so James had a step-father at the age of 7.  Then nine months later, James's step-brother, Morgan Joseph, was born.

In 1897, aged nine, James was attending school in Toowoomba.  Research led me to the Queensland School Pupils' Register, kept by the Queensland Family History Society, where James's name appears on the Toowoomba South Boys' School's admission register.  He was admitted to that school in March of  1897, just five months after his ninth birthday.  I have not yet found out whether or not he attended school prior to this, nor have I found out when he finished his schooling.  Most children at that time left school around the age of 12. 

The year after James began school at the Toowoomba South Boys' School, in 1898, his eldest sister Catherine (Kate) died at the age of 13.  The causes of death recorded on the death certificate included: Bright's disease (which is a kidney disease), general dropsy and coma. Kate had been ill for at least 6 months, so that must have taken its toll on all the members of the family.

You would think that the death of his father and eldest sister within five years, must have had a profound effect on James.  Experiencing such losses at such a young age would have resulted in so many raw emotions, which in those days you were not encouraged to articulate!  It would probably have been a case of "chin up and carry-on" and remaining stoic on the outside.

Putting faces to names:  This collage shows James (top left), James's parents (bottom right) and his surviving sister (mid left) and brother (bottom left).

In the years between the death of his father and his early adult years, I can only suppose what James's life would have been like as I never had the opportunity to know him well and listen to his stories.  I would think James would have spent most of his time working in the hotel (which was quite a considerable establishment) helping out his mother.  He would have developed all sorts of handyman skills.

When researching your family tree, census data can be very helpful sometimes, and that was certainly the case when I began researching my Grandpop many years ago.  At that time, I had very little knowledge of him, other than a few memories from my childhood.

As I researched and dug deeper, I found quite a number of census records for him over a very long period of time.  These records helped me put together a rough outline of his movements and profession from the age of 25.  I was then able to build a picture of a man I didn't have the opportunity to get to know well.

James spent his 20s living in his home town of Toowoomba.

The census record for 1912 confirmed that James was still living in Toowoomba, his birthplace, and living at the Southern Hotel on Ruthven Street.  That was the second hotel run by his mother, Bridget.  She had re-married many years before this, and was now Bridget O'Brien.

Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, circa 1910

At this time James was aged 25, and his occupation was recorded as 'plumber'.  Whilst he had learnt many skills working around his mother's hotel, he had obviously gone on to learn a trade.

A fascinating fact that emerged from this record was that there were quite a number of O'Donnells listed in the 1912 census who seemed to be living and probably working at hotels in Toowoomba. There are 6 (old enough to vote) who were living at the Engineers' Arms Hotel.

I wonder about the relationships amongst all these O'Donnells.  Were they related?  Was James aware of these people and did they know each other?  

The 1913 census records appears to be similar, except that there are now more O'Donnells of voting age in the Toowoomba hotel business.  Irish immigrant O'Donnells running pubs!  What a notion!

It appears that James left his home town just before he turned 30 and moved quite a long way up north, to a tiny little spot on the map named Kyburra. That's a distance of nearly 1,300 kilometres / 800 miles!  More wondering!  What was it that led him to that location so far from his home?

The answer may lie in the advertisements printed in newspapers in Queensland between 1915 and 1916.  

These ads stated that there was crown land available for selection and occupation in several areas to the north of Bowen, around Gumlu and Guthalungra. 

Kyburra was a railway siding at Broadlands, close to Guthalungra, on the rail line between Ayr and Bowen.  I don't think there was ever a township there, just farms dotted around the area.

The 1917 census records showed that James (aged 30) and his younger brother Maurice (aged 25) appeared to have taken up the offer to select and occupy a parcel of crown land in the area close to Kyburra.

Along with census records at this point in time, I also came across an intriguing notice in the September 23rd edition of the 1916 Telegraph newspaper (out of Brisbane).

The notice showed that a man named James O'Donnell of Kyburra, via Bowen; was applying to bring a parcel of land under the Real Property Acts of 1861 and 1877.  This meant he was making an application to have a deed or title over a parcel of land changed from crown leasehold to freehold.

James was making this claim for land at Aubigny, near Toowoomba. How did he end up with the deed or title over this land?  Aubigny was the place where his oldest sister Kate had been born, but the family had moved on and didn't appear to have returned.

Was he attempting to secure the property for himself?  That seems unlikely as he was already living on property further north.  Was he securing the freehold lease for another member of his family?  It certainly wasn't for his eldest sister who had been born there, as she had died 18 years before this.  Was it for his mother?  She was still running the Southern Hotel in Toowoomba but perhaps having farming land was possibly considered a good investment.  I do wonder why though Bridget didn't purchase the property herself.  Could it have been for his younger sister, Mary Margaret?  Again, perhaps James considered it a good investment for his only sister as their mother was then in her mid-60s and would not always be able to provide a living for all the family.  All conjecture of course!  

Was James successful in his claim?  Who ended up settling on that land?  It's all a mystery, yet to be solved. 

What is known for certain is that, according to the 1917 and 1919 electoral roll records, James and his brother, Maurice established a farm together on a selection of farm land at Armstrong Creek, Kyburra.  

You will see James and his brother Maurice in the photo below, taken on the day of James's wedding.  

After this marriage, Maurice is no longer recorded as living at Armstrong Creek, Kyburra.  He left the farm he had begun with his brother, and moved to the township of Brandon, a few miles north of Kyburra.  Many, many years later, the 1950s census records show Maurice living back in Toowoomba, and his occupation is listed as 'farmer'.

James O'Donnell and Sarah McCane on their wedding day
Contributed by Terry and Carmel O'Donnell

In 1921 James married Sarah Mary Josephine McCane.  The wedding party included James's brother Maurice (seen behind the seated groom) and Sarah'a sister Susan (seen standing behind the bride).  

The bride Sarah was the daughter of Owen and Margaret McCane, who had a farm nearby at Molongle Creek.  Owen and Margaret were a well-known couple in the area and their daughter Sarah had been a teacher at the local school before she had been transferred to other schools in the Bowen region.  At the time of their marriage, James was aged 33 and Sarah was 26.

Sarah had to give up her job (as married women were not allowed to continue with their teaching career at that time)  and she moved onto James's property at Armstrong Creek.  

There is mention of what James was growing on the farm at this time in an article in The Bowen Independent, dated December 17, 1921.

The article discussed the need for particular growers close to Kyburra to have their own railway siding so they could load their crops and ship them off to market.  Mr. J. O'Donnell is described as a "new beginner" who has about "20 acres of cane to be cut" the following year.  Obviously one of the crops James was growing at this time was sugar cane.

James and Sarah settled into family life on the farm and they went on to have a family of 8 children over a period of 15 years. 

Edmond James was born in 1922.
Margaret Brigid (my mother) was born in 1923, when James was 35 years old.
Maurice Owen was born in 1925, when James was 38.
John Joseph (known as Jack) was born in 1926, when James was 39.
James Thomas (known as Jim) was born in 1928.  James Snr. was aged 41.
Edward Martin (known as Eddie) was born in 1931, when James was 44.
Marcella Therese was born in 1934 when James was aged 47.
The youngest of the family, Terence William (known as Terry) was born in 1937, when James was 50 years old.

Census records show that James and wife Sarah lived on the farm at Kyburra until the mid-1940s. I knew that the family moved to nearby Bowen, but I was not aware of the circumstances around that move.

Then, a few years ago, my Uncle Terry explained what had happened.  Grandfather James and Grandmother Sarah made the decision to walk off the farm.  Unfortunately, after so many years of toil and hard work, they felt that the farm could no longer sustain a living and their only choice was to leave.  They were not able to sell the farm, so they had to make a new start with very, very little!

Shortly after this revelation by my uncle, an interesting piece of information surfaced when I was scouring the Trove online digitised newspaper resource.  A very small 'For Sale' item was listed in a local newspaper.  It appeared on page 2 of the Townsville Daily Bulletin, dated Thursday, 24th of May, 1923.

The item began with the number 800 ...

"800 ACRES, Improved cane farm; joining siding and dip. Horses, harness, implements.
Particulars, J. O'Donnell, Kyburra, Ayr, Bowen Line."

Now there weren't many J. O'Donnells living on a property at Kyburra in 1923, so I think I can safely assume it was an item placed by my Grandfather James O'Donnell.  

It appears he was the person to contact if anyone was interested in buying a large-sized cane farm.  The newspaper article does not indicate if this was land James owned or if he was looking after the sale for another party.  I am assuming however that it was his parcel of land.  Given that this 'for sale' notice was pasted not long after the birth of his first child, and only two years after his wedding, it seems that eking a living out of the property to provide for his growing family was proving to be very difficult right from the start of his married life. Obviously he wasn't able to sell the farm at that time, and amazingly stayed there for another twenty years or so!!!

Interestingly, further searches for my grandfather's name on the Trove online newspaper site resulted in my discovery of a number of newspaper items that paint a picture of a man vitally interested in improving the conditions of farm life and the living conditions for his family at Kyburra during the time they all lived on the family farm.

1925

Notes for the Wangaratta Shire Council meeting, published in the Bowen Independent newspaper in May 1925, indicate that there had been a complaint by "Mr. O'Donnell, Kyburra" had been tabled and the results was "that the road complained of by him would receive attention by the road party which would be in the vicinity shortly."  While there is no mention of which particular road was the subject of James's complaint, I would assume it was the rough dirt road that led to his property.

1928

It seems James was still making complaints to the Wangaratta Shire Council about parts of the road in the Kyburra area in 1928.

1929

In early 1929, James's name appeared in a local newspaper.  There was quite a long item published in May providing all the details of a civil court case held before a Supreme Court sitting.  

James was attempting to sue the Beak Pastoral Company, which owned a station named Rocky Ponds adjacent to James's farm, for the trespass of the Company's cattle onto his land.  James was suing because the extensive damage he claimed the Beak Pastoral Company's cattle caused to his tomato crop that year.  James stated he had complained in person and in writing to the Beak brothers and had sought reasonable compensation, but was met only with a denial of the allegations.

James was obviously left with the conviction that he needed to seek compensation via the courts.  His case went before the Supreme Court Civil Sitting in Townsville in May of 1929.  Unfortunately, the jury could not reach a majority and were discharged.

The case dragged on for a few months until it seems that James withdrew the allegations and ended up having to pay the court costs.  In the end, he must have felt totally defeated, as he not only lost money on failed crops, but he also had to pay the extra unexpected costs of an attempt to seek justice through the courts!  I suspect it would have bought James down quite low and would have taken quite some time to recover from that blow!

Electoral records for the years between 1925 and 1934 show a few O'Donnells living in electoral district of Herbert, in Bowen region.  Again, I wondered!  What was the relationship between these O'Donnells ?  Was there any relationship at all?

1925  James and Sarah ... and someone called Michael.

1928  James and Sarah ... and two others named Eric James and Flora Jane.

1930  James and Sarah ... and that couple, Eric James and Flora Jane again.

1932  James and Sarah ... but Eric James is no longer living with Flora Jane!  What happened to Eric?

1934  James and Sarah ... and Flora Jane is still around.

Between 1936 and 1943 (the war years)  James and Sarah were the only O'Donnells (of voting age) left living in the division of Herbert.

It was during this time that James's mother, Bridget, passed away.  She died in 1937, when James was 49 years old.  Given that James had been living so far from home for 20 years, I do wonder if he had seen much of his mother during that time.  Had he visited Toowoomba at all since he had left?  Had there been any communication, such as letter writing, between them?  Did James travel to Toowoomba for her funeral?  I'm afraid I don't have the answers to those questions, but I do so hope that 'yes' is the answer to them all.  

So, James and Sarah stuck it out on the farm at Armstrong Creek for quite some time. I imagine their children would have had a wonderful time growing up on the property.  The freedom and adventure associated with living there was probably a source of great delight for the six boys and two girls.

I know that my Uncle Terry, the baby of the family, has very fond memories of living on the farm.  Exciting, unexpected things happened.

One of Terry's fondest memories:

"Jim and the elder boys often had the job of helping travellers negotiate the boggy crossing on Armstrong Creek, using the work horse to pull the vehicles through to make the crossing.  On one such occasion, the job was so difficult that the owner of the Buick declared he had had enough, and left the bogged Buick in our hands.  After much effort, the vehicle was towed back to the farm.  As no one in the family could drive, it was a slow process with many circuits of the family home completed before the Buick was driven on the road.  This vehicle was used by the family when we moved to Bowen, and served us well for many years.  Eventually it was purchased for restoration by a car enthusiast from Sydney." 

Uncle Terry recalls the final decision to walk off the farm after many very difficult seasons with lots of hard work, and very little return to support the family.

"Pumpkins were sent off to the southern markets with great expectations for a reasonable return.  However, the payment received by the family after all expenses were covered was a 3-pence stamp.  That certainly influenced the decision to finally leave the farm and seek work in Bowen in the plumbing industry, a trade that Dad (James) had learnt in his earlier years, and one that enabled him to support his family until his retirement."

The photo above was taken about 1945, soon after the move from the farm to a rented house on Richmond Road, in Bowen.

Back row L to R: James Thomas (Jim),  John Joseph (Jack), Margaret Bridget (my Mum), Maurice Owen (Morrie), Edmond James.

Front row L to R:  Terence William (Terry), mother Sarah O'Donnell (nee McCane), Marcella Therese, father James O'Donnell, and Edward Martin (Eddie). 

By 1949, census records show that James was living at Dalrymple Street in Bowen, with his family.  He was aged 62, working as a plumber.  His three eldest boys had begun working for the railway by this time, and his eldest daughter (my Mum) was still living at the home with the family.  The four younger children were not of voting age at the time - Jim would have been 20, Eddie 18, Marcella 15 and Terry 12.

Here's a great shot of James and his boys, taken at Dalrymple Street in the early 1950s.

The photo above would have been taken sometime around the mid 1950s, depicting a family Christmas in the home at Dalrymple Street. That's James at the front, with his six sons and two daughters.

The 1958 census record shows that James (now aged 71) and Sarah are still living at Dalrymple Street; along with two of their sons, James Thomas and John Joseph; and their two daughters, Margaret Brigid (Mum) and Marcella Therese.

There seems to be other O'Donnells who've now also moved to Bowen ... Sidney William and (perhaps) his wife Helen Louisa Eliza, who are living at Gillies Street.  Relatives?

James lost his youngest daughter Marcella, in early 1961, when he was aged 73.  His half-brother, Morgan Joseph O'Brien died in 1965.

In 1968, James lost his second daughter, (my Mum) Margaret.  He was aged 80.  His wife Sarah died just two years later in 1970, after they had been married for 48 years.  On the same day that he lost his wife, his brother Maurice also died.  His sister Margaret Mary died the very next year, in 1971.

Within the space of 10 years he had lost his wife and both his daughters, along with all of his siblings.  These losses must have weighted heavily on him, but he continued with quiet endurance and resilience, living a quiet life.

James O'Donnell died in 1974, when he was 86 years old. (The age on the headstone is incorrect). He was buried at the Bowen Cemetery.

James's death certificate stated that he died of cancer and complications of bronchopneumonia.  He was survived by his six sons.

Grandpop, at my Mum's wedding in 1959, at the age of 71.

All my memories of Grandpop are attached to the home at Dalrymple Street in Bowen.  It was a big old Queenslander, with a closed-in verandah around the sides and front.  Underneath the house was Grandpop's domain.  How I wish I had a photo of the house!!  Perhaps one day a family member will read this and remember a photo of the Dalrymple Street house lying around somewhere!!

There was a room down there that was his workshop, and I vividly remember him pottering around in there fixing up old push bikes.  There were old broken bike frames hanging from the beams under the house.  Old fridges, car bodies and other bits and pieces were all stored under the house.  It was a great place for a child to explore, and the best place ever for a game of hide-and-seek!

I also remember the chook pen out in the back yard, and the fruit trees growing everywhere, especially custard apple trees, and the banana plants.  I'm pretty sure there was a choko vine and rosella plants growing out there as well, and I think Grandpop was the gardener!

Grandpop was 72 years old by the time I was born, and I have only a few memories of him.  I remember a quiet, gentle but rather robust old man.  There were no lengthy conversations with Grandpop whenever I visited.  You had to head off downstairs to find him, and very often he was secreted away in his workshop, where you dared not enter!

My brother's memories are very similar:

"I'm like you and don't have many memories of Grandpop.  One thing I do remember is Dad saying that Grandpop replaced all the plumbing in the house not long after he and Mum had bought it.  Most of it is still here. 

I remember all of the stuff under the house.  Sometimes he would be working at the work bench using an old kerosene-filled heater gun and an (iron) soldering iron to join pipes, and sometimes to replace the spokes on the old bike wheels.  I remember the smell of old oil in the tool room, and around the work bench. 

One time Mum took us over to Grandma's and Grandpop's place in the old Morris, and Mum couldn't turn the motor off (pre-firing).  After a while, Grandpop came down, lifted the bonnet, took one of the wires off a terminal, closed the bonnet, then went back upstairs ... all without saying a word.  (Grandpop was a man of few words!)"

Contributed by Mark Connors

Contributed by Mark Connors

Old soldering gear like Grandpop's 









James will forever live in our memories as a gentle, hardworking man whose life was shaped by hardship, loss, perseverance and family bonds.



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.