Listowel
Ireland to Victoria Australia
All indications are that the Walsh family came from the area
around Listowel, County Kerry Ireland.
To date I have not been able to locate any records
that indicate an arrival in Australia. The first Walsh in my Australian
line was James William Walsh. I have have identified a Js Walsh
aged 26 (born circa 1831) who arrived in Melbourne aboard “James
Baines” that departed Liverpool 5 January 1857 and arrived
Melbourne March 1857. These details compare very well with information
contained in James William Walsh’s death certificated (BDM
- Death - Vic - 1901/8881) that stated that he was born in Listowel,
County Kerry Ireland, had lived in Victoria for 43 years and died
aged aged 70 years (born circa 1830) which suggest that James
came to Australia circa 1868 aged 27 years.
Further support is provided by the details
in James William Walsh’s marriage records 11 June 1861 that
indicated he was married at Chiltern at age 29 years (born circa
1832).
Therefore, I cannot confirm any Irish records,
although there are many Walsh and Mulvahill records for the Listowel
area.
A miner at Chiltern and Woods
Point
On 11 June 1861 James William Walsh, a miner, married Johanna
Kenny at the Roman Catholic School, Chiltern Colony of Victoria.
At the time of their marriage James William Walsh was living at
Devonshire Lead, Indigo Victoria and Johanna Kenny was living
at Lancashire Lead, Chiltern Victoria. Indigo and Chiltern are
on the Murray Plains near of the major gold mining centre of Beechworth
in North East Victoria.
The marriage certificate indicates that
the parents of James William Walsh were James William Walsh and
Mary Mulvahill and that he was born in Listowel. Johanna Kenny
was born in Cashel, County Tipperary Ireland and her parents were
Michael Kenny and Elizabeth Power. James William Walsh died in
1901 at Carlton, Victoria and Johanna died in 1910 at Northcote,
Victoria.
I have not been able to identify
when and how James William came to Victoria. Based on the rough
information in marriage and death certificates I have estimated
that James William came to Victoria circa 1858 aged 27. There
was a Js Walsh listed aboard the “James Baines” 26
March 1857 who was then aged 26. This is the best fit that I have
been able to establish and will follow this lead. James and Johanna
had nine children: James Charles, William, Johanna, Margarita
Laurie, Ellen, Mary Ellen, Susan, Winifred, Lillian, Consta and
Honora.
James Charles was born in Williamstown,
Melbourne circa 1861 with many of the other children being born
in Woods Point. Woods Point was another gold mining town located
in the rugged Great Dividing Range of Gippsland Victoria.
Publican and Baker - Castlemaine
My direct line comes down via James Charles Walsh. I have been
unable to locate Charles’ birth certificate or much other
information other than he died in 29 June 1933 at Port Melbourne.
An item of interest on his death certificate that he died having
lived 69 years in Victoria and 2 in Tasmania. The Tasmania connect
has never been mentioned in family records.
James Charles Walsh married Christina
Margarite Coyne on 24 May 1898 at St Mary’s Castlemaine.
Christina Margarite had been born at Harcourt on 25 December 1872
to James Coyne and Annie Larkin. James Charles and Christina Margarite
had seven children; James William, Alfred Patrick, Frances Charles,
Lawrence Joseph, Una Veronica, Edmund Mathew and Anne Catherine.
Between 1897 and 1899 James Charles was
the publican of the Old England Hotel Barker Creek near Castlemaine
Victoria.
Baker - Walhalla and Warrandyte
James William Walsh, my Grand father, was born at Barkers Creek
on 27 July 1899. On 24 April 1926 James William married Ida May
Myrtle Pettit. Ida May Myrtle Pettit was born at Warragul on 24
April 1893. James and Ida had two children Walter James and Audrey
Louise.
James William Walsh, "Jim",
came to Warrandyte from Walhalla in 1928 to run the Warrandyte
bakery and ultimately purchased the freehold. He was captain of
the Warrandyte Rural Fire Brigade and one of the original Lieutenants
in February/May 1938. Jim left Warrandyte in 1951 and moved to
Middle Park where he worked as a baker in Carlton for a time before
getting a job in the Police Workshops, eventually retiring in
1964 aged 64 and died 2 years later.
Baker & Policeman - Warrandyte
& Bright
Walter James Walsh, “Wally”, my father, was born
on 13 June 1928 at Preston, Victoria. In 1928, when Jim and Ida
Walsh took over the bakery, Walter James Walsh came as a baby
to Warrandyte. He attended State School No. 12, Warrandyte, then
spent two years at East Kew Central School, then went on to Box
Hill Boys High School.
Jim and Ida were disappointed when their
only son, who was now a proficient baker, decided to become a
policeman graduating in 1952. In 1952 Wally married Patricia Townsend,
daughter of John and Dorothy Townsend of Kangaroo Ground Road
Warrandyte.
Walter James served in mobile traffic,
CIB, crime cars and wireless patrol before his appointment in
1979 as sergeant in charge of the Bright police station in the
North East alpine area of Victoria.
After retiring Wally and Pat moved to
a property in the Buckland Valley, 12 miles south of Porepunkah.
Although retired Wally took on a part-time position with the local
council as By-Laws and Ranger. Following a number of brain tumour
operations Wally died on 30 October 2001 at Bright and was buried
in the small cemetery at Buckland, 3 kilometres from the “12
Mile” property. |
