The Stories of Patrick Power and Ellen Pendergast and their family of Wyndham, NSW 
and of Patrick Pendergast and Johanna RYAN
and their family of Kiah & Mowarra, NSW 

The other stories supplied by Bryan Power [bryanp2-at-bigpond.com]

 John Power Snr | Thomas Power  | Mary Ann Power | Jane Power | Honorah Power | Elizabeth Power | John Power Jnr | Edward Power | James Power | Henry Power | George Power | Ellen and Charles Power | Bridget Power |  Patrick Power |  

Foreword
 

Patrick was the youngest of the fifteen children of John Power and Mary Donovan and the only one of the nine sons to be given an Irish Christian name.

Jeanette Barton of Mudgee, a grand daughter of Henry Power (John and Mary's 10th child), drew to my attention this preference for English names - and "royal" English names at that - that John and Mary showed in the selection of their children's names. Ten of them were given the names of English kings and queens! I find it difficult to believe that John and Mary, both very poor Irish folk, would have had much admiration for the monarchs of England. Perhaps, however, they felt it would be to their children's advantage to have English names. Did they believe that the use of William, James, Edward, George, Elizabeth, etc. would help the children to fit more easily into a colonial society dominated by English institutions and values?

 This is all conjecture of course. Some later family researcher might like to pursue the reason for this apparently surprising choice of names. An obvious reason could be, of course, that they were simply very popular names of the period. I have recently seen a family tree for a Power family of Irish descent in South Africa in the mid nineteenth century. Many of the children had the same English names.

 The story of Patrick Power and Ellen Pendergast and their family is the second one to be written in Stage Two of this project to record the lives of the families descended from John Power and Mary Donovan. The first story recorded in Stage Two was that of Edward Power and Esther White.

 Stage One covered the story of John and Mary. If you would like to read these other two histories you will find them on the Monaro Pioneers’ website, www.monaropioneers.com   

The next story will be that of John ("Red Johnny") Power, the seventh child of John and Mary Power and of his wife Ann Power. Ann was the third of six children of Michael Power and Jane Crotty of Kiah, N.S.W.

 "Wyndham Park”                         Current Address (since 1999)
Bergins Road                                       P.O Box 610
ROWVILLE VIC 3178                         GISBORNE, Vic 3437
Bryan Power May 1987                       Phone (03) 5428 2795
                                                           bryanp2@bigpond.com

I revised and updated this story on 30 January 2009.

The other twelve stories in stage two are now (2009) also on the Monaro Pioneers’ website and they tell of the lives of Patrick’s brothers and sisters: William, Thomas, Mary Ann, Jane, Honorah, Elizabeth, John, Edward, James, Henry, George, Ellen, Bridget and Charles.

Dedication

This story is dedicated to the memory of Cecil Power who was the last surviving child of Patrick Power and Ellen Pendergast and indeed the last to die of all of the 130 second generation Australian descendants of John and Mary Power.

Cecil passed away a week after his 91st birthday in May, 1985.

Despite the aches and pains of old age, his happy, buoyant personality shone through to endear Cec to all who knew him. I am deeply grateful for all the assistance Cec gave me in my family history research over many years, as well as for the warm hospitality that he and his wife Olive extended to me on my visits to their home in Lane Cove.

Acknowledgement

Apart from Cecil Power, I wish to record my thanks to the late Bert and Ivy Whitby who welcomed me to their home in Bega on many occasions when they told me about life in Wyndham when they were young. The photograph on page 9 hung above their mantle piece. Others to assist with the Power side were Ivy Crane, Brisbane; Patricia Foran, Gilgandra and Ian Hobbins, Bribie Island.

For information about the Pendergast family I am indebted to Isidore Ryan, Bega; Barry Pendergast, Murwillumbah; Betty Buckland, Eden; Jenny Doran, Rowville; Gail Hanger, Bargo;

Alan Roberts, Cobargo; Vera Youngblutt, Kingscliff and Ruby Bramich, Brisbane.  

Chronology of Patrick and Ellen Power and their Family

1855             Ellen Pendergast born at Corcoran's Flat, Kiah on 1st October.
1855             Patrick Power born on 9th November (probably at Cathcart).
1862             Patrick's mother, Mary Power, died at Wyndham on 8th December.
1872             Patrick's father, John Power, died at Wyndham on 6th September.
1881             Patrick and Ellen married at St. Mary's, Eden on 10th July.
1881             Ellen's father, Patrick Pendergast, died at Mowarra on 23rd July.
1882             Lindley Pender Power born on 3rd June.
1884             Percy John Power born on 12th March.
1886             Mary May ("Mollie") Power born on 14th May.
1888             Stella Johanna Power born on 15th May.
1890             Clyde Edward Power born on 13th July.
1892             Alma Catherine Power born on 25th May.
1894             Cecil Thomas Power born on 13th May.
1896             The triplets: Stanley Michael, Violet Ellen and Robert Leo Power born on 3rd August.
1897             Violet Ellen and Robert Leo Power died at the age of 7 months in March.
1905             Patrick Power died on 29th April aged 49.
1908             Lindley Power married Mary Theresa Meares at St. Peter's, Pambula, on 20th April.
1912             Stella Power married James Hobbins in Brisbane.
1913             Johanna Pendergast (nee Ryan), Ellen's mother, died at Mowarra on 7th July.
1918             Mary ("Mollie") Power married Bill Cotton-Stapleton at Paddington, N.S.W.
1921             Alma Power married Bill Grant at Randwick on 26th November.
1923             Percy Power married Kate Elizabeth Cook at Roma, Queensland on 11th January.
1936             Ellen Power died in North Sydney aged 81.
1943             Cecil Power married Olive Morrow, formerly of Candelo, in Sydney on 8th March.
1949             Percy Power died in Roma, Queensland on 10th May aged 65.
1956             Stanley ("Doc") Power died aged 59.
?                  Clyde Power died
1966             Lindley Power died in Sydney on 27th December, aged 84.
1971             Tess Power (Lin's wife) died in Eugowra, N.S.W. on 26th March, aged 84.
1972             Stella Hobbins died in April on the Gold Coast. She was aged 84.
1974             Alma Grant died in Sydney in February at the age of 81.
1975             Mary ("Mollie") Stapleton died on 26 December, aged 89.
1983             Bill Grant (Alma's husband) died on 14th August in Sydney, aged 89.
1985             Cecil Power died in Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney in May, 1985 aged 91.
1986             Olive Power, Cecil's wife, died in North Sydney.

The family Bible

The page above from the family Bible does not include the names of two of the triplets, Violet and Robert, who died at the age of seven months.

The faintly written last three entries are Mary Irene Power (Lin’s daughter) and Graham and Cecily Grant (Alma’s children).

Patrick Power

Patrick Power was born on 9th November 1855, Mary's fifteenth child in eighteen years - and her last! Mary attained her 40th birthday in that year.

Cecil Power believed that his father, Patrick, was born at Cathcart but I have not been able to locate a baptismal certificate to verify this.

However, the registration of Patrick's death in 1905 was made by his brother Edward who was, as his niece Mary Ann Strangwidge once wrote, "very particular where legal matters were concerned". Ned stated then that Patrick had been born at Cathcart. Ned would have been 10 years old at the time of Patrick's birth, certainly old enough to be able to commit the event to memory.

Patrick's immediately preceding brother and two sisters had been baptised (and, therefore, possibly born) at Bombala and two years after Patrick's birth the family had moved from the Monaro high plains to the coastal low lands at Lochiel, so it is possible that the family settled for a time at Cathcart before continuing their migration away from the high, cold country they had known for fifteen years.

By the time he was three or four years old, Patrick's family had settled in Wyndham where he would live out his life. He had just turned seven years of age when his mother died in December, 1862. Ten years later when he was only 16 his father, John Power, passed away.

Father Patrick Slattery mentions John's death in his diary: "Wyndham Station. Held at Mrs Love's on Tuesday 10th September 1872. Morning beautiful but frosty. Small attendance at the Station, no Communicants. Bad Catholics at Wyndham. Poor old John Power was buried yesterday. He died on Friday night 6th September." *

(The term "station" is used here by Fr Slattery to mean a stopping place on his journey around his very large parish.)

In his will made three years before his death, John had bequeathed his farms to Patrick and the second youngest son, Charles, but the farms eventually passed into the hands of Edward Power. (See "The Story of John and Mary Power" pp 6, 10, 12 and "The Story of Edward and Esther Power" pp 8-10).

* Monaghan, Rev. G. (Ed) Visions for a valley. Catholic people in the Bega Valley 1829-1985 - a history  p 35

This is a transcript of the will.

A 3330

This is the last Will and Testament of me -

John Powers of Wyndham in the Colony of New South Wales, made this 29 day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine I appoint Patrick Conlon of Longflat Farmer and Archibald Turnbull Lanrck Cottage Farmer Executors and Trustees of this my Will -I direct all my just debts and Funeral and Testamentary expenses to be paid as soon as conveniently can be after my decease - I give devise and bequeath unto my sons Charles Powers and Patrick Powers my two farms of Land at Wyndham and all my horses cattle and other stocks and Estate whatsoever and wheresoever to have and to hold receive and take the said real and personal Estate my said sons Charles and Patrick for their own absolute use and benefit I revoke all or any former Will and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament and I witness my hand this 29 day of July 1869

Execuators (sic)

Patrick Conlon                                                John Powers

Archibald Turnbull

                          Witness

                          Edward Powers

                          Ellen Turnbull

(The following is written lengthwise across the bottom of the fourth folio of the will).

This is the paper writing marked A referred to in the annexed affidavit of Edward Powers sworn before me this fifth day of October 1878.

Edw. Williams

A commissioner for affts.

On the following page is a photocopy of the actual will. A close examination reveals that it was written by one of the "execuators" (sic), Patrick Conlon. (Compare his signature on the fourth page with his name written at the bottom of the first page). And obviously the same hand that wrote John Powers at the top of page one signed the will on page four.

In 1862 when reporting the death of his wife, Mary, John had "signed" the register with a cross. Seven years later he apparently could still not write but instead of marking the will with a cross he has allowed Patrick Conlon to sign for him. Could this be the reason for the terms of the will not being carried out?

John Power’s will

I know nothing of Patrick's life as a young man but doubtless, like his older brothers and sisters, he had no formal education and worked as a farm and general labourer in the district.

When he married at the age of 25 he described himself as a farmer but a year later Patrick was, according to the birth record of his first-born child, a carrier. The farm he worked at, the "Devil Hole", (named after an old gold mine on the property) about seven kilometres out of Wyndham off the Candelo Road, was a poor one and Patrick's growing family would have required the additional income brought in by his bullock team.

In this photograph taken near the Wyndham Post Office, Ap Whitby is standing beside his bullock team with Paddy Power, in white shirt, on his right.

Bert Whitby of Bega who will be 90 this month (May, 1987) lived on a neighbouring farm and remembers that both his father, Alfred ("Ap") Whitby, and Paddy Power owned  bullock teams. (Bert has a large photograph taken in Wyndham of his father's team of 14 bullocks. The man  standing beside "Ap" in the photograph is Paddy Power). Mrs Mary Ann Strangwidge remembered that "Uncle Paddy owned his bullock team right up to the time he died".

Bert retells a story of the day one of Paddy's bullocks, a white beast named Strawberry, had chased Paddy. "Ap" said, "By cripes, Paddy, if you'd run as fast as that at the sports, you would have won the chest of tea" (a traditional prize for the veterans' race on bush sports days).

Bert recalls his mother giving each of the Power children a slice of bread and jam as they called in on their long walk home from school.

In "The Story of Edward and Esther Power" I have written at length about how hard the life of a carrier was in those days. Bert remembers that his father had once driven his team to Sydney but was sure that Paddy had never gone that far afield.

Marriage to Ellen Pendergast

Patrick married Ellen Pendergast at St. Mary's, Eden on 10th July 1881. They were married by Father Patrick Healy, the third of three Irish priests named Patrick who served the Catholic communities of the far south coast of New South Wales. The three were:

Fr Patrick Birch                                     1857 - 1865
Fr Patrick Slattery                                 1865 - 1875
Fr Patrick Healy                                    1875 - 1893

There are several references to the older brothers of Patrick Power in Fr Slattery's "Saddle-bag Diary" reproduced in "Visions for a Valley" mentioned earlier.

The witnesses of Patrick and Ellen's marriage were Ellen's sister, Nora, and Patrick's brother, John.

Their happiness in the early days of their marriage would have been sadly clouded by the death of Ellen's father less than a fortnight after their wedding.

The Pendergast Family

Ellen was the sixth of thirteen children born to Patrick and Johanna Pendergast.

Patrick Pendergast had been born in Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1813, the son of John Pendergast and Catherine Dunn. As an illiterate young man of 19 he was sentenced to death at the Tipperary Summer Assizes on 23 October 1832 but fortunately for him (and the hundreds of people who became his descendants) he was reprieved and transported from Cork to Australia aboard the ‘Portland’, arriving in Sydney on 26 June 1833.

The register of convicts aboard the Portland shows that Patrick’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall with a fair, ruddy complexion, brown hair, light hazel eyes and a cocked nose.

The 1841 Muster of Convicts lists Patrick as being assigned to Ronald Campbell in the District of Maneroo (sic).

Frank Allen of Bombala who wrote the Bibbenluke history, A Big Lookout, allowed me to copy the following from a document he had in his files:

“Notes of the early History of the Bombala end of the Monaro District, collected by H. T. Edwards from Thomas Fleming, one of the ‘old hands’ who came up with the McFarlanes and took up Buckalong Station.” Fleming stated: “Bombala Station was taken up by Captain Ronald Campbell in or about 1833. The first men who came up and took possession were Captain Campbell and his brother, Dr I. B. Campbell, Pat Pendergas, a man known as Ned the Tinker, a man known as Hairy Jacob and Pobby (a Scotch boy; he cooked for the party). This party apparently travelled up with Duncan McFarlane’s party as far as Jincumbilly.”

As Patrick only arrived in Sydney on 26 June 1833 he must have been assigned quite soon after to Ronald Campbell in order for him to be on this expedition to the Monaro in the same year.

By 1845 it is probable that he had received his Ticket of Leave because in that year he married Johanna Ryan at Delegate on 29 May.

Johanna was the eldest daughter of Daniel Ryan and Mary Conners. (I have also seen Mary's name recorded as Connor and O'Connor). The Ryans, like Patrick Pendergast, were from Tipperary but, unlike him, had arrived as migrants in about 1840 bringing Johanna and her eight brothers and sisters. The family settled at Kiah, south of Twofold Bay.

Five years later, Johanna - at the age of 19 (and 12 years younger than her husband) - married Patrick.

The Kiah area was an Irish Catholic enclave in the nineteenth century and the Doyle, McCloy, McMahon, Ryan, Whelan, Pendergast, Donnely and Power families intermarried extensively. The McCloys and the McMahons could be said to have intermarried intensively, four McCloys going to the altar with four McMahons. An entry in Fr Patrick Slattery's "Saddle-bag Diary" indicates that wedding celebrations at Kiah were lively affairs:

“Corcoran's Flat Station. Held at Mr. P. Whelan's on Wednesday 6th May 1874. Morning dark and cold. Station well attended and 15 persons went to Holy Communion. Received Easter dues nil. Married Mary Whelan to-day to James Doneley and hope the marriage may be a very happy one. Stopped for the night at Mr Whelan's where I had but little rest. Next morning went shooting and shot a number of ducks. Returned to Eden on Thursday evening late afternoon spending two agreeable days at Corcoran's Flat”.

The two non-Catholic families living at Kiah, the Goward and Harris families, must have felt rather left out. However, I do have a record of Bridget McCloy marrying Herbert Harris.

Two of the Ryans married Powers: the ninth child, Will, married Ellen Power of Wyndham, one of Patrick Power's sisters. The seventh child, Hanorah, married John Joseph ("Black Johnny") Power, one of the Kiah Powers.

I’m not sure where Patrick and Johanna first lived after their marriage but it was probably in Kiah. Certainly their second child (Mary) is recorded as having been born there in 1848. It is possible that Michael Power sold or leased his 32 acre property to Patrick some time in the 1850s. In 1872 my great-grandparents, James and Kate Power were married - according to a notation on their marriage certificate - “at the residence of Mr Patrick Penderghast, Kiah”. This, of course, was the home in which Kate had grown up so it was a fitting and happy place for her to be married. Not long after that the farm must have returned to Power ownership for Mrs Mary Ann Strangwidge (nee Power) who was born in Kiah in 1874 remembers growing up in that home. (Mary Ann was the daughter of “Red Johnny” Power and Ann Power.) For Ann, who was Kate’s sister, it was a homecoming too. (See the “Story of John and Ann Power” for a description of the home.)

In 1968, Mrs Strangwidge told me a grisly story about the time one of the Pendergasts (or "Penders" as she refers to her) was staying with her mother at Kiah in about 1880.

"Often the snakes used to come in and get up between the lining (and the wall) and the blessed things - you could see them moving ................. and one night one of the Penders was there staying with mother and she got a big carving fork and stabbed right through the hessian and snake and all. It wriggled more then!"

When Patrick and Johanna Pendergast moved from the house in Kiah they settled at Mowary (or Mowarra), a place towards Green Cape from Kiah.

Their home there was of slab construction and (in later years, at least) had a galvanised iron roof. There was a big verandah along the front of the house with rooms opening off it. Issie Ryan told me “the Pendergast home at Mowarra was right on the coast beside a creek.”

Patrick and Johanna ran a dairy farm but, also, as their children grew up and left home, boarded sleeper cutters. Bob Warren took supplies down to them once every two weeks.

Patrick had been born in Co. Tipperary. The Ryan family had also come from that Irish county. The McMahons and Whelans were from Tipperary too so it would seem that this common origin must have contributed in some way to their settling together in this faraway place. Even today Kiah is a pretty isolated spot despite its location adjacent to the Princes Highway.

Patrick and Johanna’s children

Patrick and Johanna were married in about 1845 and had 13 children in an extraordinary pattern: the first six were girls and the next seven boys.

1.        Catherine (Mrs Robert Alexander). Born 5 June 1846
2.        Mary (Mrs Thomas Power).             Born 1848 at Kiah
3.        Margaret (Mrs John Roberts).          Born 1850 at Kiah
4.        Johanna (Mrs Thomas Greer).         Born1852 at Eden
5.        Hanora (Mrs James Doyle).             Born 1853 at Kiah
6.        Ellen (Mrs Patrick Power)               Born 1 October 1855 at Kiah
7.        John (m. Rosanah Fitzpatrick)         Born 6 December1857
8.        Daniel (m. Elizabeth Jess)                Born 25 November 1859 at Mowarra
9.        Patrick, died aged one day.               ) Twins born 22 July 1861
10.      Michael, died aged seven days.        ) at Mowarra
11.      Patrick (m. Elizabeth Stevenson)     Born 6 May 1863 at Mowarra
12.      Thomas (m. Louise Roszynski)       Born 26 December1865
13.      Michael, died aged 17 years.           Born 14 December 1867

In an entry in his “saddle-bag diary” for 9 January 1868, Father Patrick Slattery wrote: “Mass at Mr Penderghast’s (sic): a good attendance. What a nice family and what good girls.” He then cryptically added: “I shall never forget my first visit to Morvera (Mowarra). How different from the other. And why?  No matter.”*

1.   Catherine Pendergast was the first child

 
Robert Alexander

According to Mr Isidore ("Issie") Ryan of Bega, Catherine eloped with Robert Alexander (born 1841) who was, claimed Issie, the first white child born south of the river at Moruya. (Issie lived in the area south of Twofold Bay for most of his long life and had clear memories of all of the families scattered throughout that district.)

Catherine and Robert were married at Bombala on 4 January 1872. Robert gave his usual place of residence as ‘Genoa Station’ and Catherine as ‘Kiah River Station’.

The Alexanders made their way overland to Genoa, guided by a young aboriginal they named “Genoa Jack”.

I have an old photograph of a large group of people standing behind a ribbon stretching across a new wooden bridge. Across the bottom of the photo is written “Opening Genoa Bridge by Mrs Alexander first pioneer at Genoa”.

Later the family moved to Pericoe where they established a huge dairy farm milking up to 500 cows. “George Beasley took away five tons of butter a week with a team of 12 horses from that farm,” according to Issie Ryan. “All of the Alexanders were great bushmen and horsemen. They could ride any horse.”

Robert died in the Peisley Hotel in Imlay Street, Eden in 1888 at the age of 47 because of “malignant disease of the lung” and is buried at Eden.

Bert Egan, for many years the curator of Eden Museum until his death in 1984, chose to have his grave next to that of Robert Alexander.

Catherine died in Eden on 5 November 1920 and is also buried at the Eden Cemetery.

*Monaghan, Rev. Gerard (Ed) Visions for a Valley – Catholic People in the Bega Valley 1829 – 1985  page 26

Catherine and Robert’s seven children were:

Arthur and  Alethea Alexander 

1. Arthur John Alexander, their eldest son, was born at Bendoc, Vic on 30 November 1873. On 17 June 1903 he married Alethea Irene Nest Bucknall (who had been born on 3 December 1877 at “Kilgobbin”, Rodborough, Vic) at Eden. They had six children:

                         1.   Amy Alexander            b. Genoa 15 May 1904 married an Englishman, Cyril Claude Trenery, at Outtrim, Vic on 18 August 1926. Their five children are:  

                           1.Claude Percival Trenery b. 25 April 1928 at Traralgon, m. Barbara Helen Loft b 10 June 1932. Their four children are:

                                                1. Arthur John b 1952,

                                                2. Robert Lonzo b 1955,

                                                3. Lee Lorraine b 1958 and

                                                4. Lyndal Claire b 1969 at Foster;                                    

                           2. Arthur Roy Trenery b. 28 October 1933 at Foster m. Elizabeth Gray McLean at Yarram on 12 July 1958. Their three children are:                     

                                       1. Donald Charles b 1960,

                                                2. Jennifer Elaine b 1962 and

                                                3. Suzanne Margaret b 1966;                                    

                           3. Dorothy Margaret Trenery b.21 February 1942 and d. 18 August       1942 at Foster,                                    

                           4. Douglas Alexander Trenery b. 5 August 1943 and d. 9 February 1944 at Foster and                                    

                                    5. Allan George Trenery b. 21 August 1944.                       

                        2.   Thelka Pearl (“Tuck”) Alexander b. Eden 21 July 1905 m. James Robert Jeffrey at Yinnar, Vic on 10 June 1940. Their two children are                        

                        1. Robert Alexander Jeffrey b. 14 June 1941 at Sale. Robert died on 30 September 1974;                        

                        2. Marilyn Edna Jeffrey b. 7 January 1943 at Foster. She married Eddy Scott in 1962 and their two daughters are

                                                1. Linda Scott and

                                                2. Julie Scott.

                   Thelka died at Sale on 14 June 1986. 

Thelka, Emily and Amy Alexander in about 1917. 

3.   Cyril Arthur Alexander b. Genoa 26 August 1907 m. Rhoda D Leggett in December 1934. They had no children. Cyril died in Sale on 30 January1936.         

4.   Emily Alexander b. Genoa 21 January 1910 m. Richard Clavarino  at Foster. Their two sons are: 

1. Richard Arthur Louis Clavarino b. 22 April 1930 at Foster m. Valda Florence Stevens in 1949 and their five children are:

                                       1. Lesley Claravino  b 1950,

                                       2. Paul Claravino b 1952,

                                       3. Steven Claravino b 1953,

                                       4. Toni Claravino b 1957 and

                                       5. Gena Claravino b 1965. 

2. Donald Gregory Claravino b 7 July 1939 at Foster m. Yvonne Nesbitt. Their four children are:

                                       1. Adele Claravino b 1960,

                                       2. Christopher Claravino b 1962,

                                       3. Janine Claravino b 1964 and

                                       4. Gregory Claravino b 1968.   

   5.   Catherine Vera (“Kit”) Alexander b. Eden 12 March 1917 m. William John Cave and their three children are:               

               1. Victor John Cave b 1937, d 3 June 1941;  

   2. Brenda Joan Cave b 25 January1943 married Harold Leigh Venables and their three children are   

                           1. Daryl John Venables b 1965,

                           2. Vickie Maree Venables b 1968 and

                           3. Leigh Graham Venables b 1970.  

   3.  Glenys Joy Cave b 18 February 1948 married Patrick Crozier in 1969. Their three children are:

                           1. Sean Patrick Crozier b 1971,

                           2. Adrian Ross Crozier b 1973 and

                           3. Clare Elizabeth Crozier b 1977.

               William died on 7 July 1985 aged 75. 

6.    Robert Henry Alexander b. Genoa 25 March 1921 m. Dorothy ??. They had no children.

Robert died on 18 May 1974. 

Arthur died in Foster aged 64 on 29 August 1938. Alethea died a few months later at Foster on 8 December 1938 aged 61. Her death was registered at East Brighton. 

2. Robert Patrick Alexander was the second child. He was born in 1877 at Bendoc, Victoria. In 1903 he married Mary Margaret (“Minnie”) Howard at Eden and they had four children: 

1. James Urban Alexander , born in 1904 at Eden and died in 1956. James never married.                     

                      2. Keith Robert Alexander, born in 1905 at Eden. 

3. Sylvester Mark Alexander, born in 1906 at Eden. In 1943 he   married Ellen Jane Tapper at Maitland West and they have one son who is a teacher in Newcastle. Sylvester died in 1985.  

  4. Ruby Marguerite Alexander (Mrs Bramich), born in 1909 at Eden. Ruby’s      husband was born in Burnie, Tasmania. They had a son who lived only a few days and twin daughters who are both married and living in Brisbane. Ruby’s husband died in 1967. Ruby died in Auchenflower, Brisbane. 

Robert Patrick died in Murwillumbah on 6 January1948. Minnie died on 24 April 1962. 

3. The third child was Mary Victoria Alexandra Alexander b Genoa 1878 who married Arthur Ernest Saxby Broome in Gippsland in 1903. According to Mrs Bramich they had five daughters two of whom married brothers named Farmer. There was also one son. Their order in the family is as follows:  

  1. Olga Victoria Catherine Broome, born in Bairnsdale on 8 March1904. She   married Arthur Henning Rathjen. They had three children:

                       1. Arthur Rathjen,

                       2. Lola Rathjen (Mrs Bill Traill) and

                       3. Heather Rathjen (Mrs Lynch).

 Arthur Rathjen senior died in 1969 aged 70 and Olga in 1981 aged 77.  

   2. Ernest Hider Broome, born in Orbost on 1 April 1906. Ernest married Annie  Morrison. He died in Buninyong in 1967 aged 60.           

    3. Mavis Eva Broome was born in Bairnsdale in 1908. Mavis married  Eric Farmer. 

    4. Ella Maud Broome, born in Orbost in 1911. She married Jack Farmer. 

 5. Ida Merle Broome, born in Traralgon in 1917. Ida married Bill Scott.      

    6. Doreen Broome was born on 24 December 1922. She married Albert Stanley Membrey of Traralgon Vic. and they had three children:

                        1. Graeme Membrey who married Margaret ??

                        2.  Wayne Membrey who married Andrina ?? and

                        3. Carol Membrey who married  Geoff King.  

Albert Membrey died on 23 September 1997.           

Mary Broome died at Traralgon, Victoria in 1958 at the age of 79. Her husband Arthur died in Traralgon many years before her in 1934. He was only 56.                   

4. Johanna Amy Alexander was born at Genoa in 1880. She married Frederick Lindwall, a miner, (b in Broulee in 1873) in Eden in 1901 and they had four daughters and one son:

1. Olive Viola Lindwall, b. Eden on 25th April 1901 and married Rupert Clement J Floyd at Helensburg in 1935.                             

                        2. Clare Alexandria Lindwall, b. Pipeclay Creek on 15th December 1904 and married Albert Sylvester Hanna in Sydney in 1938.                        

                        3. Breda May Lindwall, b. Eden in 1907, married Allan A Switzer at Eden in 1925                       

                        4. Gordon R Lindwall,     b. Eden in 1912                       

                        5. Evelyn I Lindwall,        b. Eden in 1915                       

                        6. Marjory Lindwall,        b. Eden in 1918

Frederick was from a large family. He was the sixth of 17 children born to Neils Peter and    Julia Lindwall (nee Russell). His marriage to Johanna was his second marriage. He previously had married Amy Fisher in about 1894 and they had a son, Frederic, who married Elsie C Riddett at Inverell in 1918.  

Two of Frederick senior’s sisters and one brother married members of the Power family. Frederick was the uncle of the great Australian fast bowler, Ray Lindwall.

5. Adeline Barbara ("Addie") Alexander was born in Genoa in 1882. She had a son whom her parents raised as Eric Alexander.  

             Addie died as a young woman. 

6. Robert and Catherine's sixth child was Herman William Leo Alexander. He was born at Genoa in 1886 and died at Pambula on 24 January 1907 aged 22. He is buried at Genoa.  

7. Norman Harold Alexander was born in Genoa in 1887. He married Muriel Mary Peisley in Victoria in 1919. They had a daughter and then twins. 

1.   Gwen Alexander 

2.  Norman Frank (“James”) Alexander b. Genoa in June1920. 

3.  Irma Beatrice Alexander b. Genoa in June1920. She married Lloyd Clark and they had a son, Geoffrey.  

Irma died on 16 June 1998 at Montrose, Vic.            

          Norman died in 1923 aged 35 and Muriel remarried to a wealthy man with whom she had another son. 

2. Mary Pendergast married Thomas Power of Kiah. (Thomas's older brother, "Black Johnny" Power, had married Honora Ryan, a sister of Mary's mother).

            They were married at Eden on 15 July 1879 and had five children: 

1. Walter Thomas Power was born on 20 June 1881 at Kiah. He married Agnes Sawers (b 1881) of Rocky Hall in Eden in 1905 and their two daughters were: 

1. Mena Mavis M Power born in 1906 at Eden and married Laurence Claude Bulloch at Burwood, NSW in 1937;  

2. Alma Melba Alanah Power born at Burragate in 1909. Alma married George J  Carter at Parramata in 1934. 

  2. Jane Frances Power, born on 7 December 1882 at Kiah, married William Donaldson Roberts on 20 May 1911 in Sydney.

They had eight children:            

1. Francis Vincent Roberts born at Waverley on 25 March 1912;  

2. Joyce Cecily Roberts born at Waverley on 22 September 1914 and married Charles Walker at Bankstown in 1934; 

3. Verlie May Roberts born at Waverley on 2 April 1917 and married Phillip Suffolk Sleap at Bankstown in 1942; 

4. Olive Mary Roberts born 15 September 1919; 

5. Esme Clare Roberts born 12 December 1921and married William James Lynch at Bankstown in 1941;  

6. John William Roberts born 5 March 1924;  

7. Vonnie Theresa Roberts born 5 March 1924 and married Kelven Ronald Bruce Hockley at Bankstown in 1944; 

8. Max Roberts born 8 May 1927. 

Jane Frances died on 30 July 1942 and her husband William on 12 May 1953, both of them in Sydney. 

 3. Patrick Albert Power was born on 19 May 1885 at Eden. He married Madeline Maude Ryan at Paddington in 1917. Their three children were:  

1. Alwyn Power born at Inverell in 1917. Alwyn married Gladys Edith Robinson at Canterbury in 1945. 

2. June Power and  

3. Lawrence (Tim) Power. 

 4. Johanna Teresa Power was born on 16 January 1887 at Kiah. She married Henry L Karsten in Sydney in 1911. Their daughter, Vera M Karsten, was born at Paddington in 1911. Vera married Henry J Watts at Bankstown in 1930.

Johanna lived to a great age – almost 100. 

5.  John Dillon Power was born on 16 July 1889 at Kiah. He married Maude V ?? and their only child was John A Power born in Cobar in 1916.

                    John Dillon Power died in 1919 during the Spanish influenza pandemic. 

Thomas Power was a miner. He died of yellow jaundice in 1893. 

Mary died in Sydney in 1915 and is buried at Waverley Cemetery, Sydney. You can learn more about Thomas and Mary in The Story of John and Ann Power and in The Story of Michael and Jane Power. Both stories can be found on the Monaro Pioneers’ website. 

3. Margaret Pendergast became Mrs Roberts. John Charles ("Charlie") Roberts had been born in Melbourne and was a carrier. They married at Eden in 1872 and Margaret’s surname was registered as ‘Penderghurst’. (Her birth entry at the Eden registry in 1850 had been recorded as ‘Prendergast’.) Issie Ryan described Margaret as “fine looking with an Irish face; slight, 5’ 8”, dark hair”. “The Beasley men called her ‘Old Mag’. She would take to them; she had a temper”. 

Their nine children were born at Towamba. Charlie and Margaret moved to the Darling Downs in Queensland where two of the girls married two brothers named Evans. Later Charlie and Margaret returned to Towamba and they both died in the family home there in 1928. Their children were: 

1.    Maria Ann Roberts born on 15 July1873. In 1894 she married Patrick McCloy at Eden in 1894.  Maria is buried at Towamba, Patrick at Kiah. Their two children were:

  1. Estella L McCloy (Mrs Grambower or Grambau) born in Eden in 1895 and lived into her 90s before dying in Sydney. Her only son Robert died of lung cancer.  

   2. John Arthur McCloy born at Eden in 1898. His children live in Ingham, Qld.

                             Patrick McCloy died in Eden in 1933.            

2. Theresa Mary Roberts, born on 3 October 1874 married Hugh Carragher at Eden in 1897. Their five children, all born at Eden, are:

                      1. Charles A Carragher born 1898;

                      2. Thomas V Carragher b 1901;

   3. Hugh W Carragher b 1904 and married Mary J Roberts at Eden in 1931;    

   4. Ernest C Carragher b 1908 and married Joyce S E Horton at Bowral in 1935;

   5. Norman J Carragher b 1913 and married Violet F Hill at Glebe in 1935. 

3. James Henry (“Harry”) Roberts was born on 28 September 1876.  He married Mary A Murphy at Eden in 1902 and their two children were:

                      1. Francis J Roberts born at Eden in 1903;

                      2. Maria K Roberts born at Eden in 1904.

The family moved north and settled at Toowoomba, Qld. Alan Roberts of Cobargo remembers Henry's son, Frank, coming in 1934 to the farm in Towamba with race horses he was taking on to Melbourne. Frank was one of the original owners of the great racehorse, Bernborough. Issie Ryan said that one of Harry Roberts’ descendants owned the radio station, 2BE. 

4. Ida Johanne Roberts, born on 2 August 1878, never married. She died in Merimbula and is buried at Towamba. 

5. Walter Patrick ("W.P.") Roberts born on 15 July 1880 married Wilhelmena Mary “Minnie” Kiss from Nimmitabel at Eden in 1906. Their children were

                    1. Ivan,

                 2. Harold,

                    3. Arthur,

                    4. William I b 1907 at Eden,

                   5. Mary Josephine “Josie” born 13 February 1910 in Queensland,

                    6. Ruby (Mrs Bill Martin) and

                    7. Roy P b 1916 at Murrumburra.

                    8. Stella M (presumably an infant) died at Cooma in 1913.           

            Walter died three weeks after his wife's death in 1943. 

            6. Florence Jessie ("Florrie") Roberts, born on 7 December 1882, married George William Evans in Queensland on 9 December 1911. Their first four children were 1. Florence Joan Evans born on 19 October 1912,

                                   2. May Ida Evans born on 25 October 1914,

                                   3. George Charles Evans b 20 April 1917 and

                                   4. Freda Aileen Evans b 23 April 1919, all in Queensland.

          Their descendants now live around Chinchilla, Qld.                        

7. John Roberts was born on 20 February 1885 and died two weeks later of convulsions on 9 March. He is buried at Corcoran's Flat Cemetery at Kiah. 

8. John Charles ("Charlie") Roberts, b on 20 June 1886, married twice, first to Margaret Murphy by whom he had one son, Alan Roberts, who lives at Cobargo; his second wife was Maggie Doyle. Charlie died in Towamba in 1943 while Alan was on active service with the 3rd Battalion in New Guinea. 

9. Margaret Louisa Roberts, b on 3 January 1889, married Henry Thomas Evans.

            Their daughter was Carmel Affra Evans b 12 August 1919 in Queensland.

Margaret returned to Towamba when gravely ill with cancer and was not able to return to Chinchilla before her death in 1921. Henry Evans remarried to Sylvia Perl Kriesch on 8 February 1924 in Queensland. 

Cecil Power (Ellen Pendergast's son) remembers travelling from Wyndham to Mowarra to visit his grandparents when he was 13 (that would have been about 1907). He rode a small borrowed pony accompanying his mother who completed the six day journey riding side-saddle. Cecil recalls spending the first night at his Aunt Margaret's home in Towamba. 

4. Johanna Pendergast. Johanna was another one of the family to have her name incorrectly spelt at the Eden registry. It was written as ‘Pendergrest’. Johanna married Thomas Joseph ("Tom") Greer, a carpenter from Pambula, on 26 August 1874 at Mowarra. They had nine children, all born at Towamba.

Tom died in Eden in 1930 and Johanna died there in 1935. 

 1. Herbert Patrick Greer b 1875, m Isabella M M Hite at Eden in 1901. Their two children were:

1. Albert T Greer b 1902 at Eden, married Rachel E Blaxter at Eden in 1927;

2. Vera M Greer b Eden in 1907 m Isaac Warren in Eden in 1927. 

 2. Ada Catherine Greer b 11 March 1878 married George Henry Hite at Eden in 1898. (However, the Eden register records George H Hite as marrying Sarah Greer. However, there are no other records of a Sarah Greer.) Ada and George had seven daughters, all of whose births were registered at Eden:

            1. Dorothy Hite b 1898,

            2. Johanna I Hite b 1900,

            3. Elsie I Hite b 1903,

            4. Eva D Hite b 1906,

            5. Ada H Hite b 1911,

            6. Veronica Hite b 1914, married Norman Rankin at Eden in 1935.

            7. Mary R Hite b 1917.

Johanna I Hite did not marry and died at Granville in 1929. There is a record at Eden of Dulcie E Hite dying in 1909. This child may have been Eva D (with the two names reversed).  

3. Thomas Lawrence Greer b 29 November 1879 ?? m Ann Hazelgrove at Candelo in 1902. Children were:

            1. William J Greer b 11 May1905 at Murwillumbah,

            2. Athol Eden Greer b 16 May 1907 at Eden,

            3. Wilfred C Greer b 1910 at Eden and

            4. Irene M Greer born 1912, also at Eden. 

 4. Mary Johanna Greer b 26 August 1881, m Horace Eden Alexander at Eden in 1904. Children were:

1. Horace John Thomas Alexander b 1 April 1905 at Eden and  

2. Lawrence Ernest Alexander b 2 May 1907.

Issie Ryan said that Eden and Mary Alexander “went north on the boat” as did a number of families from the Kiah area. 

5. Rose Margaret Greer b 1883 at Green Cape married William Percy Harmer at Pambula on 7 February1903. Their children were:

            1. Florence Ada Harmer b 4 April 1903,

            2. Verence Rose Harmer b 18 January 1905 at Pericoe,

            3. William Percy Harmer b 1 June 1907 and

            4. Alfred Thomas Harmer b1909, all at Eden

            William Percy Harmer senior died at Granville in 1937.          

            6. Michael Mark Greer b 25 August 1885. 

            7. Honora Ellen Greer b 4 July 1887. 

8. Eva Veronica Greer b 18 November1891 married William Warren at Eden in 1928. They had two sons:

             1. David Warren and

             2. Alan Warren. 

 9. Dorothy Elizabeth b 14 December 1894 married Charles Dowling at Eden in 1915. I don’t think that they had children.    

The following was published in the Eden newspaper, "The Voice", in June 1969. 

                                   THE VOICE ( Received from Cecil Power 21 June 1969)

DESCENDANT OF EARLY

SETTLERS DIES 

The death occurred last Saturday of             The late Mrs Dowling had been

Mrs Dorothy Dowling, a descendant                in ill-health for several years and

of two of the first settlers of this                   her passing at the old age of 75

area.                                                         years was not unexpected.

Her grandfather, a Mr Greer, was                     Her husband predeceased her

an early settler in the Bombala area.                 several years ago.

Her mother's people, Mr and Mrs

Pendergast, came to Australia on

one of Ben Boyd's ships, and were

the first white people to settle in

the Mowarry district just south of

Twofold Bay.

(The statement that “her mother’s people, Mr and Mrs Pendergast, came to Australia on one of Ben Boyd’s ship” is not correct.) 

5. Hanora Pendergast, born 1853 at Corcorans Flat, married a farmer, James Bernard Doyle, at Eden in 1888. Bernard had been born at Narrababah in 1852. Their five children were born at Eden and Kiah. 

1. John Thomas Doyle b 10 July1889. He died at Randwick in 1934. He may have married Theresa M Walsh in Sydney in 1921 

 2. Mary Cathrine Doyle b 17 February 1892 at Eden and married George E W “Eddie” Young at Glebe in 1923. 

 3. Berness Trica Doyle b at Eden on 5 July1893. She died at Paddington in 1914. 

                    4. Bernard James Doyle b 2 June 1896 at Eden. 

                   5. Annie Esther Doyle b 16 August 1899 at Eden and married Walter Darcy Dunn at Murrumburrah in 1919. Annie and Darcy lived in Murwillumbah and had seven children, four of whom were:

                                    1. Maisie Dunn,

                                    2. Jean Dunn,

                                    3. Betty Dunn and

                                    4. Faye Dunn (plus three sons).

                   In 1916 the family packed up and moved to Queensland. 

6. Ellen Pendergast, the last girl to be born (at Corcorans Flat) into the family, married Patrick Power of Wyndham on 10 July 1881. They had ten children - the last three of whom were triplets - and all were born in Wyndham. Their family story will be told in greater detail later in this history. Ellen’s name was incorrectly recorded on her birth entry at the Eden registry as ‘Pendergrast’. 

7. John ("Jack") Pendergast, the first of the seven sons, was born in 1857. In 1888 he married Rosanah (or Roseanna) Fitzpatrick at Candelo. She had been born in 1863 at Rocky Hall. Their four children were: 

 1. Amy A Pendergast b 1889 at Candelo, married Alf Coombes. They had one child, Dulcie Coombes (Mrs Johnstone). 

 2. Mary ("Molly") Pendergast b 16 December 1891 at Eden, married William G Arthur Colebrook in Murwillumbah in 1935. They had two children:

                  1. Vince Colebrook and

                  2. a girl, name unknown. 

  3. Stella Pendergast b 13 January 1895 at Eden, married Charles Patrick Gray on 18 August 1920 in Queensland. Their three children were:        

                1. John Gray,

                2. Margaret (“Peg”) Gray and

                3. Robert Gray.                   

4. Patrick Pendergast b 1897 married Margaret Lawler. Children were:

                1. Patricia Pendergast,

                2. Noela Pendergast,

                3. Joan Pendergast,

                4. John Pendergast,

                5. Beryl Pendergast and

                6. Elizabeth Pendergast. 

Jack and his family went to Wyreema, west of Toowoomba, in 1912. Jack died in 1936 and is buried at Murwillumbah but his wife Rose is buried at Cathcart. 

8.  Daniel Pendergast’s name was registered as ‘Pendergust’ at the Eden Registry. Daniel married Elizabeth Adeline Jess at Bombala on 5 November 1889. She had been born in Nimmitabel in 1871. They had eleven children: 

1. Clarence Armidale ("Clarry") Pendergast b 23 November 1889 at Eden, married Anastasia Nora Charles at Byron Bay in 1921. Clarry had the cream run from Norco to Byron Bay. Clarry and Nora had three sons and a daughter. 

 2. Violet May Pendergast b 18 August 1891 at Eden, married Arthur E (“Harold”) Wallwork 

 3. Johanna Eileen Pendergast b 9 August 1893 at Towamba, married Jim Cutler, an English musician. They had two boys and a girl. 

                   4. Patrick Harold  Pendergast b 22 December 1895 at Eden, married Eileen Mary Holland of Byron Bay. Their children were three girls and a boy. (They suffered the loss of a still born boy in 1941.) Harold was a partner with Clarry in the cream run. 

5. Daniel Ernest (“Ernie”) Pendergast b 18 February 1898 at Nullica. Ernie was a hairdresser at Tyalgan near Murwillumbah. He married Alice Margaret “Madge” Howarth of Byron Bay in Queensland on 7 October 1922. They had three daughters.  

Three sons of Daniel and Elizabeth Pendergast 

6. John Desmond Pendergast b 7 May 1900 in Eden. Des was a farmer. His wife, Maud Daniels, was a step sister of Nora Charles, Clarry Pendergast’s wife. Maud was from Byron Bay but in later life lived at Bray Park near Murwillumbah. They had one daughter, Ann Pendergast, who is married to Stanley Webster. They have a girl and a boy. 

7. Rosanna (“Rose”) Pendergast b 11 April 1902 at East Boyd. Rose married an Englishman, Herbert Bowden, at Murwillumbah in 1927 and they had two boys and a girl. After the death of her husband she married another Englishman. 

8. William E Pendergast b 23 August 1904. Bill was a farmer whose wife, Dorothy (“Dolly”) Fitzgerald of Uki, bore him six children, three girls and three boys. Bill and Dolly were married at Murwillumbah in 1930. One of their daughters, Dypna Mary, died at Byron Bay in 1944. 

        9. James Bernard Pendergast b 23 July 1906 at Mowarra. Bernard was an accountant. He married Eleanor Violet “Nell” Connolly of Uki and they had seven children – four girls and three boys, one of whom, Reginald Barry Pendergast, died in Queensland on 11 March 1938.

         Bernie died at Manly, Qld in 1983. 

         10. Rodger Bede Pendergast b 11 June 1908 at Mowarra. He married Jane A Watt of Brisbane at Murwillumbah in 1935 and they had three daughters. Jane died of arthritis at the age of 32. Bede died in 1986. 

         11. Herman Francis (“Frank”) Pendergast b 1910 at Eden. Frank married Madeline Patricia McGettigan at Byron Bay in 1939 and they had six children, four boys and two girls. Frank was a carpenter and the last of the family to die (about 1985). He lived in Sydney. 

The two oldest Pendergast brothers, John and Dan, had a bullock team at Mowarra. The stone for the lighthouse built at Green Cape in the early 1880s came from Sydney by boat and was unloaded at Chinaman's Beach from where it was carted by bullock teams to the cape. No doubt John and Dan's team was employed on this work. Sleeper cutting was also a common occupation in the district and they would have found work carting the sleepers to Twofold Bay. 

Dan took his family north by 1916 following in the tracks of his brothers Patrick and Jack who had made the move in earlier years. He enrolled three of his youngest sons – William, Bernard and Bede at Crystal Creek Public School near Murwillumbah in January 1917. The school register records that the boys’ previous school had been ‘Subsidised School’ and that Dan was a tenant farmer living at North Arm. In January 1918 he enrolled his youngest child Frank as a new pupil aged 7. The family was then living at Crystal Creek.

Dan died in the Tweed District Hospital on 24 November 1933 aged 74 and is buried at Murwillumbah. 

9&10 The twins, Patrick and Michael Pendergast, died shortly after being born and were buried at Mowarra, the burial services being conducted by their mother's brother, Daniel Ryan. 

11. The next child was also called Patrick Pendergast (and the last child, Michael). I have often come across this 19th century practice of giving the same name of deceased sons to later born sons but I cannot recall a case with a daughter except for Elizabeth Stevenson, Patrick's wife. She was the eighth of ten daughters (there was also one son) born to William Stevenson and Isabella Weatherhead on 20 December 1875. Their third daughter, also Elizabeth, had died two years previously of burns at the age of nine.

William Stevenson had been the captain of a whaling ship but after marrying Isabella he became a farmer at Wangerabell at the head of the Timbillica River where they raised their 11 children. 

Patrick married this "second" Elizabeth Stevenson River at Eden on 28 August 1894 and his Christian name was registered as “Polrick”. 

According to Issie Ryan, Patrick was a great rider but was lame in one leg and walked with the aid of a stick. 

After the birth of their first child, Elizabeth Mary Pendergast, at Eden they went to Victoria and later, in about 1910, to Queensland. According to Vera Youngblutt, her parents went from Genoa, Victoria to Toowoomba and after six months to a farm at Greenmount 32 miles from Toowoomba for about three years. They then came down to the Tweed district, first to Condong for five weeks and then to Dulguigan for eight years and later to Crystal Creek, a tributary of the Tweed River.

The register at Crystal Creek Public School shows that Patrick enrolled Juanita, Catherine, Arthur and William in April 1922. Patrick is recorded as a farmer living at Crystal Creek.

Patrick died at Murwillumbah on 20 May 1939 and Elizabeth on 18 January 1944, also at Murwillumbah. They are buried together at the Bray Park Cemetery near Murwillumbah. In the same grave are the remains of their grand daughter Patricia Vera Youngblutt who died on 9 July 1944 aged 5 weeks.

Their ten children are: 

            1. Elizabeth Mary ("Bessie") Pendergast b 26 April 1895 at Eden. On 16 July 1925 she married Lionel Hanger in Murwillumbah. Bessie and Lionel had five children:    

                                                1. Joseph Patrick Hanger,

                                                2. Allan Hanger,

                                                3. Kevin Hanger,

                                                4. Laura Hanger and

                                                5. Colin Hanger.

            Bessie died on 10 February1968. 

       2. Ellen Marlin ("Ella”) Pendergast b 22 June 1897. Ella married Ernest (“Greg”) Walker by whom she had a boy and a girl:

                               1. Neville Walker and

                               2. Daphne Walker.

            Ella died on 29 November 1984 aged 87. 

       3. Evelena Margaret Pendergast b 18 November 1899 at Wallagarrah, Vic. She married Clarion Gilbert Equality Franks in July 1922 and died in Murwillumbah on 15 September 1984. They had three children:

                               1. Clarence Herbert (“Bertie”) Franks,

                               2. Jean Franks and

                               3. Eunice Franks. 

4. Albert Patrick Pendergast b 5 November 1902 in Victoria. Albert and his wife, Alminetta “Alma” Brown, had five children:

                        1. Muriel Pendergast,

                        2. Fay Pendergast,

                        3. Pat Pendergast,

                        4. Stanley Pendergast and

                        5. Daphne Pendergast (Mrs Trulock).

Albert died in the Chinchilla district. 

     5. Vera Rachael Pendergast b 18 January 1904 in Victoria. Vera married Varney O Youngblutt at Murwillumbah in 1934. They had five children:

                  1. Phillip Youngblutt (m Maureen Le Seur),

                   2. Leonard Youngblutt, the twins

                        3. Carmel Youngblutt (m Brian Wilson) and

                        4. Athol Youngblutt (m Jill Mitchell) and a baby,

                        5. Patricia Youngblutt, who died at the age of five weeks.

            Vera died at Kingscliff, NSW in1993. 

6.    Juneita Isabel (“Neta”) Pendergast b 3 April1906 was also a Mrs Hanger. Neta married Lionel Hanger's cousin Alec Hanger at Murwillumbah in 1929. They had three children:

1.    Joyce Hanger m Percy Cork and their children are:

                        1.Gary Cork

                        2. Julie Cork (Mrs Kaufman)

                        3. Diane Cork (Mrs Clifford) and

                        4. Joy Cork (Mrs Zacke)

2.    Raymond Hanger is married to Carmel Curtis and

3.    Ronald Hanger is married to Helen Eilola.

         Juneita died in 1970. 

7.    Catherine Iris “Kate”Pendergast b 17 February 1908 in Victoria. Kate married George Marrison in 1932 at Murwillumbah.  Kate and George produced five children:

1.    Jack Marrison,

2.    Jean Marrison,

3.    George Marrison,

4.    Patricia Marrison and

5.    Joseph Marrison.

Jack married twice and has nine children, Jean married Reg Baker and Patricia’s husband is Keith Townsend.      

         Kate died in Tweed Heads in 1983. 

8. Arthur Raymond Pendergast b 2 June 1910 near Genoa, Victoria. He married Phyllis Bertha Jean Tate (b 14 October 1909) of Murwillumbah on 23 May 1936 and they had four children:

1.    Leone Rae b 25 July 1938 and married Leo Kennedy,

2.    Barry Raymond b 4 August 1939, m Alma Gresham,

3.    Allan John b 6 October 1943, m1 Lyn Snell m 2 Barbara McGaugh

4.    Joy-Lyn b 12 February 1947, m Ray McNeilly.                

                   Both Arthur and Phyllis died in Murwillumbah in 1977 aged 67 years. 

9.       William Stanley Pendergast b 7 November 1912 in Toowoomba, Qld. William and his wife, Florence Edith Dennis, had one son, Graham Pendergast. They married in Queensland on 14 May 1936.

         William died in Murwillumbah in 1974. 

10.     Patrick Percival Pendergast born 26 December 1915 in the Tweed District of N.S.W. married Mona Smith. Their only son, Robert Pendergast, was killed in a car accident when Patrick was in the hotel business in Wondai, Queensland. Prior to his hotel involvement Patrick served in the Air Force and for many years was stationed at the Amberley base. 

12.     Thomas Pendergast was born in 1865 and his name was mistakenly recorded at Eden as Pendegrast. In 1891 he married Louisa G J  Rozynsky at Bombala. The births of three of their children are recorded at Bombala, the last of them, Artie, in 1903. Some time after that the family is believed to have gone to Stanthorpe in Queensland where possibly the fourth child, Lavinia, was born.

          Thomas died at Glen Innes in 1938. 

1. Verona M Pendergast was born in Bombala in 1892. Verona married Frederick S M Webber. Their two children were:

                     1.  Bruce Webber and

                     2. Joyce Webber. 

2. Stanley Esbert Pendergast was born at Bombala in 1899. Stan married Linda Grace Parker at Glen Innes at 1939 and had three children:

                     1. Bruce Pendergast,

                     2. Gloria Pendergast and

                     3. Robert Pendergast. 

3. Thomas Arthur (“Artie”) Pendergast was born in 1903 in Bombala. He married Lavinia May Edwards at Guyra in 1938 and had two children:

                    1. Don Pendergast and

                    2. Joyce Pendergast. 

4.         Lavinia (“Beulla”) Pendergast married Fred Chappel. 

13. Michael Pendergast was killed at the age of 17 while working at Harrison's Saw Mill at Nullica near Kiah. A big log rolled onto him and despite the desperate efforts of a workmate who bent a crowbar around the log while trying to free Michael, his injuries were fatal although he survived for two days after the accident. Michael died on 25 July 1885. He was buried at the Corcoran's Flat cemetery, Kiah by Alexander Davidson (famous for his shore-whaling exploits assisted by the pack of killer whales) and by Michael's uncle, John Ryan, described on the death certificate as "Lay Church of Rome".

The registration of Michael’s death at the Eden court house was incorrectly recorded as ‘Prendergest’ 

So, you can see, Patrick and Johanna Pendergast founded a very large family. With at least 70 grand children born by the early part of the 20th century, their descendants must be numbered in the many hundreds by now. 

Research on the Pendergast family

In July, 1986 I sent a draft of what I knew then about the Mowarra Pendergasts to about 18 people whom I believed would have some knowledge of the family.

Much of the draft was based on a family tree drawn up by Betty Buckland of Eden from the records at the Eden Court House as well as stories about the family told to me by Issie Ryan of Bega (who, incidentally, is not related to Johanna's family).

In a covering letter with the draft I acknowledged that it “only gives the barest outline of this very large family and probably contains many errors and omissions". This is still true to a certain extent but thanks to the information provided by Barry Pendergast of Murwillumbah, Ruby Bramich of Auchenflower (Brisbane), Gail Hanger of Picton, NSW, Vera Youngblutt of Kingscliff; Jenny Doran of Rowville and John Gillam of Mount Isa, many of the gaps have been closed.

However, there is still tremendous scope for further research into this interesting, far-flung family and I invite readers of this history to build on it by talking to the old members of the family and recording their stories of the travels and pioneering of the Pendergasts. 

Patrick died at the age of 68 of inflammation of the lungs at Mowarra on 23rd July 1881. His death entry at the Eden Registry shows that his parents were John and Catherine Pendergast. Patrick was buried at the Corcorans Flat cemetery on 25 July 1881, the service being conducted by his brother-in-law, John Ryan, who is described as “Lay Church of Rome”. Witnesses were Thomas Power and Roger Whelan. 

In his will Patrick left all of his estate amounting to 400 pounds to Johanna. He appointed her together with Roger Whelan of Corcorans Flat and Thomas Ryan of Towamba as his executors. The will was witnessed by Father Patrick Slattery, G I Keon P.M. and Catherine Pendergast. Patrick “signed” his will with a cross. 

Johanna outlived Patrick by 32 years, dying on 7th July 1913 at Eden aged 87. She was buried next to Patrick in the Kiah Cemetery. 

Two fine headstones mark their graves in the tiny Corcoran's Flat cemetery by the Towamba River at Kiah and read as follows: 

          Erected by                                           In Loving Memory of

  Johanna Pendergast                                                   Our Dear Mother

      In Memory of                                           Johanna Pendergast

 Her Beloved Husband                                                Died 7^th July 1913

    Patrick Pendergast                                                      Aged 87 Years

Native of County Tipperary                          Erected by her sons and daughters

          Ireland

 Who Departed This Life

         23 July 1881

       Aged 68 Years

  May He Rest In Peace

Connection with the Omeo Pendergasts and Ryans 

In 1837 three Pendergast brothers: John, Thomas and Dudley cleared the land near Benambra north of Omeo, Victoria to establish Pender's Court, the major Pendergast property in the area. I have thought for some time that "our" Patrick Pendergast could possibly have been a member of this family because of the following clues: 

1.       the three Omeo Pendergast men had a younger family member named Patrick; 

2.       the name of both the father of the Omeo Pendergast men and of "our" Patrick's father was John; 

3.       "our" Patrick was married at Delegate, a town on the NSW/Victorian border on the road to Omeo; 

4.       there was a branch of the Omeo Pendergast family living in the Moonbah/Jindabyne district of southern NSW. 

However, Leonie Pendergast of Omeo, Vic, Michelle Nichols of Riverstone, NSW and Bill Pendergast of Lidcombe, NSW, all of whom have a good knowledge of the Omeo Pendergasts, assure me that there is no connection, at least not in Australia. But who knows what research in Ireland may turn up. Their original Australian ancestor was John Pendergast who arrived in 1800 aboard the "Minerva". He settled at Windsor but his grandson Patrick did not marry a Johanna Ryan. 

However, if there was not a blood relationship there was a social one at least. Issie Ryan told me that "Old" Dan Ryan of Kiah (Johanna’s brother) had been to Omeo and always spoke well of it. "Omeo, that's the place for me!" he would say. 

Dan's brother, Will, went to Omeo with his wife Ellen (a Wyndham Power) and baby daughter Sarah in 1868. When Will died 14 years later at Hinnomungee near Omeo, Dan signed the death certificate. After Will's death Ellen became the housekeeper for William Pendergast. 

Patrick and Ellen Power 

After that long look at the Pendergasts, let's return to the focus of this story, Patrick and Ellen Power. 

Cecil Power remembers his mother and father as wonderfully devoted parents. They were both quite short: Patrick about 5' 6" tall and Ellen about 5' 4". Patrick was of medium build with fair complexion, dark hair and blue eyes. His mother, too, was of medium build with dark hair and blue eyes. 

Patrick went bald early in life but he had a thick black beard. 

As you can see from the family Bible, Ellen had a child every two years until the arrival of the triplets in 1896. 

The list of births from the family bible doesn't show the names of two of the triplets who died at the age of 7 months. 

1. Linley (or Lindley) Pender Power, their eldest child, was born at Eden on 3rd July 1882 according to the Eden Court House records but a month earlier according to the Bible entry. 

Lin was enrolled as Lindley Power at Wyndham Public School on 4 October 1888 at the age of 6. He left school on 13 September 1895. 

A panoramic view of Wyndham with the Robbie Burns Hotel on the left and to the right the village store that eventually was taken over by Lyn Power 

Lin wasn't interested in farming and took a job in the Wyndham Store, working for Simon Goldberg. When Patrick died in 1905 Lin, at the age of 25, became the main support for the family. 

On 20th April 1908, Lin married a daughter, Mary Theresa (“Tess”) Meares, of the Pambula barber, Edwin Meares. The wedding was celebrated by Fr P. Kenny at St. Peters, Pambula and Fred Bower and May Meares were witnesses. Tess was 21. Lin who was 26 at the time gave his occupation as bookkeeper. 

Within a few years Lin bought Simon Goldberg out and became the Wyndham storekeeper. 

Lin and Tess's first child, Mary Irene Power, was born on 3 February 1909 and their second child, Patrick Francis Power, in 1911. 

1. Irene married Angus Rutherford (“Gus”) Bain at St Martha’s Catholic Church, Strathfield  on 31 August 1936. Gus was a teacher, who eventually retired as the School Inspector of Dubbo. Irene and Gus had three children, all born in Strathfield:  

1. Kenneth Rutherford Bain b 12 March 1938, Kenneth had a long career withthe National Bank. In 1961 Ken married Norma Worthington and their three children are:  

1. Susan Aileen Bain b 1961 and twins b 1965

2. Anthony Kenneth Bain and

3. Karen Lucille Bain. Karen married Stephen Williams and their two children are:          

1. Jack Williams and

2. Madeleine Williams. 

2. Patricia Mary Bain b 11 September 1940. Patricia worked with the CBC of Sydney Bank in Gilgandra until her marriage there at St Joseph’s Catholic Church on 17 September 1960 to Ronald Emmet Foran. Their five children, all born in Gilgandra, are: 

1. Dianne Patricia Foran b 3 September 1961 who gained her Bachelor of Education degree at Sydney University and taught in Gilgandra primary schools. Dianne is married to Ian Frazer McCutcheon and their four children are:     

1. Emma Louise McCutcheon b 1986,

2. Andrew Oliver McCutcheon b 1988,

3. Katherine Anne McCutcheon b 1990 and

4. Simon Frazer  McCutcheeon b 1992. 

2.  Jeffrey Ronald Foran b 20 October 1962 who runs his own farming properties. Jeffrey married Elaine Marchant in 1988 and their three children, all born in Dubbo, are:

1. Elizabeth Joy Foran b 1992,

2. Dominic Emmet Foran b 1996 and

3. Patrick Jeffrey Foran b 1997. 

3. Timothy James Foran b 12 February 1964 has his own farm at Collie about 17 miles from Gilgandra. Tim married Helen Long in 1984 and their four children are:

1. Renee Patricia Foran,

2. Matthew James Foran,

3. Brendon Patrick Foran and

4. Michelle Anne Foran. 

4. Phillip Francis Foran also has his own farming properties. Phillip married Donna Armstrong in 1989 and their four children, all born in Dubbo, are:                       1.  Rebecca Amy Foran b 1991,

2. Luke Francis Foran b 1992,

3. Ashley Rose Foran b 1994 and

4. Sarah Emily Foran b 1996. 

5. David Rutherford Foran b 7 November 1969 has a concreting business in Orange. He married Katrina Cullinane in 1991 and their two children are:                          
                  1. Amy Larissa Foran b 1993 and

2. Charles Angus Foran b 1995.           

3. James Lindley Bain Jim worked for the Bank of New South Wales for a time but later worked with a car dealer in Coonamble.

Jim married Carol Ingram in 1962 and their two children are:

1. Warren Bain m Elizabeth Steel. Their chn are:

1. Alicia Bain

2. Michael Bain

2.Darrin Bain m Lee ?? and their children are:

1. Mark Patrick Bain b 1985

2. Jarrod Bain b 1987

3. Chantelle Bain b 1989 

2. Patrick Francis Power was educated at Christian Brothers College, Lewisham and then worked as a grocer. He served with the AIF from 1942 to 1945 including two years overseas. He married Marion (“Molly”) Ella Hayes at North Sydney in 1943. They had no children. Frank died on 21 May 1966 following a long battle with cancer. Marion died some years later. 

After he went to Sydney, Lin had a grocery store on Parramatta Road in Homebush and for years he organised the South Coast reunion held annually in the Sydney Town Hall. 

Lin died in Sydney in December 1966 at the age of 84. Tess was 85 when she died in 1971. 

2. Percy John Power was born at Wyndham on 12 March 1884. He was the only one really interested in carrying on at the farm but Ellen decided to sell it and moved back to Eden.

Percy did own a 69 acre block at Wyndham at one stage. 

Cecil told me that Percy's nickname was "Dick".   

Percy Power with his daughter Ivy at Roma. 

His interest in farming (and his asthma) led him eventually to Roma, Queensland where he became a Station Manager and married Kate Elizabeth Cook.

The children of Percy and Kate Power, Ivy, Patrick and Jim (“Tiny”). Bryan Power is standing to the left and the wives, Helen and Mary, are seated to the right of Ivy.

Percy and Kate had three children: Ivy, James and Patrick.

Ivy wrote the following story in 1995.

“Percy John Power was born on 12 March 1884 at Wyndham, NSW, the second eldest child of Ellen and Patrick.

Percy was an asthmatic all his life. He was also a very quiet man and seldom spoke of his childhood or his family with the result that there is not much we (his children) really know of his early life.

However I do know he came to Queensland on account of his asthma - whenever he returned to Eden he would have severe bouts and have to return to the north where the dry, hot climate helped his condition.

 I have no record of the dates but he did work on at least two cattle properties: ‘Victoria River Downs’ for a time and on ‘Kamilaroi’ station in the Cloncurry district for quite a while, I should think, during and after the First World War.

He then came to Roma, Qld and worked on ‘Merino Downs’, firstly as a stockman about 1920, where he met my mother Kate Elizabeth Cook who also worked on ‘Merino Downs’ They were married in All Saints Catholic Church, Roma on 11 January 1923.

After the marriage my mother lived in Roma township. Six months later the property was enlarged and my father became manager. My mother and we three children lived on the property, then a large sheep station, until just prior to the Second World War when ill health forced my father to give up work and we moved back into the town. His health was not good - he developed a stomach ulcer which eventually became cancer. He died in Roma Hospital on 10 May 1949 aged 65 years.

Dad was always very interested in racing and often rode racehorses at Roma races. He followed rugby league and boxing and had a good memory of race horse breeding. He looked after his appearance - always wore a tie and hat and liked to go for a walk up the main street in Roma and talk with the men he knew for many years, especially three whom he worked with on ‘Kamilaroi’ station.”         

          1. Ivy Veronica Power was born in Brisbane on 7 July 1923. Ivy married Highland Joseph Crane at Roma on 23 June 1941. Their two children are:

                        1. Patricia Crane b 1943 and

                              2. Barry Crane b 1945.           

2. Arthur Patrick Power was born at Springwood, NSW on 16 July 1926. Patrick married Helen Marie Rackemann at Childers, Qld on 23 June 1951. Their two children are:

              1. Gayle Power b 1952 and

                  2. Terrence Power b 1954.  

Helen is related to the former Queensland cricketer, Carl Rackeman, thus giving the Powers a connection with a second great Australian fast bowler, the other one being Ray Lindwall. 

 3. James Bernard (“Tiny”) Power was born on 22 November 1928 at Wynnum, Qld. Tiny married Mary and their four children are:

              1. Brian Power b 1954,

                  2. Marion Power b 1955,

                  3. Margaret Power b 1958 and

                  4. Bernadette Power b 1961. 

3. Mary May ("Mollie") Power was born at Wyndham on 14th May 1886. She went to Sydney where she married William G ("Bill") Cotton-Stapleton at Paddington in 1918. They had three children:  

1. Bill Cotton-Stapleton. Bill was born in 1921 and married Pat ???

2. Roma Cotton-Stapleton. Roma married John Howard Fawcett. Their children are:

1. Ruth Fawcett (Mrs Sturman) and

2. Ernest Harold Fawcett

3. Howard Cotton-Stapleton Howard was born in 1930 and married Robyn ???. Howard shortened his name to Howard Stapleton 

Mollie died on 26th December, 1975 aged 89. 

4. Stella Johanna Power was born in Wyndham on 15th May 1888. Like Mollie and Alma she too left the home at Wyndham as soon as she was old enough. Stella’s grandson, Ian Hobbins of Bribie Island, has provided the following information.

“Like her parents, Stella was quite short, standing about five feet tall. She was a very shy girl who mainly kept to herself rather than mix with people. Her only interest in life was her family. She married James Sherlock Hobbins in St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane on 26 August 1911. He was a printer who worked for twenty-six different newspapers in Queensland and northern New South Wales. He was born in Maryborough on 25 April 1887. While still a young man he joined the ‘Wide Bay News’ where he had his first insight into the compositing side of newspapers. When he turned 19 he moved to Bundaberg to gain further experience. Following this he worked for newspapers in Roma and Dalby. He then obtained employment in Brisbane with the ‘Catholic Advocate’ and worked there for two years. In 1913 he returned with his family to Maryborough where he worked on the ‘Chronicle’ for twelve months. After that he worked for the ‘Northern Star’ in Lismore and for the local papers in Beaudesert and Warwick. His final position was as foreman mechanic for the ‘Toowooba Chronicle’, a position he held until his death following a short illness in 1936.” 

James and Stella had five children:

1. Theresa Stella “Tessie” Hobbins, born on 26 May 1912,  

2. Netta Hobbins (Mrs Le Pla), the twins,

3. Mary Veronica “Mollie” Hobbins and

4. Alma Josephine Hobbins born on 17 November 1918, and

5. James Francis “Frank” Hobbins b 5 October 1913, all born in Queensland. 

Stella died at Coolangatta in April 1972 aged 84. 

5. Clyde Edward Power was born at Wyndham on 13th July 1890. In the Eden birth register his name was recorded as Edward Lloyd and in the Pambula Parish baptismal record it appears to be Edward Claude. In any case, he finished up being known as Clyde. 

Clyde went to Sydney where he worked in factories. He never married. When his mother was old she came to Sydney and lived with Clyde and Stan at Pretty Point until her death in about 1936 at the age of 81. 

6. Alma Catherine Power was born at Wyndham on 25th August 1892. 

Her baptism was notable for the fact that the priest had the same name as her father. Fr Patrick Power served in St. Peter's Parish, Pambula (which also covered Wyndham and Eden) during 1892-1893. I don't think he was a relation.

Alma’s god-parents were her cousin, 14 year old Arthur Power (son of Ned and Esther) and Mrs Annie Jess (nee Power), daughter of "Black Johnny" Power of Kiah. 

When she grew up, Alma went to Sydney where she married another ex-Wyndham resident, William John ("Bill") Grant, at Randwick on 26 November 1921. Bill worked as a public servant. 

Alma and Bill had two children:

1. Graham Grant who married Noreen Regan. They had five children:

1. Christine Grant,

2. Elizabeth Grant,

3. John Grant who died in 2005,

4. Margaret Grant and

5, Katherine Grant. 

Graham died in 1994 and Noreen in 1996.  

2. Cecily Grant who married Maurice Courtenay. Cecily and Maurice’s children are:   

1. Bernard Courtenay,

2. Louise Courtenay and

3. Catherine Courtenay. 

Alma died in February 1974 aged 81. Her husband, Bill, lived to 87; he died on 14th August 1983. 

7. Cecil Thomas Power was born at Eden on 13th May 1894 and baptised by Fr Richard Condon whose records in the Pambula registers were all written in Latin. Thus, for example, he wrote “son of Patrick and Ellen Power” as “filius Patricii et Helenae Power”. Cecil’s god-parents were his mother's brother and sister, Patrick Pendergast and Mary (Mrs Thomas Power). 

Cecil hated his name and could never work out why his parents inflicted it on him. Strangely enough, in 1897 a much older cousin of Cecil, Thomas Joseph Power of Rocky Hall, became the father of a boy who was also given the name, Cecil Thomas. Cecil never knew of his namesake until one day when the police rang Lin to regretfully inform him that his brother Cecil had cut his own throat. One can imagine Lin's horror on hearing this news and his mixed feelings of shock and relief when Cecil walked into the store hale and healthy some time later. It was the Rocky Hall Cecil Thomas Power who had taken his own life.

At school, although he was small, Cec always stood up for the little kids who were picked on so he was often in fights. Cecil commenced school at Wyndham at the age of 6 in 1901 and his reason for leaving school as noted in the register was “Over 14 years - over age”. He was good at school but because his father died when Cecil was so young he had no opportunity to go on to further education.

Cecil was a good rugby player. He was very fast and was never injured despite being so small. "Issie" Ryan recalls a match when Cec took the ball on the full back line and ran the length of the field to score a try.  In A History of Wydham  by S J Goodchild there is a poem about the local team entitled ‘The Wyndham Oaks’, who were the South Coast Rugby League premiers in 1925. The first of the eleven stanzas of the poem reads:                  

‘They’re here tonight, in the thick of the fight;

                   Ah, they’re beggars for jokes, these Wyndham Oaks!

                   If someone is lucky, and gets through the line,

He then has to bump Cecil Power behind.’ 

Cecil was also a good shot. Wyndham had a rifle club in those days and Cec won a shooting match using a rifle with an ivory foresight. Lin, his brother, gave him a sovereign for the next match which allowed him three "sighters" (practice shots). However he didn't have the same rifle and only came third. 

Cec worked for Lin in the store collecting and delivering orders around the district. In doing this he got to know all the Wyndham people very well. Colin Turbett of Bega loaned me an account book his grandfather, the Wyndham butcher, kept for the years 1895-1898. There was hardly a name in the book that Cec did not know and he had a story about most of them I'll just quote verbatim some of Cec’s comments that I recorded in 1980: 

W.C. Rayner. “Charlie and his sons had the sawmill. The boiler blew up and killed Old Charlie. The boiler went 100 yards and then bounced another 100 yards. My mates and I used to play in it as kids.” 

Moore Bros. “Nice people, dairy farmers. They milked and ploughed with the stiff collars on.” 

Joe Shoeback. “He called me ‘Bottle Tick’ when I went round getting the orders. His dog bit me and Joe got a biscuit and put strychnine on it and poisoned the dog on the spot. He used to play the mouth organ." 

          From the Turbett account book I shall quote one month's meat order for Paddy's family.  

Pat Powers

March       1            15 corn beef
               6            10 roast beef
              13              5 1/2 roast beef
              17            11 corn beef
              23            12 corn beef
              27            11 roast beef
              29            10 corn beef                    £3.12.11 

Cecil was always interested in mechanical things. He had the first motor bike in Wyndham and was always working on people's cars but wouldn't charge for what he did.

Like his father he was musical and played in the local dance band. He could play most instruments but preferred the cornet and drums. Olive first recalls seeing Cec when he was playing in the band at a dance at Candelo. 

Cecil eventually went to Sydney to work and during the war was a foreman in an aircraft factory. While in Sydney he renewed his friendship with Olive and they married in 1943. 

Olive and Cecil Power in about 1980. 

After the war Cecil had his own business manufacturing ice cream scoops. He carved the wooden pattern completely and cast the moulds himself because it was impossible to get someone to do this skilled work straight after the war. 

Cecil lived in retirement for many years at Lane Cove but enjoyed his regular fishing trips while he was still active. 

He died in May 1985 a week after his 91st birthday following a fall in which he broke his hip. 

8. Michael Stanley Power was one of the triplets born on 3rd August 1896. Stan, or "Doc" as he was known to his friends, never married. Together with Clyde he looked after his mother in her last years in Sydney. Later, he became a ranger at Ku-ring-gae Chase National Park north of Sydney. 

He died on 16th July 1956 just a couple of weeks before his 60th birthday. 

9&10 Robert Leo and Violet Ellen Power were the other two of the triplets. They died while still infants aged 7 months (Robert on 15 June 1887 and Violet on 20 June) and are buried with their father in Wyndham Cemetery. 

The grave of Patrick and two of the triplets. 

Cecil does not remember his father very well as he was only 10 when Patrick died of Bright's disease on 29th April, 1905. 

Like his brother Ned, Patrick or "Paddy" as he was also known, was not tall but stocky. "Ned was a quiet man but my father was even quieter - would never make a fuss. He was a very silent man but only had to look at us kids - he was the boss. He was well liked by everybody. He had a big funeral when he died of Brights disease". 

In his will Paddy bequeathed to “my dear wife Ellen Power the whole of my real and personal estate” that amounted to 291 pounds 10 shillings and 9 pence. 

Patrick was the only one of the Power men to go bald. He must have been rather self-conscious of this because he always wore a cap when playing the violin at dances. 

In  A History of Wyndham there is an account of the opening of the Wyndham School of Arts hall on 18 October 1888.

‘After the banquet the hall was cleared for the Ball and 26 couples danced the first Quadrille and throughout the evening the Power brothers played very good time with their violins as the dancers moved under a large banner strung across the Hall bearing the words “Advance Wyndham”.

There were about 80 present and light was provided by candles placed in brackets which were fixed to the walls. The bright dresses of the ladies under the soft candlelight made a charming picture contrasting with the dark background of ferns and foliage.

There was an intermission at midnight after which the Ball went on to 4 a.m.’ 

That was certainly a lot of fiddle playing! The Power brothers mentioned would have been Paddy and possibly Ned’s son, George. I have a balance sheet for the Wyndham Athletic Club that shows G and P Power were paid a guinea for providing the music for the Ball held by the club following a day’s racing on 26 May 1897. 

To quote Cecil again: "We had about 200 to 300 acres - mostly bush country two and a half miles out of town on the north side of the river on the Candelo Road. It was named after a gold mine there - the Devil's Hole. 

We had a dairy herd - Jerseys. Neighbours were the Whitbys and Pheeneys. The Rayner family were further out on Candelo Road. At the time of my father's death, Lin was working in the store and he supported the family. 

Percy - we called him "Dick" - was the only one interested in the farm. So Mater sold it and we moved back to Wyndham on the main road at the Rocky Hall end of town on the pub-side of the road. 

Percy went off to Queensland. 

All the girls left home young to go to Sydney.  

Mater stuck with us fellers in Wyndham - lived till she was 80. 

Mater was a wonderful mother to us kids". 

Ellen Power in her old age.