Michael Coffey (My Great Grandfather) arrived from Clane, County Kildare, Ireland in Moreton Bay aboard the "Sabrina" on 27th November 1855 from Liverpool. The Sabrina was a vessel of 673 tons, Captain ALLEN.  There was an outbreak of Typhus on the journey out so all the passengers were placed in quarantine until finally disembarking on 12 Jan. 1856.

We lose sight of him until he turns up marrying Mary Ann Fahy, the daughter of Timothy (known as Teddy) Fahy, an ex-convict, and Mary Anne Whalen whom he married at Liverpool. Daughter Mary Ann, was born on Nimmo Station, Monaro.  The date of their marriage is 13/4/1864 with him being listed as a bachelor of Kyna, Lake Gegedzerick.

By 1867 he is living at Myalla and in 1872 as Myalla, Selector.  In 1881-82 he is listed as Selector Myalla, Bobundrah, Cooma.  In 1883 according to the NSW Archives he has amassed 2,000 acres. 

1884-85 shows Middle Flat, then he built Coffey's Hotel, and was Licensee from 18/7/1900 until 17/7/1901, dying in Cooma on 19/1/1902 at the age of 67 (Reg. 1902/1133) and is buried in Mittagang Cemetery with an ornate headstone. 

After 1901 the Licensee was his wife Mary Ann.  Bobundrah was sold to pay Probate.  They had 13 children living at the time of his death and 1 Deceased.  At his death there was Mary (Mrs Thomas Mylan), John (my Grandfather),  Michael, Sarah (Mrs James Brosnan), Edward, Bridget (Mrs James Fletcher), Esther (Mrs Patrick Dillon), Miriam (Mrs Edward Weaver) Alice, Peter, Meliora (Mrs Leo Bartley) Nicholas (a future Licensee of the hotel), Theresa (Mrs George Paull).

 

According to an extract from "Discovering Monaro" by W.K.Hancock page 99, Battles for Possession:
"The squatters owned large grants of land in Monaro.  About 1860 Parliament passed an Act for small selectors to take smaller holdings for farms and a great battle ensued between squatters and selectors for land.

Edward Pratt bought the pastoral lease of Myalla in 1872 and was hard put to defend his purchase.

Starting on the western flank we see at once that Pratt has yielded little ground except to a selector named Coffey.  This man had arrived in the 1840's from famine stricken Ireland and we may feel sure that he had no wish to meet gentry in his new country.  He disliked Pratt's manner, Pratt disliked his.  They fought each other with venom. Coffey to begin with got rather the better of the fight and built up a freehold of 2000 acres.  What he wanted however was not a farm but a pub.  So he sold his land and built the Union Hotel in Cooma.  Three generations later his descendents were still in possession there.  (Perkins 2254).  Coffey's Hotel was later called the Railway Hotel.

 

"Discovering Monaro" p84:
Most evocative of the spirit of the time is the tiny church of Gegedzerick Station.  In hallowed ground close by forefathers of Gegedzerick sleep."

 

From Perkins - Perkins papers.   Many volumes of excerpts from, or précis of, official documents and news items covering the first century of white settlement in Monaro.    (Mitchell Lib.)

Submitted by Wal Mitchell <k2mitch@bigpond.com>

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The following photos were supplied by Cheryl Moore [chezem-at-bigpond.net.au] 2.04.12
 

John Coffey and Isabella May Tindall	Alice Coffey, Walter Thomas Davidson and baby Colin Dunbar Davidson.

 

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Descendants of Michael Coffey

Wal Mitchell <k2mitch-at-bigpond.com> 27.02.06
Recompiled from the new Monaro Pioneers database:  19.05.08

 

Descendants Report