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Patrick Joseph Wall
Doolondondoo c1864
PATRICK JOSEPH WALL.
From Bernard Wall
<bgfewall65-at-yahoo.com.au>
Patrick was born at Lake George, NSW on 14 April 1845, the son of Irish immigrants John Wall and Mary McNamara. He was the eldest son of nine documented children all of whom were born in the Lake George and Bungendore area not far from present day Canberra.
During his youth he was in the employ or guardianship of Ann Maria Green (nee Alcock) and James Green or John Green at ‘Doolondondoo’. Ann Maria referred to him as the ‘shepherd boy’. At the relatively young age of nineteen years Patrick was to be a witness to the drowning of Mary Ann Alcock, Ann Maria’s mother. Patrick who was a member of the party, when, during the return journey from Cooma, after selling horses to the British Army for use as remounts in India, Mary Green was swept from her horse in the flooded Numerella River and drowned. It is believed that Patrick tried, to no avail to persuade the party, which also included John Green, Mary's brother, not to cross the flooded river as the conditions were too dangerous. Mary was swept of her horse and carried away by the swift current and although every effort was made she could not be found, and as if the loss of Mary was not enough, she was carrying the proceeds from the sale of the horses. Where Mary drowned is still shown on today’s maps as Green's Crossing.
All this happened on the 17 June 1864 and the body was not recovered until September 1864 when the water in the river had dropped to a lower level enabling a more thorough search for Mary's body to be carried out. It was Patrick Wall who found Mary Green's body, partially buried in a sandbank. The body when it was located was in a well preserved condition, with all the money still intact on Mary's person. Three months may sound a long period of time for a body to remain in a reasonable condition after death but given the temperatures that prevail on the Monaro during the winter months and the fact that the body was partially buried in a sand bank; these factors would serve to act as a natural ice box. When Mary's body was recovered the paper money was removed and dried in the oven and later exchanged at the bank.
It is unknown as to whether or not there were other members in the party apart from John, Mary and Patrick, it would have been an almost impossible task for Patrick on his own to rescue Mary, she a woman 59 years and John an elderly man 83 years of age. The leather purse that Mary Green used to carry the gold sovereigns, and was in her possession when she drowned, is now in the possession of this Wall family. It was given to Leila Wall (nee Folkard) by Emily Maria Wall (nee Green), a grand-daughter of Mary Green. Emily is said to have told Leila that this was the purse "that belonged to grandmother and was with her when she drowned in the river".
(The story on Mary Ann’s drowning was relayed by Mrs Nash whose family were associated with the Wall’s during their early days. The Nash’s were cousins of the Wall’s.)
At some time after this tragic event Patrick left the Kybean district and took up residence in the Durran Durra area near Braidwood. This is bore out by the fact that he is married in 1866 at St Bede’s Catholic Church, Braidwood and the early children’s births are recorded in Braidwood. The witnesses at Patrick’s marriage to Mary Ann Reidy were John Reidy (I presume her brother) and Catherine Wall (Patrick’s sister). On the marriage certificate there is a notation to say the fathers consent was given for Mary Reidy to marry Patrick in which case Mary would be under 21 years of age and was in fact only 19 years, he 21 years.
The first eight children were born at "Durran Durra", Braidwood. After the birth of Grace in 1878 the family moved to the Bega district as all the subsequent children ie, Patrick, Anne, Reginald, Maria, Charles and George were born in Bega. Maria died as an infant.
Patrick died in the State Hospital and Home at Lidcombe, the cause of death listed as senility, at the age of 88 years and his occupation is stated as labourer, old age pensioner. It would appear that none of the children attended their father's funeral as the informant on the death certificate is an A Rattray from the hospital. There are only three children shown on the death certificate; Anne, Joseph and Charles, all living. No mention of the other children or the deceased infant, Maria. The witnesses at the funeral were Joseph Finley and James Walsh. Finley's married Wall family members and Walsh's were sponsors at Wall baptisms. Patrick and Mary are buried in a double grave in the Catholic portion of Rookwood Cemetery, Section N, Grave number 1362.
There is an obituary in the 'Goulburn Evening Penny Post' for the 25th July 1933 giving details for Patrick Wall dying at Lidcombe, Sydney in July 1933 as follows...
Mr Patrick Wall
Mr Patrick Wall of Burrowa, died recently at the Lidcombe Hospital, of which he had been an inmate on and off for the last four years. He was born at Lake George near Bungendore, 88 years ago, and was the eldest son of the late John Wall of Durran Durrah, Braidwood.
Mr Wall drew wool from his fathers home 65 years ago with his bullock teams, passing through Goulburn and travelling via George Street, Sydney to Circular Quay. It was his fathers home the bushrangers raided and took two side saddles, the frames of which were found some years later.
Mr Wall and his two brothers, Ned and Jack,( writers note.. Edward and John) were the first to select land at Canberra. He leaves a family of 10 children, 14 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. His wife predeceased him by 16 years
At the time of Mary Ann Riedy's death it would appear that both Mary and Patrick were living at 'Armour Cottage' Balmoral Avenue, Rosedale which according to the death certificate is in the Municipality of Canterbury.
Mary's parents according to her death certificate were John Reidy and Mary O'Neil and she was born at Lake George and married at Braidwood.
Patrick was the informant on Mary's death certificate; she died as the result of pneumonia and gastritis at the age of 66 years, at her residence in Balmoral Ave. Patrick and Mary are buried in a double grave in the Catholic portion of Rookwood Cemetery, Section N, grave number 1362.
The following have a connection to the Nimmitabel district.
Patrick Joseph Wall and his association with the Green and Alcock family at ‘Doolondondoo’.
Michael David Wall had the lease of Hobb’s store at Bemboka between 1912 and 1917 prior to the business being sold to Nick Hobb’s. He married Ann Maria Green’s daughter, Emily Maria Beatrice Green. Michael was responsible for the building and managing the West End butter factory at Morans Crossing prior to leasing the general store from W C Allen. Their son’s Stanis and Gerald spent many pleasant times in company with their Green cousins in the Kybean area.
Catherine Margaret Wall was a sister to Michael David Wall, both being children of Patrick Joseph Wall. Catherine married Patrick Buckley the son of John Buckley and Catherine Lawless.
Patrick and Catherine after marrying in Candelo in 1900 went on to live in the Byron Bay district where their children married.
Descendants of Patrick Joseph Wall
Bernard Wall
<bgfewall65-at-yahoo.com.au>
20.06.06
Recompiled from the new Monaro Pioneers database:
4.10.08
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