The Byrne Family – pioneers

I have been sent this wonderful story of the Byrne family in the Western Australia Goldfields. They were to have an amazing fourteen children all apart from three, survived to adulthood. The family history has been extensively researched and I have kindly been given permission to share this extract with you. What an amazing woman Mary Byrne must have been.

Extract from “The Byrne Family” as written and researched in 1979 by Betty [Elizabeth] Thompson née Oliver II. Updated and submitted by Elizabeth Oliver III, niece, and Goddaughter of Betty.

The Byrne Family Beginning:
Arrivals in Australia

James Andrew BYRNE – Born 15.8.1864 at Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland – Died: 12.10.1921 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Married – 11.9.1892 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth to Mary O’Gorman, Witnesses were Bridget O’Gorman [Bridesmaid] and John Green.
James arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on “S.S. Helena Mena” on 24.9.1886. The ship was British built of 673 tons and the master was Captain JG Abrahamson [ref Battye Library]. James’ parents were Philip Byrne [Ireland] and Margaret Prendergast (Scotland).

Mary O’GORMAN – Born 12.1.1873 at Killaloe, Country Clare, Ireland, Died: 24.11.1961 at Manning, Western Australia and buried in Fremantle. Married James Byrne, Mary’s parents were Michael O’Gorman [Ireland] and Bridget Ryan [Ireland].
She arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on “S.S Nairnshire” on 8.10.1889. The ship sailed from London on 15.8.1889 and the master was Captain P. Wallace.

Both Mary and James names and arrival details are listed on the “Welcome Walls” at the Fremantle Maritime Museum, Western Australia.

James Byrne was born in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He worked on a dairy farm owned by Mr Pogh, as did all his family. He left Ireland for Australia at the age of 21, just before his 22^nd birthday and worked as a labourer at Fremantle and Perth. It was while in Fremantle that he saw Mary O’Gorman walking on the beach on her afternoon off from work. Noticing her resemblances to one of his fellow passengers on the voyage to Australia, he went to visit Anne O’Gorman and was introduced to her sister, Mary. They were married later at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth on 11.9.1892.

At the time of her marriage Mary Byrne was living at the home of Jack Green and his wife of William Street, Perth. She remained friends with the Green family for many years and visited them on many occasions after her return to Perth from Kalgoorlie in 1925.
A short time after her marriage Mary joined James in Southern Cross, where he was prospecting. He had built her a hessian house with bush timber frame. He had lined it with cretonne, and it was supposedly the best house in Southern Cross.  She gave birth to three children here, two of whom died. James had a good show at Southern Cross but one day a poor old man came along who had sore eyes and no money so James gave him his show and moved on to go prospecting at Coolgardie.

Shortly before their third child Margaret was born, Jimmy [as he was known] moved to Coolgardie leaving Mary to follow 6 weeks after Margaret was born. She travelled by Cobb & Co Coach but having a small babe she arrived just before the coach left for Coolgardie. There were no seats left inside the coach, so she took a seat on the top next to the driver. Three miles out of Southern Cross, the driver stopped and told one of the men travelling inside to get out and give Mary a seat inside.

From Coolgardie he had a Condenser at the 8-mile peg on Siberia Road, North Coolgardie. He used to sell the water to the teams [mainly camels]. While James and Mary were running the water condenser, on many occasions Mary had to attend the travellers. Being very young and a lot of drifters being about at the time, she used to carry a pistol under her apron while attending her customers, among whom were a lot of Afghan camel drivers. They used to let their camels drink while no one was looking.

After this James had a lime kiln not far from the condenser still on the Siberia Road. From here he went to Woolgar and used to drive a team for a Mr Sam Doney, mainly out to Davyhurst. He used to be away for weeks at a time. He also shovelled sand on the surface at Woolgar and one day whilst digging the sand started to cave in on him and was only saved because someone heard him shouting

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph help me”.

He was often heard calling this out. He moved to Comet Vale as work was hard to get because the bosses were “wowsers”, and he was a Catholic. He worked in the mines in Comet Vale until he contracted Miner’s Complaint (Silicosis). He eventually died from this in Kalgoorlie. At the end of his life, he had pneumonia and Mary was not able to claim any compensation from the Miner’s Complaint because the Doctor who attended him signed the death certificate stating the cause of death was pneumonia.

Mary Byrne was a good rifle woman. She had all the trophies for the Ladies Rifle Shooting at Woolgar. She used to shoot with a small bore 22 rifle. She was invited to shoot at the men’s range in company with all the other lady crack shots from the surrounding districts. They all laid down on the ground with their 303’s but Mary sat on a box. They thought she would have no chance on her box, but she beat them all.

One of the reasons Mary could not lie down when shooting at Woolgar, was that she was expecting Josephine and later at Comet Vale when she was in a big shoot-off she was carrying either Bridie or Leo.

Mary won many trophies for shooting. They were mainly breakable and unfortunately most of them were broken by an inquisitive three-year-old, Anne climbing up for something and knocking down the safe they were standing on.  One of the remaining trophies, a glass fruit bowl was handed down to her daughter Phyllis, then her grandson, James Oliver, and it is now in the possession of Elizabeth Oliver, great-granddaughter.

A tale is told that James went to Menzies when he was at the Condenser and was not supposed to come home until the next day. He knocked at the door, and she was waiting behind it with her revolver. He went around the back and only that she heard him say “that’s funny, I saw a light on before” saved him from being shot.

When Mary came to Perth in 1925, she brought one of her pistols with her. While living with her daughter, Ethel at Tuckfield Street, Fremantle, the pistol was hidden in the ceiling of the outside wash house to keep it out of the way of the many children in and out of the home.

For many years Mary Byrne ran boarding houses in Fremantle and Perth, after moving to the metropolitan area after the death of her husband, this being the only way of keeping her younger children together as in those days there were no widow’s pension. After she retired, she lived mainly with her daughter Ethel and her family.  Many happy get-togethers were held during this time as it was open house to all the family at any time, but mainly on Mary’s birthday and Christmas. Most of Mary’s grandchildren will remember being taught to knit, crochet, and especially play cards by her. She loved to play cards and attended as many card parties as possible.

The Children of James Andrew BYRNE
and Mary nee O’GORMAN

First Child  – Michael Frances Byrne – born at Southern Cross, Western Australia 14.10.1893, Died five days later, 19.10.1893 and buried at Southern Cross Pioneer Cemetery.

Second Child – Philip Byrne – born at Southern Cross, Western Australia 31.8.1894, Died four months later 6.12.1894 and buried at Southern Cross Pioneer Cemetery.

Third Child – Margaret Mary Byrne – born at Southern Cross, Western Australia on 5.1.1896, Died on 1.11.1985, Carlisle, Western Australia aged 89 years and buried at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, WA. Margaret married Joseph Thomas Coxon OLIVER who was killed on 1.4.1933 at the Edna May Gold Mine, Westonia, Western Australia two days after turning 38 years old.

Joseph and Margaret’s Children: Margaret Josephine [Born Kalgoorlie], Joseph Thomas [Born Kalgoorlie], Elizabeth [Born Boulder], Phyllis [Born Kalgoorlie] and James [Born Kalgoorlie].

Margaret Mary OLIVER nee Byrne [known to all as Maggie)

Fourth Child – Ethel Catherine Byrne – born in North Coolgardie 31.3.1898 and died 5.5.1965 aged 67. Buried at Fremantle Cemetery, WA. Ethel married Edward Norman Baker who died aged 72 on 28.3.1967, also at Fremantle Cemetery.

Fifth Child – James Patrick Byrne – born at Woolgar on 15.3.1900 and died 19/10/1987 aged 87. Buried at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, WA, James married Violet Elizabeth Mead who died 22.1.1989 aged 83, also at Karrakatta Cemetery.

James and Violets children – Philip James, Violet Patricia, Molly Elizabeth Ellen and Teresa Joan.

Sixth Child – Ellen Bridget [Eileen] BYRNE – born at Woolgar [name later changed to Yunndaga] 21.12.1901. Died of pneumonia at Government Hospital, Kalgoorlie on 19.5.1922. Buried with her father, James Byrne at Kalgoorlie Cemetery, WA aged 20yrs.

Seventh Child – Mary Elizabeth Byrne – born at Woolgar, on 4.8.1903 and died 18.2.1989 aged 85. Buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. Mary married Harry Budd.

Mary and Harrys Children – Margaret Mary, Rosemary Kathleen, Harry John, Kevin James, William George

Eighth Child – Josephine Patricia Byrne – born at Woolgar, on 6.3.1906 and died on 7.7.1999 aged 93. Buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. Josephine married Harold Frank [a Rat of Tobruk].

Ninth Child – Frances Anne Byrne – born at Yunndaga, [formerly Woolgar] 26.8.1908 and died 20.3.1975 aged 66. Buried at Fremantle Cemetery. Frances married Stanley Vincent Green

Frances and Stanleys Children – Patricia Adele and Dianne Joan

Tenth Child – Phyllis Joan Byrne – born at Yunndaga, on 22.10.1910 and died 17.12.1987 aged 77. Buried at Fremantle Cemetery. Phyllis married Archibald Harold Thomas.

Phyllis and Archibald’s Children – Moya Joan, Roberta, Harold Francis, Sylvia Helen

Eleventh Child – William John Byrne – born at Yunndaga, on 10.2.1912 and died in Kalgoorlie on 22.7.1968 aged 56. Buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. William married Emily Margaret Burke who died 1/12/2015 aged 101.

William and Emily’s Children – Phyllis Margaret, Robert William, and Eileen Frances

Twelfth Child – Francis Thomas Byrne – born at Comet Vale, Western Australia on 23.4.1913, Francis married Margaret E. Whait.

Francis and Margaret’s Children – Francis Andrew, Kathleen Margaret, Beverley Joan, Diane Mary

Thirteenth Child – Bridget Gabriel Byrne – born at Comet Vale, on 25.3.1914 and died on 11.11.1999 aged 85. Memorialised at Fremantle Cemetery. Bridget married Stanley G Abra [POW] died aged 78 on 14.2.1991 at Capel, Memorialised at Fremantle Cemetery.

Bridget and Stanley’s Child – Robert John died 29.1.2007 aged 70. Memorialised at Fremantle Cemetery.

Fourteenth Child – Peter Leo Byrne-  born at Comet Vale, on 17.5.1916, Died of meningitis on 31.12.1917 and buried at Comet Vale Cemetery.