Monthly Archives: October 2020

Irish Prison Hulks.

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My great great grandfather Owen Connor was an Irish convict who arrived in Australia on the St. Vincent on 05 January 1837. He had been sentenced in August 1836 at the Galway Summer Assizes to transportation for life for stealing a heifer. After sentencing he was detained on board a hulk awaiting transportation[1]. The St. Vincent departed from Cork Harbour on 13 September 1836 and on board were 120 prisoners from the Essex hulk, moored in Kingstown Harbour, and 73 … Continue reading

Moving Pictures.

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  You know the feeling; the one when you find something and get that prickly scary feeling, and your eyes moisten for a moment. The hazy line between us and the past falls away just for a second. Perhaps you’ve been looking forever for that one link, that one record that solves the problem, or maybe it’s finally a blurry image of the one person that has eluded you for years. Well, imagine if that image is crisp and moving: … Continue reading

Mary Ann Irvine and her Parkinson family.

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My last blog was about John Irvine, written from the (fictional) memories of Mary Parkinson as related to a friend.  Despite this approach to the story, the happenings were real, very real and would have had a life-long effect on Mary Ann, one of John Irvine’s younger sisters. Mary Ann’s story begins on a cold winter’s day on the outskirts of Killyleagh, about 3 klms from the village itself in the townland of Ardigon. Her mother Sarah had already borne … Continue reading

Old photos from a Northern Territory cattle station.

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On 22 July 2020, I was watching an edition of the ABC program The Drum,  hosted by Ellen Fanning.  One of the topics that night was the importance of understanding our own personal histories in relation to Aboriginal history in Australia and the need to be aware and take the time and effort to understand what role we played and/or our ancestors played. Truth-telling is fundamental to broader community understanding. In this context Ellen Fanning spoke about her own family … Continue reading