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My grandfather, John Kelly was born 27 Feb 1857 in Kent St., Sydney, NSW, the 5th child to Irish settlers, Margaret (Redden/Blake) and Patrick Kelly. They arrived from Ireland in 1841 on board the “United Kingdom”. Margaret travelled with her then husband, Richard Blake. Patrick Kellyl was listed as a single man who was contracted as a cedar cutter in the Singleton area.. Richard Blake died in Singleton in 1850; he and his wife, Margaret had no children. Margaret then married Patrick Kelly in 1851 at Singleton (Patrick was born in 1812 at Loughmore, Tipperary; Margaret Redden was born in Cty Galway in 1820).
Their son, John Kelly was a dray driver when he married in Tamworth at St Paul's C of E on 3oth November 1880 to Mary Taverner. She was born 08 Sep 1859 in Ellalong, NSW, and died 08 Oct at Tamworth, NSW. John lived and worked around the Nundle/Walcha district all his adult life. He died in Walcha on the 23rd November 1928 and is buried in the Walcha cemetery in an unmarked grave.
A history on John Kelly indicates that he and Mary had a dairy farm at Tamworth West (Nundle). Mary and two daughters, Lizzie and Margaret worked the farm whilst John worked at Goonoo Goonoo Station as a teamster.
Children of JOHN KELLY and MARY TAVERNER are:
1. ELIZABETH KELLY, b. 17 Oct 1881, Tamworth, NSW; d. 31 Mar 1900, Tamworth, NSW.
2. MARGARET ANN KELLY, b. 10 Nov 1883, West Tamworth, NSW; d. 25 Oct 1960, Hamilton, NSW Reg 1960/37164.
3. JOHN WILLIAM KELLY, b. 23 Mar 1886, Goonoo Goonoo, near Tamworth; d. 24 Sep 1938, Tamworth, NSW.
4. ETHEL MAY KELLY, b. 17 Nov 1888, Tamworth, NSW Reg 1888/36060; d. 13 May 1973, Newcastle, NSW Reg 1973/80851.
5. FLORENCE MAY KELLY, b. 12 Sep 1891, Bowling Alley Point near Tamworth, NSW; d. 1891.
6. VERIA JANE KELLY, b. 14 May 1892, Goonoo Goonoo, near Tamworth; d. 20 Jul 1893, Tamworth, NSW.
7. MATTHEW CHARLES KELLY, b. 30 Jan 1897, Nundle, NSW; d. 19 Oct 1980, Nursing Home, Toukley, NSW; m. ALMA MARIE MCGEORGE, 18 Dec 1918, Toowoomba, Queensland; b. 02 Dec 1897, Forbes, NSW; d. 15 Apr 1977, Dandenong, Vic.
My father, Matthew Charles Kelly was born at West Tamworth in January, 1897.
1900: According to some family memories Matthew (Bob) Kelly was 3 or 4 years old when his sister Lizzie died at the age of eighteen in 1900. She is buried in the CofE section of W.Tamworth old cemetery with her mother, Mary (Taverner) Kelly who died in 1936.
1904: the farm was sold. John went to New Zealand to buy property but was unsuccessful. Mary and children stayed on the dairy farm. He returned after only 3-4 weeks. The family moved to Kootingal and John worked on a sheep property 4 miles out of Walcha, owned by the school master, Campbell. Stayed about 3 years then moved into Walcha proper. John opened a butcher shop with 2 butchers employed. Steak was 2d lb. The family lived in a house opposite the Royal Hotel. After 3-4 years the butcher shop went broke, John drank. Mother and family parted.
1907: John went back to Goonoo Goonoo to his old job as a teamster. He was paid every 3 months at £30 and keep. He lived in a hut on the property which was run by the King family and was the biggest sheep station at that time in Australia
John returned to Walcha from Goonoo Goonoo every three months by train to Walcha Road then by Cobb and Co coach on to Walcha. On the return journey he would walk the 12 miles to the station at Walcha Road on the Monday morning to catch the 1.30am train and save the five shillings coach ride.
1907: When Bob Kelly was 9 or 10 years old his memories are of the family living in Walcha in a 6 or 7 bedroom house. Three rooms were let to lodgers, one room was a dressmaker's workroom rented for 10/- or less and one room was let for the birth of babies with midwife in attendance. His mother, Mary Kelly assisted the midwife. Family names of babies born in the house recalled by Bob Kelly: White, Gillies. Kermode. This house
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