Thomas O’Neil (1847-1924)
Mary Ann Logan(1848-1913)

Jump down to the list of their children

Thomas O’Neil was the third of John O’Neil & Julia Mahoney‘s four children. He was born on 02 Aug 1847 at Clarence Town. His father had been born in Ireland and arrived in Australia with his mother Johanna to join his father William, who had been transported to Australia in 1822 for insurrection.

Thomas married Mary Ann Logan at Cundletown on the Manning River in 1878 (record 3721). Mary Ann’s parents were John Logan & Elizabeth Daly. Some researchers have her birth listed as West Australia; others have her born on 11 May 1848 at Maitland, NSW. (There was a Marian Logan born in NSW in 1948 (record V18481806 65) whose parents were John & Elizabeth Logan.)

Thomas and Mary’s life and family are summarised in an obituary of Thomas that appeared in the Macleay Argus on Wed 12 Mar 1924:

Late Mr. Thomas O’Neil.

The late Mr. Thomas O’Neil, whose death at West Kempsey on 3rd March we noted in previous issue, was born at Clarencetown, on the Williams River, in 1848. As a young man he came to the Macleay and opened a store at Greenhiil, taking a keen interest in the public and sporting life of the river. For some years he was secretary of the Upper Macleay Jockey Club. Later on he went to the Clarence River, residing there for many years till he acquired interests near Dorrigo, where he was elected a Shire Councillor and occupied the Presidential chair for two years. The late Mr. O’Neil returned to Kempsey in 1918, and resided here till the end. His wife, who predeceased him by about 11 years, was a member of the Logan family, of Camden Haven River. Three daughters and four sons survive. The daughters are Mrs. E. J. Blanch (West Kempsey), Mrs. Jas. Rigby (Brisbane), and Miss M. T. O’Neil (Matron, “The Laurels” private hospital, East Kempsey). The sons are Mr. John O’Neil (South Grafton), Mr. E. O’Neil (Cessnock), Mr. L. O’Neil (Annandale), and Mr A. E. O’Neil (West Kempsey).

The couple resided at Chambigne, or Apple Dell, some 100km north of Dorrigo and 25km south-west of Grafton, (Sat 09 Jan 1909); Mary Ann passed away there on 13 Feb 1913.

Thomas’ experience at using a Devon bull in breeding dairing cows was reported in the Clarence and Richmond Examiner on Sat 04 Jul 1903:

Dairies of the District
Mr. T. O’Neil (Apple Dell)

Mr. O’Neil, who is a dairyman at Chambigne, thus gives his experience: I started dairying several years ago, with a herd principally the progeny of a Devon bull breed by Mr. Reynolds of Tocal, and cows of all breeds, principally Durhams. Notwithstanding that the Devons are invariably spoken and written of as flesh producing cattle, I determined to give my half-bred cows a trial, the result of which has been such that I intend keeping a stain of the Devon in my herd. Although not producing many prolific milkers, a large percentage of them are good hardy cows, that keep up a regular flow for a long period, thus being more profitable than the cows giving a large flow at first, as these generally go off their milk after the first two or three months. So satisfactory have been my returns for cream sent to the F.F. and I. Co. that I have not been tempted to change either the breed of the cows or the market for my cream. In addition to this, the steers from these cows are more easily reared than others, and always command top prices in the market. However, if the heifers calve about 2½ years of age, and are well fed, I believe, by judicious culling and systematic pasturing, a good herd can be raised from almost any breed. I have frequently purchased cows of the recognised milking breeds at high prices; but have failed to get any to beat the Devon Durham cross. I find it better to have several paddocks to pasture the cows in; as they milk better, by often changing their pasture. In green food, they milk best when fed on barley; but Lucerne is more to be depended on; it grows after being cut in dry weather, when it is impossible to get seed to shoot. Oats, in my opinion, are not as good as either; but it is indispensable for hay to guard against necessity in a winter like last, for instance, when green feed cannot be grown. In treating the milk, I separate twice daily, directly after milking, skimming as closely as possible, and being specially careful in the summer months to leave no milk in the cream; this is essential when the cream cannot be delivered every day. I use enamelled buckets for holding the cream; and in summer stand them in a large tub which is filled with cold spring water, of which I have a plentiful supply. In very hot weather this water needs replacing two or three times a day. In conclusion, I attribute my success in producing cream, which Mr. Stening classes as good, to regular milking, close skimming immediately after, the liberal use of cold water in the dairy, and the fact that my cows have abundance of drinking water that no man would hesitate to drink himself.

Thomas was elected a councillor for Riding “A” in the Dorrigo Shire Council elections (The Clarence and Richmond Examiner, Sat 10 Nov 1906) and President (Sat 08 Dec 1906). The Clarence and Richmond Examiner published his defence against claims made by one of its correspondents that he had acted inappropriately while attending a conference. Firstly on Tue 10 Nov 1908:

The Timber Industry.

Mr. Editor. – I should like to draw attention to some remarks of your Coffs Harbour correspondent in last Tuesday’s issue of your paper. He says: “The notice of motion given by the Dorrigo Shire Council, to be moved and seconded by their representatives, Councillors O’Neil and Martin, ant the forthcoming conference at Grafton, caused a good deal of amusement here.” I should think that these comments would cause amusement all over the Shire when people know, as a matter of fact, that no representative has been appointed by the Dorrigo Shire Council to attend a conference at Grafton. Councillor Martin and myself did attend a conference at Maclean on the 28th ult., but no motion bearing on the timber industry was entrusted to us by the Council, nor did I support in any way any motion of the kind at that conference. Your correspondent goes on to say, “The idea of the Dorrigo Shire Council seeking to have the forests and the whole timber business within the Shire of Dorrigo under their control is certainly laughable in the extreme.” This is all bosh, as no motion bearing on this matter has ever come before the Dorrigo Shire Council, and for this writer to conceive in his fertile brain what the Council would do if such a subject were to come before them is not laughable, but absurd in the extreme. He then says, “When we come to think that outside Kangaroo Creek the whole of the Shire ls seething with discontent at the treatment meted out to it, it is pretty good on the part of the Council, who usually refer the bulk of the busness to the Engineer for report, to seek to control a great national industry like the timber business.” With regard to the discontent, which has been pretty well kept alive at the Coff’s Harbour end, it ls altogether unwarrantable as far as the “C” riding is concerned at any rate, as the whole of the revenue derived therefrom has been spent in that Riding, while the whole cost of running the Shire has been borne by Riding “A”. The latter part of this remark is certainly an insult to the Council, and is therefore unworthy of any fair and reasonable minded person. As to referring the bulk of the business to the Engineer, the greater part of our work is directly under that gentleman’s supervision, and we are pleased to have an Engineer on whom we can so implicitly rely.

Thos. O’Neil
President Dorrigo Shire.

with this follow-up on Tue 01 Dec 1908:

In Reply.

Mr. Editor. – Your C.H. correspondent, in reply to my letter which appeared In the “Examiner” 10/11/08, after stating his case apparently to his own satisfaction, says “In the face of the above, the President writes that neither he nor his Council had anything to do with lt.” He also asks “If Cr. O’Neil did not represent his council at the conference, whom did he represent?” In reply, I would refer your correspondent back to my letter, and ask him did I say that I did not represent the Dorrigo Shire Council at the Maclean conference. He must know that Cr. Martin and myself were appointed as delegates by the Council to attend the conference at Maclean. What I did say was, that the Council did not appoint anyone to act on its behalf at a conference at Grafton, nor did it authorise its delegates to deal with the motion re “control of the timber industry,” referred to by your correspondent at any conference. And this being the case, I would not, and did not, have anything to do with such motion. Whether or not it would be ridiculous for a shire to seek to control the timber business is an open question. Your correspondent gives his view, but I shall not attempt to give the opinion of the Dorrigo Shire Council, as the matter was never discussed by it. Trusting I have made this clear to your correspondent.

THOMAS O’NEIL,
President Dorrigo Shire.
South Grafton, 28th November, 1908.

On Sat 25 Jan 1913 the paper carried this report of a request by Thomas to have the road to his farm improved:

Ex-President and the Engineeer.

At the last meeting of the Council, Mr. Thos. O’Neil, an ex-president of the Council, wrote taking exception to certain remarks alleged to have been made by the Engineer, and asked that the balance of the £30 allotted on the estimates be spent. The Engineer was asked to submit a full report at the next meeting.

Yesterday Mr. O’Neil waited on the Council to have the matter thrashed out.

The President (Cr. Maxwell) asked the Engineer to read his report which was as follows:-

I have the honor to submit the following report on Mr. T. O’Neil’s letter re the road to his place. This road is a by-road of the Grafton – Glen Innes road near the 14 mile post and extends to Deep Creek, and is known as the Chambigne to Deep Creek road or Apple Dell road, and so far as I know it is only used by Mr. O’Neil and his family. I inspected it last in October, but have not yet had an opportunity of seeing the last work done by R. Clarke’s gang. The total amount of rates collected and subsidy paid on same from the inception of Local Government to the 31st of December, 1912, from the area to be served by the road in question, is £162 5s, and the expenditure for the same period is £154 15s 4d, or £7 9s 8d less than the total receipts. No charge has been made towards the six years administrative and supervision expenses from this locality, and further no contribution has been taken for the upkeep of the 12½ miles of the Glen Innes road; that is from Chambigne to the Municipal boundary. Expenditure has taken place annually on the road in question from the inception of the Shire. The lowest expenditure was in 1908, viz., £14 12s, when Mr. P Mulquiney was president. And the highest expenditure took place in 1910, viz. £23 13s, when Mr. T. O.’Neil was president. On the 10th October I was instructed to send the gang to improve the road within one month, and this was done on the 6th November. The expenditure for last year amounted to £23 13s, and the ganger who carried out the last work informed me that the road was in very good order. I may again state that I do not know of any other by-road within the Shire to serve one family which has received the same expenditure in proportion to the rates collected.

After hearing Mr. O’Neil, the President intimated that the report was correct and endorsed the action of the Engineer.

The Grafton Argus and Clarence River General Advertiser went further in its report on Mon 27 Jan 1913:

ENGINEER ON THE CARPET
THE POSITIONS REVERSED.
LOWEST EXPENDITURE £14, HIGHEST £43.

At a recent meeting of Dorrigo Shire Council. Mr. Thomas O’Neill of Chambigne wrote asking for adequate expenditure on the road – the £30 voted each year, which serves his property and that of John O’Neill and A. E. O’Neill. The Engineer then commented that more money had been spent on this road in proportion to the rates received than on any other road in the Shire.

Mr. O’Neill attended the meeting on January 9. whereat the letter was read. Our report of that incident was to the effect that the Engineer (Mr. H. M. Baldock) was to provide a full report, the President’s (Cr. C. K. Maxwell’s) comment being that the Engineer’s remark was not uncalled for.

At Friday’s meeting, Mr. O’Neill, again attended in person, and the letter was read. Thie essential text of it was that, the Engineer’s remark “was absolutely untrue and uncalled for. The Engineer had not followed instructions to spend £30 on the road for last year; he spent only £20 18s.”

The Engineer’s written report on the matter was submitted. In it he stated that the road was a bye-road, fourteen miles from Grafton, off the Glen Innes road. It extended from Chambigne to Deep Creek, and was known as the Deep Creek or Apple Dell Road. So far as he knew, the road was used only by Mr. O’Neill and his family. He (the Engineer) had not seen the road since October, and had not seen the work done recently by Clark’s gang. The total amount of rates and subsidy received from the area served by the road since the inception of Local Government (six years), till December 31 was £162 5s, the expenditure was £154 15s 1d, which was £7 9s 3d. less than the total amount received. In this computation, nothing was charged for six years’ administration and supervision expenses, nor for the up-keep of the 12½ miles from the municipal boundary to the turn-off to the road in question. The lowest expenditure on the road for 1908 was £14 12s. whilst Mr. P. Mulquiney was President. The highest was £43 18s. whilst Mr. T. O’Neill was President. Last year (1912) the expenditure was £23 13s, and the ganger told him (the Engineer) that the road was now in good order. He repeated that he did not know another bye-road in the Shire serving one family which had received, the same expenditure in proportion to the rates collected.

Mr. O’Neill was invited to place his views before the Council. In response he said that a great deal of what the Engineer had reported was news to him. But the statement that £43 18s had been spent upon the road whilst he (the speaker) was President was absolutely untrue.

The President (sharply): What?

Mr. O’Neill: That, statement. There never was £43 spent on the road in one year. Why, in 1911, as soon as £29 had been spent on the road, the ganger was told to stop, and the £1 was kept back.

The President: The books of the Council cannot be disputed, and in them it is set out that the sum of £43 18s was spent in 1910.

Mr. O’Neill went on to say that only £20 18s had been spent on the road in 1912, and asked where were the reports about the expenditures.

The Engineer: They are here on the table, together with the balance sheet covering the item of £43 18s. It is a rather strange thing that it appears in the balance sheet, certified to by the auditor and attested over Mr. O’Neill’s Presidential signature as cotrrect, and dated January 9, 1813.

Mr. O’Neill returned to the original charge. He could mention that the whole of C. Riding was over £1000 in arrears whilst his road was not. He hadn’t gone back six or seven years, though.

The President, said it was necessary to do so in order to arrive at the expenditure since Local Government was instituted. If administration, etc. was charged against this road, it also would be in debt.

Cr. J. T. Mulquiney: You must allow for maintenance of the main roads and for administration also, Mr. 0 Neill.

Mr. 0’Neill. stated that he held and paid rates on 1379 acres, John O’Neill on 494 acres, and Albert O’Neill 273 acres, They had no possibility of getting out by any other road except that one over the mountain. He did not know about the £43 expenditure; the highest year he knew of was during Mr. Adams’ Engineership -£35.

The President: It is the duty of the President to make himself acquainted with these matters. In the last three years £13 more than had been voted had been spent on the road.

Mr. O’Neill reiterated that he could not stand for the £48 18s item.

The President: If you take up that position, Mr. O’Neill, your attitude is unreasonable. There are the books and the figures to prove the Engineer’s correctness. The facts were be fore him.

Mr. O’Neill: And I say .they are not facts!

The President: You have said that already, and yet two years ago you attested them as facts, by attaching your signature.

Mr. O’Neill then expressed regret; he only attended to justify his letter. The Engineer, though, had stated that £23 10s had been spent on the road last year, whereas only £20 18s had been spent. One of the men told him the figures to make it up.

The Engineer and President went into figures, which bore out the Engineer’s statement. The President said Ganger Clark was within call if necessary. He (the President) was always sympathetic towards expenditure on this road, as he recognised that the O’Neill family was the worst off in the riding for roads,. Decidedly, Mr. Baldook’s figures were correct.

Cr. Martin said there was no reflection on either the Engineer or Mr. O’Neill.

Mr. O’Neill said the money must have been spent on the other end of the road.

The President said that, while on the subject, it would be better in future if he (Mr. 0’Neill) would confer with the Engineer about any work required.

The interview, which was punctuated with many awkward pauses, ended with Mr. O’Neill’s, remark that he was sorry he came.

The Engineer’s special report was adopted.

Mary passed away on 13 Feb 1913 at Grafton, Thomas on 03 Mar 1924 at Kempsey.

The couple had 7 children, all but one of whom are listed together in the 1913 electoral rolls:

Thomas and Mary’s family:

01. John (b. 1879, d. 17 Feb 1962)

02. Eugene (b. 11 Aug 1881, d. 29 Oct 1960)

03. Julia Josephine (b. 10 Jun 1883, d. 27 Jan 1977)

04. Mary Theresa (b. 1886, d. 27 Jan 1977)

05. Thomas Leo (b. 1888, d. 24 Apr 1973)

06. Ida Agatha (b.01 Jul 1890, d. 10 Jun 1967)

07. Ailbe Eunan (b. 08 Jul 1891, d. 07 Mar 1964)

Generation 2.

01. John O’Neil (b. 1879) married Mary Anne Adrian (b. 1883) in Grafton on 02 Jun 1913, as reported by the Clarence and Richmond Examiner on Tue 24 Jun 1913:

O’NEIL – ADRIAN. – On June 2nd at the R.C. Schoolroom, Grafton, by Rev. D. T. Lawton, John, eldest son of Mr. Thomas O’Neil. Apple Dell, South Grafton, to Mary Anne, second daughter of Mr. Louis Adrian, of Grafton.

An early report of the impending marriage appeared in The Grafton Argus and Clarence River General Advertiser on Mon 10 Feb 1913:

PRESENTATION TO NURSE ADRIAN.

On Saturday afternoon Miss Adrian, who has been employed in the capacity of nurse at Dr. Earle Page’s Clarence House Hospital, South Grafton, for about six years, was entertained at Susan Island by Dr. and Mrs. Page, and presented with a silver afternoon tea service, on a massive tray, from patients, past and present. The occasion was to signalise her approaching marriage with Mr. John O’Neill, selector, of Apple Dell, Chambigne, son of Mr. Thomas O’Neill, an ex-President of Dorrigo Shire. Dr. Page introduced Mr. Sam See, an ex-Mayor of Grafton, who had been a patient in the hospital for over six months, and Mr. See made the presentation, accompanying the action with much eulogy. Mr. O’Neill suitably responded for his prospective bride. There were between forty and fifty people present, despite the rainy conditions.

As was mentioned in the newspapers quoted above, John was a farmer at Chambigne with a holding of 494 acres. Mary Ann’s parents Louis Adrian and Catherine Mary Morton farmed at Carr’s Creek, just 4km north of Grafton (1913 electoral rolls).

John passed away on 17 Feb 1962 (record 2049) at Grafton and Mary Ann in 1967 (record 35243). They had three children:

01. Mary Ann (b. 13 Apr 1914 record 22782, d. 27 May 2000)

02. Kathleen (b. 1915 record 33616)

03. John Adrian (b. 1917 record 49378, d. 14 Sep 1972)

Generation 2

01. Mary Ann O’Neil‘s birth was announced in the Clarence and Richmond Examiner on Sat 18 Apr 1914:

O’NEIL. On 13th April, at “Urara,” Nurse Grant’s Private Hospital, South Grafton, to Mr. and Mrs. John O’Neil, of Apple Dell – a daughter.

In the 1943 and 1954 electoral rolls Mary Ann is list as a nurse at the Base Hospital Grafton. From her headstone in the Clarence Lawn Cemetery in South Grafton, it appears  she never married:

02. John Adrian O’Neil is listed in the electoral rolls from 1934 to 1972  as a grazier at Chambigne (as was his father). John and his sister are buried side by side.

03. Kathleen O’Neil is described as a costumier in the 1937 electoral rolls,living at Through St, South Grafton. In the 1943 electoral rolls she is still at Through St, South Grafton; Mary Ann is listed there as well, while Mary Ann Junior and John are listed at Chambigne. We believe she  married Francis Michael O’Donoghue (born 21 Jul 1916 in Brisbane) at Grafton in 1963 (record 4203).

Generation 2. continued

02. Eugene O’Neil was born on 11 Aug 1881. On 24 Oct 1901 he was appointed as a teacher at Cessnock. He married Mary Teresa Noonan (known as Minnie) in Broken Hill, New South Wales, in 1910 (record 11628). He was still described as a teacher at Cessnock in the 1943 electoral rolls, the couple living in Rawson St Aberdare. (In 1928 he was registered as a teacher at Bellbird, about 8km west of Aberdare.) In 1949 he listed as a secretary, the couple living at 10 Station St North Strathfield in Sydney.

Eugene passed away at Concord on 29 Oct 1960 (record 36245), Mary in Newcastle in 1971 (record 80096). They had one daughter, Nancy, born on 10 Jul 1923. She married William Joseph Kelly at Concord in 1946 (record 2954). Nancy died on 26 Jul 1980 at Booragul, Newcastle.

03. Julia Josephine O’Neil was born on 10 Jun 1883 (record 18233). She married Edward James Blanch in Grafton on 25 Sep 1916; Edward was born on 28 Aug 1882 in Raymond Terrace to Isaac Blanch & Elizabeth Ellen Priddice.In the 1930 to 1943 electoral rolls Edward is described as an engine driver and the couple lived at Moleton, about 45km north west of Coffs Harbour. In 1954 he is described as a labourer and they lived in Railway St Dorrigo. In 1958 he had become a caretaker for the Veneer Company, Woolgoolga Rd, South Grafton.

Julia and Edward had one child who died in 1919 as an infant (record 1828). We believe there were two other daughters but have no information on them at this stage.

Edward died on 18 Aug 1961 in Coonamble (record 22236), Julia on 27 Jan 1977 (record 3190), the same day as her sister Julia:

04. Mary Theresa O’Neil was born possibly in Kempsey in 1886 (record 25245), if so her name was transcribed as Mary F O’Neill. She became a nurse. She did not marry.

The Macleay Argus reported on Mary’s departure from Kempsey on Fri 26 Mar 1926:

About 50 of the lady friends of Matron O’Neill, of “The Laurels” Hospital, met at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George Ainsworth on Tuesday afternoon to bid her farewell prior to her departure from Kempsey. Afternoon tea, competitions and music filled the programme. The competition was won by Mrs. Dulhunty. Mrs. H. C. Henderson (Mayoress), on behalf of the guests, presented Matron O’Neill with a cheque with which to purchase some memento of her friends in Kempsey, accompanying the act with neat and appropriate remarks. Matron O’Neill feelingly responded. There were quite a number of apologies.

followed on Tue 6 Nov 1928 by this:

Matron O’Neill, who some years ago conducted the Laurels Private Hospital. East Kempsey, recently returned to Australia from an extended world’s tour. Matron O’Neill, after spending a short holiday at Taree, will proceed to Sydney and again take up her profession.

In the 1930 electoral rolls Mary lived at 80 Lucas Rd Burwood, working at Montrose Hospital. (Montrose was a house in Burwood that was turned into a maternity hospital and infants’ home in 1920 by the State Children’s Relief Department, caring for unmarried mothers and their babies, and infants who were state wards. By 1936 it had been converted to Montrose Hostel by the Child Welfare Department. Source: Naomi Parry.)

Mary passed away on 27 Jan 1977 and is buried in Rookwood.

05. Thomas Leo O’Neil was born in Kempsey in 1888 (record 26535). He married Bertha May Ivory in Moree in 1915 (record 3446). Bertha was born in Moree in 1891. Thomas was an electrician for his whole working life. The 1931 to 1933 electoral rolls list at Toxteth Rd, Glebe (Sydney). By 1935 they had moved to 15 Sheehy St, Glebe. In 1936 they moved to 16 Riverside Ave, Ryde. By 1943 they lived at 33 Providence Rd, Gladesville West, where they remained until their death. Thomas died on 24 Apr 1973 (record 51959) and Bertha on 23 May 1976 (record 11644).

Thomas and Bertha had three children.

Generation 3.

01. Joseph Leo (b. 26 Jul 1915, d. 18 Sep 2008)

02. Doris May (b. , d. 02 Jul 2010, d. 4 May 1992 at Caringbah)

03. Mary Josephine (b. 07 Nov 1917, d. 09 Apr 2017 in Westmead)

01. Joseph Leo O’Neil, known as Joe, married an American in 1948, Betty Reynolds Deering (record 22095), who arrived with her mother in Oct 1947. After their wedding their surnames were hyphenated to Deering-O’Neil. In the 1949 electoral rolls the couple lived at 2A Ithaca Rd, Darlinghurst and Joseph was described as a property owner. He then is listed as a grazier at Gundaroo. Their names appear on a number of occasions on a list of guests at official functions: the unveiling of the Australian memorial to the United States by the Queen in 1954 (the Yass Tribune-Courier, Thu 28 Jan 1954), at Verdi’s Aida at the Tivoli Theatre, with a photo of the couple (Sydney’s Truth, Sun 21 Nov 1948); attending a dinner at Government House hosted by Sir Paul and Lady Hasluck when entertaining the Ambassador of Israel (The Canberra Times, Thu 29 Jul 1971). Betty was described in the earlier electoral rolls as a student; The Sun mentioned on Sun 07 Sep 1952 her “rushed trip to Sydney for music exams and further singing studies” from their Gundaroo property. We believe there were no children. Betty, who was born on 21 Nov 1925 passed away at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney on 13 Sep 2018, some 10 years after Joe. (Photo shows the couple dancing at Prince’s; the Truth, Sun 8 Jan 1950.)

02. Doris May O’Neil, known as Peggy, married Charles Arthur Fetherston (b. 21 Jun 1914, in Sydney) at Rockdale in Sydney in 1947 (record 11762). Charles had firstly married Mona Beryl Robertson; they had one daughter, but that marriage ended in divorce. In the 1949 electoral rolls the couple lived at 18 Northbrook St, Bexley: Charles was described as a chef and Doris as a telephonist. By 1958 they had moved to 3 Ninth Ave, Jannali, and were still registered there in 1977. Throughout that period Charles was described as a manager. Charles passed away on 15 Feb 1983 in Gymea, Sydney.

There were three children to this marriage, two of whom were:

01. Nicholas Arthur (b. 09 Mar 1948 in Kogarah, d. 01 Aug 1952 in Ryde)

02. Charles Anthony (b. 22 Jun 1952 in Kogarah. d. 17 Jan 2016 in Albury)

03. Mary Josephine O’Neil married James Stewart at Ryde in 1948 (record 18589). Mary had served in the Army Citizen Military Forces as a telephonist and machinist during WWII (service number NF409737). In the 1977 and 1980 electoral rolls James was described as an iron worker and the couple lived at 3 Badajoz Rd, Ryde. The couple had two children, one of whom was Mark Nicholas (b. 1959, d. 27 July 2001 in Kingswood).

Generation 2. continued

06. Ida Agatha O’Neil was born on 01 Jul 1890 in the Grafton area (record 14554). She married James Rigby (b. 27 Nov 1892) at Kempsey in 1922 (record 10972). James passed away on 05 Jun 1951 in Taree, Ida on 10 Jun 1967 in Liverpool Hospital (record 13525); she is burried in Taree. From The Macleay Chronicle, Wed 13 Jun 1951:

James Rigby, of 142 High-street Taree, died in the M.R.D. Hospital on June 5, after an illness of four months. The late Mr. Rigby who was 58, was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Rigby. He was born on the Lower Macleay and attended school at Smithtown and at the age of 14 worked on his father’s farm. In 1922 the late Mr. Rigby, married Miss Ida Agatha O’Neil, of Austral Eden, at Kempsey. Mr. and Mrs. Rigby spent the first 18 months of their married life in Brisbane and then came to live in Taree. The late Mr. Rigby was employed at the Taree locomotive yards as a grab-driver until the last four months of his life. He was a keen tennis player until his admission to hospital. Mr. Rigby was a former member of the St. Mary’s Tennis Club. The late Mr. Rigby is survived by his wife and four children, James (Glen Innes), Richard (Kendall), Desmond (Taree) and Bernardine, who is a nurse at the Camperdown Childrens’ Hospital. His brothers are: Jack, Leo and Hugh of Austral Eden, George (Murwillumbah), Frank (South W. Rocks) and sister Rose (Mrs. R. McCarthy, of Sydney). The funeral left Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, Taree, after a service conducted by the Rev. Father Mulcahy who officiated at the graveside at Dawson Cemetery. Pall bearers at the church were his sons and brother Frank and at the cemetery Messrs. J. Robson, T. Hayes, A. Peters and J. Everett. — (‘Manning Times.’)

07. Ailbe Eunan O’Neil was born on 08 Jul 1891 in the Grafton area (record 14783). He married Rita Florence Corrigan in Waverley in 1934 (record 19376). Ailbe had been granted an auctioneer’s license in Kempsey in 1923, but in the early years he was basically a farmer at Apple Glen: his name appeared in the article in The Grafton Argus and Clarence River General Advertiser on Mon 27 Jan 1913 quoted above, firstly as Mr. A. E. O’Neil and later as Albert (holding 273 acres). He moved to Sydney in about 1929; it appears he found life in Sydney tough, because on Thu 1 Oct 1931 he published this letter to the editor:

SINGLE AND HOMELESS.

Sir,- I would like to enter my protest against the food relief regulations now being enforced. I am a bachelor, without any facilities for cooking, and have been unemployed for the past twenty months, drawing relief. Through the generosity of a friend, whose husband is also drawing relief, I have been able to obtain meals in lieu of my coupons; but, as this has now been disallowed, my coupons havo been tendered valueless. This would appear to be a direct blow at the single man, who is unfortunate enough to have no home.— Yours, etc.,

A. E. O’NEIL.
Toxteth Rd., Glebe.

The 1933 electoral rolls show Ailbe, a carpenter, then living with his brother Thomas Leo at 39 Toxteth Rd. He moved with Thomas to Sheehy St Glebe in 1934. However in the 1935 rolls he shows up as a carpenter living in Moleton with his sister Julia and her husband. From 1937 Ailbe and Rita lived in Berowra Creek Rd, Berowra. Ailbe passed away in Burwood on 07 Mar 1964 (record 10819). Rita survived another 26 years and died on 17 Jul 1990. The couple had six children.

We do not name people without their permission or unless their name appears in a public document. If anyone has any information on these families please email mick@oneillfamily.id.au.