May Gertrude Jeseline O'NEILL was born at the Pine Hills Estate, near Carroll, between Tamworth and Gunnedah on the 8th of May, 1887. She was the second-born child and only daughter of Patrick Joseph O'NEILL and Christina Janet PAT(T)ERSON.Her birth was witnessed by Mrs Walker, as was her brother's, twenty one months before her.
May's father Patrick died of throat cancer when she was only five years old. May's mother Christina never re-married, so presumably brought up the children by herself, and probably with assistance from her extended family members.
May never married, and does not seem to have had an occupation - perhaps she was a housekeeper of sorts.I have not been able to find much information on May. May's mother Christina resided in Manilla, and passed away there in June of 1919. The 1930, 1936 and 1943 New South Wales Electoral rolls show May living at Namoi Street, Manilla, and having the occupation of "home duties".
The 1949 electoral roll shows her living in Bonalbo NSW, the same town as her brother William. During that same year, she appears to have moved to Newcastle with another entry on the electoral roll for 1949 showing her living at 56 Margaret St, Mayfield. The 1954 electoral roll shows May living a few houses up from her previous address, at 28 Margaret St, Mayfield. Googlemaps reveal these to be standard Newcastle small weatherboard houses - I'm yet to discover if she was staying with relatives. After the death of her brother William's wife Mary, William would often visit May in Newcastle. William passed away in 1969, and May remained the last of her direct family alive.
The Newcastle Crematorium records show May as passing away in September of 1983 at the impressive age of 96. At the time she resided at St Joseph's Home at Sandgate, a Catholic Nursing Home.
Birth certificate on file.
With thanks to Jenny McCarthy for her Newcastle Crematorium look-up.
Thursday 27 November 2008
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Ronald Francis O'NEILL 1919-1976
According to Ronald's military attestation papers, he was born on the 18th April, 1919, in Townsville, Queensland.
He was the second-born child of Ernest Vincent O'NEILL and Florence TOPLIS.
The first public records I have discovered for Ronald are his WWII military records available on-line at the National Archives of Australia. There are two separate records. I have applied to have one digitalized, which should occur shortly.
The other set of records includes only two scanned pages, but does give me some initial information to work with.
The attestation papers to enter the military are dated 16th September, 1940. Ronald's occupation is listed as Hide Salter, presumably in relation to the Merinda Meatworks. He is unmarried at this date, and his postal address is C/- Post Office, Merinda. Ronald signed up for three years in the Militia, and his attestation papers were witnessed by Captain J.R.M. McCabe (James Ronald) of the 31st Battalion at Bowen.
His height was listed at 5' 8", with his weight at 142 pounds (approx 65kg).He had brown eyes and brown hair, with a scar on his right foot and leg, and no disability.
His father Ernest was listed as his next-of-kin.
The World War II Nominal Roll record shows Ronald being finally discharged on March 29th, 1946, with his final unit being the 31/51 Australian Infantry Battalion.
The Australian War Memorial site has a comprehensive history of this unit and their place in the war. Please read about it here:
Ronald Francis O'Neill passed away on the 22nd of May, 1976 at Bowen Hospital, aged 57.
In the subsequent months (I believe July 1976, actual date unavailable), the following obituary appeared in the Bowen Independent:
"Ronald Francis O'Neill
Bowen has had few more popular citizens that Ronald Francis ("Peggy") O'Neill who passed away on 22nd May at Bowen Hospital, and few have been faced with greater equanamity than he did, when told that he was suffering from a terminal illness which gave him only a short time to live. Ron went calmly about the necessary business of finalising his affairs so that no worry would be occasioned to his loved ones, collected his termination pay at Bowen Freezing Works as cheerfully as if he were going on holiday, and entered hospital prepared to die with a calmness of spirit that was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Ron was born at Townsville on a Good Friday, into a family with a strong Christian faith. His father, the late Ernest O'Neill, was a carpenter and boat builder at Rooney's Mill beside Ross Creek where the family lived in what had been a shearing shed way out at Prairie before it was moved to Townsville. Later they moved to Sellheim, where Mr O'Neill was employed at the old Burdekin Meatworks. When Borthwicks took it over he was one of the old hands retained, and he moved with his family to Bowen when the firm acquired the Merinda meatworks, and styled it the Bowen Freezing Works.
Ron was still a schoolboy at this stage, attending the Christian Brothers School at Townsville and on completing his education he also joined the staff of Borthwicks, and worked at various departments at Merinda until just before the Second World War, when he was sent to the firm's Melbourne works to gain carpentering experience. On his return he volunteered for war service, and joined the 31st Battalion. It was later merged with the 51st to become the 31/51 Battalion A.I.F., and with it he saw active service in Dutch New Guinea and Bougainville as a despatch rider and Bren gunner. His comrades found him to be a good fighting soldier, which was not surprising when it is recalled that his maternal great-grandfather was one of two Victoria Cross winners at the Battle of Rourke's Drift, starting the Zulu War in South Africa, when a handful of British regular soldiers fought off ten thousand Zulu warriors. The episode was recently recalled in the film "Zulu". The V.C. was later pawned when its winner went broke in civilian life running one of the picture panorama shows that preceded moving pictures, and the medal is now in the United States. Ron's grandfather was a tug skipper on the Mersey, and on his death his widow migrated to Australia with her seven young children and valiantly established them in their new land. One of them was Ron's mother, who was then 15 and a student attendant at the Manchester Art Gallery. She is still active and still noted for her artistic talents.
With a name like O'Neill, Ron could only attract one nickname in the Army, and he was known as "Peggy" from the time he joined until his discharge, and ever after by fellow Bowenites who served with him. But apart from his courage, he will be remembered by them for his happy ways, and for his cheerful optimism. As a "Don R" he would roar into camp on his big Harley Davidson motorcycle and lift the morale of the troops with optimistic rumours of an early return home or of leave to come. Such men were invaluable in any unit in the darker days of wartime service, and did more than their share for the war effort.
Returning to civilian life, Ron joined his father at Merinda as a works carpenter, where until his death he was to endear himself to every member of the staff and workforce by his cheerful good natured ways. His father predeceased him in 1952.
Ron married a Bowen girl, Miss Rosemary Pascoe, after the war, and is survived by her and two daughters, Colleen Tait (Melbourne) and Bronwyn (Bowen) and by his mother, to all of whom sincere sympathy is extended. One sister predeceased him. Throughout his married life Ron lived only for his family and his home, and his main pastime was fishing, which he loved to the point that he would have been happy to die with a line in his hand. He was noted for his many kindnesses to others and his thoughtfulness for those less fortunate. Truly one of nature's gentlemen, and one who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Holy Trinity Church was filled to overflowing when Ron's funeral service was held on 25th May, and the cortege was one of the largest seen in Bowen, as friends flocked to pay a last tribute to a good mate."
*With thanks to
1) National Archives of Australia war record digitalization service
2) State Library of Queensland "Ask a Librarian" Service.
He was the second-born child of Ernest Vincent O'NEILL and Florence TOPLIS.
The first public records I have discovered for Ronald are his WWII military records available on-line at the National Archives of Australia. There are two separate records. I have applied to have one digitalized, which should occur shortly.
The other set of records includes only two scanned pages, but does give me some initial information to work with.
The attestation papers to enter the military are dated 16th September, 1940. Ronald's occupation is listed as Hide Salter, presumably in relation to the Merinda Meatworks. He is unmarried at this date, and his postal address is C/- Post Office, Merinda. Ronald signed up for three years in the Militia, and his attestation papers were witnessed by Captain J.R.M. McCabe (James Ronald) of the 31st Battalion at Bowen.
His height was listed at 5' 8", with his weight at 142 pounds (approx 65kg).He had brown eyes and brown hair, with a scar on his right foot and leg, and no disability.
His father Ernest was listed as his next-of-kin.
The World War II Nominal Roll record shows Ronald being finally discharged on March 29th, 1946, with his final unit being the 31/51 Australian Infantry Battalion.
The Australian War Memorial site has a comprehensive history of this unit and their place in the war. Please read about it here:
Ronald Francis O'Neill passed away on the 22nd of May, 1976 at Bowen Hospital, aged 57.
In the subsequent months (I believe July 1976, actual date unavailable), the following obituary appeared in the Bowen Independent:
"Ronald Francis O'Neill
Bowen has had few more popular citizens that Ronald Francis ("Peggy") O'Neill who passed away on 22nd May at Bowen Hospital, and few have been faced with greater equanamity than he did, when told that he was suffering from a terminal illness which gave him only a short time to live. Ron went calmly about the necessary business of finalising his affairs so that no worry would be occasioned to his loved ones, collected his termination pay at Bowen Freezing Works as cheerfully as if he were going on holiday, and entered hospital prepared to die with a calmness of spirit that was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Ron was born at Townsville on a Good Friday, into a family with a strong Christian faith. His father, the late Ernest O'Neill, was a carpenter and boat builder at Rooney's Mill beside Ross Creek where the family lived in what had been a shearing shed way out at Prairie before it was moved to Townsville. Later they moved to Sellheim, where Mr O'Neill was employed at the old Burdekin Meatworks. When Borthwicks took it over he was one of the old hands retained, and he moved with his family to Bowen when the firm acquired the Merinda meatworks, and styled it the Bowen Freezing Works.
Ron was still a schoolboy at this stage, attending the Christian Brothers School at Townsville and on completing his education he also joined the staff of Borthwicks, and worked at various departments at Merinda until just before the Second World War, when he was sent to the firm's Melbourne works to gain carpentering experience. On his return he volunteered for war service, and joined the 31st Battalion. It was later merged with the 51st to become the 31/51 Battalion A.I.F., and with it he saw active service in Dutch New Guinea and Bougainville as a despatch rider and Bren gunner. His comrades found him to be a good fighting soldier, which was not surprising when it is recalled that his maternal great-grandfather was one of two Victoria Cross winners at the Battle of Rourke's Drift, starting the Zulu War in South Africa, when a handful of British regular soldiers fought off ten thousand Zulu warriors. The episode was recently recalled in the film "Zulu". The V.C. was later pawned when its winner went broke in civilian life running one of the picture panorama shows that preceded moving pictures, and the medal is now in the United States. Ron's grandfather was a tug skipper on the Mersey, and on his death his widow migrated to Australia with her seven young children and valiantly established them in their new land. One of them was Ron's mother, who was then 15 and a student attendant at the Manchester Art Gallery. She is still active and still noted for her artistic talents.
With a name like O'Neill, Ron could only attract one nickname in the Army, and he was known as "Peggy" from the time he joined until his discharge, and ever after by fellow Bowenites who served with him. But apart from his courage, he will be remembered by them for his happy ways, and for his cheerful optimism. As a "Don R" he would roar into camp on his big Harley Davidson motorcycle and lift the morale of the troops with optimistic rumours of an early return home or of leave to come. Such men were invaluable in any unit in the darker days of wartime service, and did more than their share for the war effort.
Returning to civilian life, Ron joined his father at Merinda as a works carpenter, where until his death he was to endear himself to every member of the staff and workforce by his cheerful good natured ways. His father predeceased him in 1952.
Ron married a Bowen girl, Miss Rosemary Pascoe, after the war, and is survived by her and two daughters, Colleen Tait (Melbourne) and Bronwyn (Bowen) and by his mother, to all of whom sincere sympathy is extended. One sister predeceased him. Throughout his married life Ron lived only for his family and his home, and his main pastime was fishing, which he loved to the point that he would have been happy to die with a line in his hand. He was noted for his many kindnesses to others and his thoughtfulness for those less fortunate. Truly one of nature's gentlemen, and one who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Holy Trinity Church was filled to overflowing when Ron's funeral service was held on 25th May, and the cortege was one of the largest seen in Bowen, as friends flocked to pay a last tribute to a good mate."
*With thanks to
1) National Archives of Australia war record digitalization service
2) State Library of Queensland "Ask a Librarian" Service.
Mavis TOPLIS ?-1918
Mavis TOPLIS was the first born child of Ernest Vincent O'NEILL and Florence TOPLIS.
She died as an infant in 1918. I have received the death certificate for Mavis, but i cannot locate it at the moment. Her cause of death was infantile tetanus. The certificate states she was 7 years old, but that does not make any sense at all. It was more likely seven days old.
As a side note, I've found that the Queensland certificates are full of transcription errors.
She died as an infant in 1918. I have received the death certificate for Mavis, but i cannot locate it at the moment. Her cause of death was infantile tetanus. The certificate states she was 7 years old, but that does not make any sense at all. It was more likely seven days old.
As a side note, I've found that the Queensland certificates are full of transcription errors.
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