It's Fitzsimons Not Fitzsimmons (Lanigan 2011)

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It's Fitzsimons not Fitzsimmons : the Fitzsimons family
- from County Meath, Ireland to Templestowe, Australia : 1841-2011.

Book, Published 2011, Illustrated edition
Bookmark: https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/50792679
Physical Description: 127 p. : ill. (some col.), geneal. tables ; 26 cm.
Published: [Vermont, Vic.] : William Lanigan, 2011.
Lanigan, William, 1938-
Subjects:
  • Fitzsimons family.
  • Fitzsimmons family.
  • Immigrants -- Victoria -- Biography.
  • Irish -- Victoria -- Melbourne -- Genealogy.
  • Ireland -- Genealogy.
  • Melbourne (Vic.) -- Genealogy.

ISBN:  9780646547381
0646547380 (Trade Paper) :
Dewey Number:  929.20994
Libraries Australia ID:  46248161

NLA/ Trove Entry

DTHS Update: Dec 2019:

DTHS used to sell this book, but we do not have any more copies and cannot access a further supply, having spoken with a member of the Fitzsimon family. They do not have a digitized copy nor does Lanigan who produced the publication.

Bill Lanigan gave permission to publish full text online. May2020


Cover: "Evening Templestowe, 1897" by David Davies
 David Davies - Painting owned by the National Gallery of Victoria; author died in 1939.  Public Domain.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Davies_(artist)

Back Cover "Blurb"

In 1840 a young, newly married couple, John and Mary Fitzsimons left their home in Ireland to embark on a new life. They travelled by ship to Australia and more importantly to Melbourne to begin a new life in this recently settled area. How courageous these two 18 year olds were. Not only were they leaving their homeland and way of life behind, but farewelling their families whom they would never see again must have been very difficult.
John and Mary arrived in Melbourne on January 15th 1841 to be confronted by a city very much in the making. What had previously been a place of great beauty, where billabongs and swamps were sprinkled around the bay teeming with birdlife, a settlement of 10 acres had been created. How different to Ireland it must have seemed and being January one wonders how they coped with the heat. As you will have read in the book they managed to survive the harsh conditions, eventually moving to Templestowe in 1864 to establish a dynasty.
The book is also a celebration of 170 years of the Fitzsimons family in Australia and subsequently 147 years in Templestowe. It is interesting to note that several members of the family still live on the original land in Templestowe on which John and Mary settled in 1864.
This long association with Templestowe and the surrounding areas has not prevented people referring to the family name as FITZSIMMONS or the road as FITZSIMMONS LANE. It was for this reason that this family history was given its title.
The Fitzsimons family members of the generations that followed John and Mary often displayed the same pioneering spirit in the many endeavours they embarked on.
John and Mary Fitzsimons were true pioneers and this book is a tribute to them and the six generations of Australians who followed in their footsteps.
mm

Published by William Lanigan on behalf of The Fitzsimons Family
January 2011
© Copyright William Lanigan
This book is copyright. No part may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher ISBN 978-0-646-54738-1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our collective thanks go to the following;
References Poulter, Templestowe; a folk history.
Pertzel and Walters, Manningham; from country to city.
Vaughan, St Johns on the hill.
Public Records Office (BD&Ms) Victoria
Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society Inc - particularly Kay Mack and Ken Smith
Heidelberg Historical Society
Newspapers - The Mirror, Doncaster & Templestowe News, The Argus
Royal Auto magazine
General
Rod Fraser for his assistance and expertise in production of the book
Family
Co-ordinating Editor - Bill Lanigan.
Assistant Editor - Maureen O’Neill.
Genealogist - Mick Fitzsimons.
Committee - Bill Lanigan, Bernadette Selleck, Trish Sexton, Terry Fitzsimons,
Mick Fitzsimons.
Written Contributions -Mick Fitzsimons, Kate Wright-Smith, Mark Fitzsimons,
Sheila and Gerard Calnin,
Brian and Judy Cashen, Chris and Philip Renehan, Maureen O’Neill, Bernadette Selleck, Terry Fitzsimons,
Trish Sexton, Cathie Anderson, Margaret Pickles, Catherine Fitzsimons
and Bill Lanigan.
Other Contributors - Tony and Shirley Fitzsimons.
IT’S FITZSIMONS not FITZSIMMONS
THE FITZSIMONS FAMILY
From County Meath, Ireland to Templestowe, Australia
1841 -2011
FERGUSSON.....................................................4
FITZSIMONS/FITZSIMMONS - ONE “M” OR TWO.......................5
FITZSIMONS HOUSES AT TEMPLESTOWE..............................8
JOHN AND MARY FITZSIMONS......................................9
MATTHEW PATRICK FITZSIMONS AND FAMILY........................15
MARY RYAN (NEE FITZSIMONS) AND ROSE, ELLEN
AND ELIZABETH FITZSIMONS.....................................29
BRIDGET LOUISE LYNCH (NEE FITZSIMONS)........................30
JOHN HENRY AND CATHERINE MARY FITZSIMONS......................S I
JOHN LEO FITZSIMONS..........................................47
MARY DOHERTY CASHEN (NEE FITZSIMONS).........................54
MARGARET CONDON RENEHAN (NEE FITZSIMONS).....................62
CATHERINE MARY LAHIGAN (NEE FITZSIMONS)......................71
WILLIAM (BILL) FITZSIMONS....................................79
BERNARD (BERN) FITZSIMONS....................................87
ANTHONY (TONY) FITZSIMONS....................................96
CYRIL FITZSIMONS............................................105
SPORTING HISTORY..........................................  113
EPILOGUE....................................................120
Boarding was hectic with farewells filled with lots of emotion.
Afghanistan barque similar in construction to the Fergusson
The Afghanistan was a much later ship and steel hulled, She was rated at 2,286 tons, but not sure how this rating was done as she doesn't look that much larger than the Fergus-son. The Fergusson’s rating of 655 tons may have been rated differently 60 years earlier
The Ferguson was built in 1821 and was built of teak; her lower masts and yards were also of teak and 655 tons burthen per register (burthen is weight of cargo she can carry). She was wrecked on Tuesday 27 April 1841 upon the Great Barrier near Torres Straits, in latitude 1218" S, longitude 143'54n E,
Her captain John Virtue, said she was one of the finest ships that ever sailed.
Fergusson arrived 15 Jan 1841 at Port Phillip, left The Downs 25 Sep 1840
PitssirnoBS Fitzsimmons - om “M"
Many people wonder about the various spelling of this surname, eg; Fitzsimon, Fitzsimons, FitzSimons, Fitzsymon, Fitzsy-mons, Fitzsimmon, Fitzsimmons, Fitzsim-monds, etc, etc. After 35 years of researching the name, this is the conclusion.
get a clearer picture of the origins of this surname (all variations), one must also consult books on English surnames as Fitzsimons is not only found in Ireland, it is more prevalent in Britain. Those with the surname that originated from the Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire area of Britain were thought to be Scandinavian and of the “genere Danus”, as the area was settled by Danish Vikings and predate the Norman invasion in 1066 AD. They are said to come from the Viking Simundr -Sigmund meaning ‘Victory’ and/or ‘Victory Protector’. Sigmund became Simon and Fitz meaning ‘son of was later added to become Fitz Simon. Then Christian names were adopted and some early names were John Fitz Simon (John, son of Simon) and Simon le Fitz Simon (Simon the son of Simon). The ‘le’ may have been a Norman influence, as some later additions of the name may have come from Normandy. The name evolved and with most the hyphen (-) was dropped and some adopted a‘s’ on the end, some use a capitol ‘S’ (FitzSimons) and some use ‘y’ (Fitzsy-mons). These variations could have been trying to distinguish between different families, or trying to make the name easier to pronounce for those ill informed, so it didn’t sound like it had “mm” in it. Other variations may have been to disassociate ones self from a family by changing some part of the name.
The name Fitzsimons (pronounced Fitz -“simons”, or Fitz-“sigh”-mons, should not be confused with Fitzsimmons (pronounced Fitz-simmons or Fitz-simm-ons). In Ireland, Fitzsimons is predominately a Catholic name and Fitzsimmons is predominately Protestant and mostly of English descent, or the name has been misspelt. There will of course be examples of inter religious marriages where Fitzsimmons’ have changed from Protestant to Catholic and vice versa, but these are very few. There is also the problem of the Catholic oppression in Ireland and the setting up of the Protestant Church of Ireland. These churches can be found throughout Ireland and they were more significant structures than those of the poor Catholics of the period, even though the population was predominately Catholic. You will quite often find Catholics registered as Protestants in the Church of Ireland, as it may have been the only legal church at that time. Also the poor, especially during the Potato Famine, Catholics would have to convert to Protestants for meagre handouts of food. Religion only seems to play a role concerning the name in Ireland, as those from Brittain could be of any religion and they also spread throughout the world.
There are many reasons for the other variations of the spelling, especially in America where there was persecution against Irish Catholics and many Anglicised their names. There were also attempts by the British to Anglicise Irish surnames in Ireland and the “Me” and “O” were deleted from the start of surnames, so officials may have added an extra ‘m’ to Fitzsimons.
We also have the problem of illiteracy. Most people could not spell and therefore had no idea how to spell their names. Those clergy or clerks responsible for recording names, had to sometimes guess at what the name was, sometimes clouded by a heavy accent or dialect that was not familiar to them. Quite often, when a name was recorded wrongly, the person was stuck with it. Some early church records have entries for the same family spelt many ways.
When most people research Fitzsimmons and they find that it originally had only one “m”, be it Irish or English research, they tend to stick to their own spelling (mm) in their research and wrongly record all previous ancestors with their current spelling, confusing the matter even more.
There are many Coat of Arms for various Fitzsimons (Fitz-sigh-mons) Families, though strangely enough, I have never come across an early one for Fitzsimmons (Fitz-simmons). There is one today touted as Fitzsimmons, but in fact belongs to Sir John Fitz Simon of Norfolk, in 1322. The most recognised Fitzsimons Coat of Arms, especially in Ireland, is the white shield with three smaller red shields on it and was used by Sir Hugh & John Fitz Simon. Richard Fitz Simon bore the same shield in reverse.
Fitzsimons were among the Knights bought to Ireland in 1077 by John De Courcy when he landed in Co. Down on his quest for new lands. These Fitzsimons Knights came from the Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire area of Britain, where the name comes from the Danish Vikings who settled there. Others Fitzsimons families went to Ireland in the early 1200’s with the Prendergasts to Co. Mayo and the third and most important line arrived in 1323 from Simonshide and Hertfordshire and settled in the Pale and were
leading gentry in counties Dublin and Westmeath.
On the Coat of Arms, the white shield signifies sincerity-peace.
The three red inner shields are red and red refers to Warrior, Martyr, Military and Strength.
On the Crest at the top is a boar pulling an arrow out of his shoulder. The boar was considered in Britain and Ireland as the fiercest and bravest animal and would keep attacking until death.
The family motto is ‘Beati pacifici’, (Blessed are the peacemakers.).
Gaelic Equivalent of the name is ‘Mac Siomoin’.
So it would appear that the Fitzsimons Knights were fearless warriors who would fight to the death, yet considered themselves peacemakers, though they did adopt Irish ways and integrated.
People to this day, misspell and mispronounce this name (in countries other than the Republic of Ireland), even when you spell it for someone, most still put in the extra “m” and then pronounce it how they have just written it, so what hope did our early ancestors have. It doesn’t matter what excuse or example you give, it is simple English and the mm, changes the sound of the i. When you mispronounce the name, you misspell it. Those with the 2m’s have not suffered the same butchering of their name as those with only one m. I have heard many and varied reasons for the mispronunciation and a common ones are that certain accents have trouble with some vowels. This may be the case, but that is no excuse for spelling it incorrectly so others are also misled and confused.
FITZSIMONS Lane, which runs through Templestowe and Eltham is often in the news.
But next time the lane makes the headlines, we could face a real dilemna.
How do we spell Fifesimons Lane?
Most of us know the correct spelling is Fitzsimons Lane.
I must add that whilst travelling around Ireland in 1997, my name (Fitzsimons) was never misspelled or mispronounced once and that was “grand, to be sure.”
Written by Mick Fitzsimons
FjQYAL auto letter
The following letter appeared in the Royal Auto magazine some years ago -
Fitzsimons Lane has twice been spelt as Fitzsimmons.
The road is named after the Fitzsimons family, who still reside in Fitzsimons Lane.
The family is well known and they are disappointed that a renowned family repeatedly see their name misspelt and mispronounced.
Bui our ever-alert News photographer snapped up the variations we include on this page.
The street sign at the comer of Main Rd and Fitzsimons Lane in Eltham reads Fitzsimmons Lane while all others boast just on “M”.
Who ever said they always had to be one better up Eltham way . . ? Not us.
View Hill, Templestowe William Fitzsimons at
the home of Matthew and Mary Fitzsimons
John and Mary Fitzsi mo ns
Our story begins with the birth of John Fitzsimons in Ireland about 1822. John’s death certificate shows that he was born in County Meath and his parents were John Fitzsimons and Rose Cloyne. It is believed he was born in or near the town of Summerhill in County Meath because this was the name of his property at Tern-plestowe - this seemed to be a tradition with Irish emigrants.
The name of Summerhill dates from about the year 1667, when "Sir Hercules Langford, of Summerhill, Co. Meath was created a Baronet. Its Irish form, Drum-samraidh (Drum - hill, samraidh - summer). Before this it was called Cnoc an Linsigh or Lynch's Hill noting the name of the Norman-lrish Lynch family that were in control up until that time. The ruins of the large Lynch castle can be seen in the village today.
Despite its name Summerhill is built in a valley, surrounded by low hills. This is mainly limestone country. Although the valley of Summerhill is very fertile, the surrounding hills contain major deposits of sand and gravel. It’s a beautiful village and well laid out.
In August 1647, near Summerhill was the battle of Dangan’s Hill. Here, an army of Confederate Ireland (The Irish Catholic Confederation), was defeated by The Roundheads (Supporters of the English Parliament), with some 3,000 Confederates being massacred.
The modern day Summerhill is a very picturesque town, with no hint of the hardship and conflict of the past. It is the current home to a Fitzsimons family that has been there since the 1300’s - it is quite possible there is a relationship to our family but has not been proved.
The Post Office at Summerhill, County Meath Photo taken by Bill Lanigan
John married Mary O’DOHERTY/DO-HERTY (b. abt. 1822) in Ireland, before coming to Australia. There appears a bit of confusion as to Mary’s last name, as it was listed as NEARY on the baptism in Melbourne of their first-born son Matthew. Records for their subsequent children all list Mary Doherty as the mother. It is a frustrating quandary that may never be solved. No marriage has ever been found for John Fitzsimons and Mary O’Do-herty/Doherty, yet there is one in the Sum-merhill Church, Co. Meath for a John Fitzsimons and Mary Neary, dated 16-Aug-1840. By age at death of both John and Mary, they both would have been only 18 years old, so did they elope?
The date of marriage would have given them one month to get to England to sail for Port Phillip as Bounty Immigrants on the ship Fergusson. They left The Downs on 25-Sep-1840. The Downs is a protected area of sea off south east England near the English Channel. In the age of sail it served as permanent base for warships patrolling the North Sea and a gathering point for newly-built ships coming out of Chatham Dockyard. In the present day, with the English Channel still the busiest shipping lane in the world, cross-channel ferries and other ships still seek shelter here. There are records that state the ship came from Plymouth and it is possible that the ship called there on the way to Australia.
The ship Fergusson of 655 tons was built of teak and so were her lower masts and yards and was built in Calcutta in 1821. The Master was John Virtue and Surgeon Superintendent was Thomas Norris. Passengers included 12 in cabins, 9 intermediate, 3 paying steerage and 228 bounty immigrants Also aboard was Agent John Marshall who had arranged for the voyage of the bounty immigrants to Australia. The bounty immigrants comprised 97 parents and children, 60 single males
and 71 single females. Marshall received 19 pounds for each adult and a lesser amount for the children resulting in a total of 3968 pounds which was paid to him by the English Government. There were two deaths on the voyage. Cargo included one bull and one cow. Life was tough aboard ship and passengers were provided with knife, fork, tablespoon, teaspoon, metal plate, hot cook pot and mug. Upon arrival in the colony, these articles were given to the assisted immigrants who behaved well on the voyage. Immigrants were also advised to take an iron kettle, a couple of saucepans, a frying pan, tea-pot and pail .For every 100 passengers the following medical comforts were carried on board --10 pounds of arrowroot, 50 pounds of preserved beef, 400 pints of lemon juice, 400 lb of sugar to mix with the lemon juice, 60 pounds of scotch barley, 18 bottles of port wine, 300 gallons of stout, 50 gallons of rum.
The Fergusson had previously been used as a convict ship and it also brought Charles Joseph La Trobe and his wife and daughter together with their own house to Melbourne in 1839. La Trobe was Superintendent of the Port Phillip District from arrival until 1851 when he became Lieutenant Governor of Victoria until 1854. Victoria became a separate State in 1851. La Trobe’s Cottage was the colony’s first Government House and now is situated in South Yarra with many of the original furnishings.
The Fergusson arrived at Port Phillip (Melbourne) on January 15th, 1841 after a journey of 112 days which was a big improvements on the 250 days it took the First Fleet to reach Sydney in 1788. Most passengers disembarked at Port Phillip except 30 who left on February 6th for Sydney arriving February 20th. The ship left Sydney on April 15th bound for Madras, India with a detachment of H.M. 50th Regiment. She never made it to its
destination as the ship was wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in Torres Strait during the night of April 26th due to strong currents. The Fergusson was the leading ship in a convoy and signalled the other ships to save them from the same fate. The troop passengers were transferred to two of the other ships which conveyed them on to Madras. Only one person drowned during the transfer off the Fergusson. Captain John Virtue described it as the end of one of the finest ships that ever sailed. An advertisement in the Sydney Herald of August 3rd, 1841 stated that the wreck of the Fergusson was to be sold by auction.
John and Mary are listed on records at the Public Records of Victoria under Index of Assisted British Immigrants as Fitzsimmons and aged 24 and 18 respectively. The problem of this particular mis-spelling is still occurring to the present day much to the annoyance of the family. John possibly put up his age to make the journey as his correct age would have been similar to Mary. There are more than one hand-writ-ten shipping lists of their Fergusson voyage and John is listed as farm servant and also labourer whilst Mary is listed as dairy woman and also housemaid. John is listed as being unable to read and write whilst Mary is listed the same but also being able to do both functions.
Shortly after their arrival a census for all of New South Wales was held on March 2nd, 1841 and Melbourne had a population of 4,479 which included 175 natives. It recorded 769 houses which was insufficient due to shortage of building materials and only accommodated half of the population. The remainder lived in a tent city situated on the swampy ground around the Yarra River near the site of the present day Flinders Street Station. John and Mary probably lived in the tent city which would have been uncomfortable and rife with disease. They would have stayed
there until they found better lodgings. Melbourne was dusty in the summer and cold, wet and muddy during winter and usually overcrowded. The streets were a quagmire with stagnant water. Elizabeth Street was a water course. Commodities were expensive i.e. a single edition of a newspaper cost one shilling. Melbourne was part of New South Wales until the State of Victoria was created in 1851. A great influx of Irish immigrants in 1841 created the need for a permanent church to be built. The foundation stone of St. Francis Church was laid on October 4ih, 1841 on the feast of St. Francis. The first four children of John and Mary were baptised at this church. By 1842 the boom period of employment was over. In 1845 the Irish in Melbourne were dining in luxury compared with their compatriots in Ireland where the potato crop had failed and created a famine that brought appalling misery and widespread death. By 1846 there were 9,000 Irish in Melbourne which represented a quarter of the population - this would have subsequently increased due to the Famine. In an effort to improve the housing situation there was 16,000 wooden house packages and 6,369 prefabricated irons houses imported into Melbourne in 1853. There are still three iron houses now situated in Coventry Street, South Melbourne which is the area they were first erected. The iron houses were packaged inside timber which became the internal walls of the house.
The 1856 Electoral Rolls appear to have John Fitzsimons listed twice. Once as a gardener, leaseholder in Heidelberg and also listed as living in Little Bourke Street East and being a labourer, with freehold land in Heidelberg. This is the only reference to where they lived until they purchased land in Heidelberg in 1849. John Fitzsimons bought a Vs acre block of land in Banksia Street, Heidelberg via government land auction in 1849 at a cost of seven pounds ten shillings- his ad-
dress was listed as Heidelberg. He purchased two adjoining blocks in 1852 for 35 pounds. The vendor had purchased these two blocks at government auctions in 1849 and 1850 and the sale to John was made by a committee set up to administer the affairs of the vendor who was described as a lunatic. It is known from council records of 1863 that a house was erected on one of these blocks.
John sold these three blocks in 1864 for a total of one hundred pounds.
A report in The Argus newspaper of April 13th, 1864 under announcements and appointments listed J. Fitzsimons together with P.H. Fanning to be additional trustees of Roman Catholic land at Heidelberg. The present St. John’s Catholic in Heidelberg was blessed and opened on April 14th, 1861 but Mass had been celebrated in the district since 1848. It is quite probable that John and Mary Fitzsimons were regular attendees at St. John’s Heidelberg and their children born in Heidelberg were baptised at this church.
John Fitzsimons purchased 218 acres of land at Templestowe in 1864 from John Thomas Smith being allotments B and C of 109 acres each. The purchase was made by conveyance dated February 27th, 1864 but was not registered until March 16th, 1868 This is verified by rate books showing occupancy occurring between December 1863 and December 1864. The rate book of 1863 listed a James Hewish as tenant and ratepayer from owner Smith of Flemington over 218 acres of grazing land. Allotment B of 109 acres had been purchased by Smith at auction in 1850 for 109 pounds. Allotment C also of 109 acres had been purchased by William Milne after auction in 1850 at reserve upset price of 179 pounds. Milne died in 1851 and his 109 acres was sold to Smith in 1852 for 190 pounds. The two allotments were transferred to Smith and
Milne by Crown Grant dated December 10th, 1850. The cost of the purchase by John is unknown but most probably would have been more than the sale proceeds of the Heidelberg properties. John Smith was understood to have arrived in Melbourne in 1837 and was Mayor of Melbourne four or five times.
John Chivers was an early pioneer of Templestowe and arrived in Melbourne in 1840 and was taken to Templestowe by a Major Newman who employed Chivers on his property. About 1842 Chivers left the emplyment of Major Newman and built his house by the Yarra River on crown land which subsequently became the property of John Fitzsimons.
John and Mary Fitzsimons would both have been aged approximately 44 years of age when they purchased the Templestowe land. Their eldest son Matthew was aged 21 so he would have been of great assistance in developing the property. His four sisters, Mary, Bridget, Rose and Elizabeth, were aged between 19 and 9 whilst their youngest brother John was aged 5 years.
So John must have prospered after arriving in the Colony and to do so would require that he came with substantial funds or was given some help along the way. On his first-born son Matthew’s baptism certificate, one of the sponsors is listed as Edward Fitzsimons. This Edward is thought to have been a relative, most likely a cousin, who had arrived in Port Phillip (Melbourne), in 1839 and became quite wealthy. He owned many houses and shops in the City of Melbourne, and it’s possible that John and Mary stayed in one of these houses and worked for Edward, as John himself seemed to have prospered, with later land purchases at the village of Warringal (Heidelberg), and later at Templestowe. It is known that this Edward Fitzsimons came from Ireland.
There is also another Fitzsimons family that possibly has links. Patrick Fitzsimons, also of Summerhill, Co. Meath, married Bridget Riley both are buried in the War-ringal Cemetery, Heidelberg. A daughter Mary, married a Patrick McIntyre and they moved to Kangaroo Ground. A son George, married Margaret Whelan in 1854 at St, John’s at Heidelberg. George was also a sponsor for the baptism of Rose Fitzsimons, fourth child of John and Mary.
In 1876 the Victorian Year Book recorded that Templestowe had 159 inhabitants and 32 occupied dwellings. Also in 1875 the Templestowe Roads District became the Shire of Bulleen.
Mary suffered from heart disease for seven years, accompanied by bouts of fainting. She finally succumbed to her illness, most probably at her home on the 26-Sep-1893, aged 71 years.
John Fitzsimons died on the 27-Jan-1897 at his home in Templestowe after a short illness of TO days, aged 74. The death certificate states he died at Bulleen and the residence of the informant, his son John Henry also as Bulleen. His will of August 27th, 1895 directed that the westerly allotment B of 109 acres (except house and garden of 3 acres and 30 perches) transfer to his son John but subject to payment of an annuity of twenty five pounds. The will also stated that if John mortgaged or otherwise encumber the land or attempted to do so then his interest would immediately cease and the property be divided equally between the children of
John - there were three young children at the date of the will. When the will was signed John was aged 36 whereas Matthew was aged 52. The house property of a little over 3 acres in which John resided at the date of the will was to be for the use of his daughters Rose and Elizabeth during their life or until they married - the property then reverted to John. The will described the position of the house property and it appears to be in the corner of allotment B with boundaries to the now Fitzsimons Lane and Porter Street, Templestowe. The easterly allotment C of 109 acres was granted to his eldest son Matthew also with payment of annuity of twenty five pounds. The two annuities totalling fifty pounds were to be divided between his daughters Rose and Elizabeth receiving twenty pounds each and a further ten pounds to his daughter Bridget. The difference in amounts was probably due to Bridget being married in 1876 and the other two daughters were spinsters living together in the family home. The eldest sister Mary was not mentioned in the will but was married in 1895 being the year of the will. The will also directed that his horses, cattle and drays be not subject to the provisions of the will. John also directed that the trustee of the will be granted five pounds for his trouble in and about his will.
Both John and Mary are buried in Templestowe Cemetery, in the Roman Catholic Monumental section, grave numbers, A 97 &. A 98. Due to the area where they are buried there is no headstone but they are listed on a nearby plaque.
The Fitzsimons Family of Tempi estowe, Victoria., Australia
Generation 1. Generation 2. Generation 3. Generation 4.
John FITZSIMONS — Matthew Patrick FITZSIMONS — John Albert FITZSIMONS — Hanorah Rosanna FITZSIMONS — William Matthew
b. abt 1795 b. 07-Feb-1843 FITZSIMONS
Co. Meath, Ireland. m. 1883 Mary Ann Frances — Francis Edith
m. abt 1815 Rose CLOYNE — John KENT — Mary FITZSIMONS b. 02-Jul-1845 FITZSIMONS b. 04-Dec-1892 — Ambrose Gordon FITZSIMONS
FITZSIMONS m. 12-Feb-1893 — No issue
b. abt 1822 Co. Meath, Ireland Daniel RYAN — Bridget Louise — Mary (Maria) LYNCH
d. 27-Jan-1897 Templestowe, FITZSIMONS b. 10-Jun-1847 — Augustine
Vic. Australia. Aged 74. # 3408 m. 16-Aug-1840 Summerhill, County Meath, m. 02-Aug-1876 James LYNCH — Rose FITZSIMONS LYNCH — Ellen LYNCH — John Vincent
Ireland. b. 16-Jul-1849 LYNCH
— Mary O’DOHERTY b. abt1822 d. 18-Dec-1901 (Spinster) — John Leo
Co. Meath, Ire. — unk. FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS
d. 26-Sep-1893 Templestowe, b. abt 1851 — Mary Doherty
Vic. Australia. — Ellen FITZSIMONS
Aged 71.# 12306 Both arrived Port FITZSIMONS b. abt. 1854 d 1855 — Margaret Condon FITZSIMONS
Henry Phillip, (Melbourne) aged 5 months.
O’DOHERTY 15-Jan-1841 — Catherine Mary
b. abt. 1795 aboard the ship — Elizabeth FITZSIMONS
Co. Meath, Fergusson. FITZSIMONS
Ireland. b. abt. 1855 — William
m. abt. 1815 Ellen CLOYNE d. 18-Mar-1914 (Spinster) — John Henry FITZSIMONS — Bernard FITZSIMONS
FITZSIMONS b. 08-Nov-1859 m. 26-Janl891 Catherine Mary WALSHE — Anthony FITZSIMONS — Cyril FITZSIMONS
Matthew Patrick Fitzsimons
' family
Matthew the first-born of John and Mary was born in Melbourne on 7th February 1843. Twenty days later, he was baptised in Melbourne on 27th of February 1843, by Fr. Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan in a makeshift church, as St. Francis’ Roman Catholic Church was not opened till 23-Oci-1845. His sponsors we.-' Edward Fitzsimons and Lucy Newstead. Edward is thought to have been a relative, most likely a cousin, who had arrived in Port Phillip (Melbourne), 28-Nov-1838, and became quite wealthy. He owned many houses and shops in the City of Melbourne, and it’s possible that John and Mary stayed in one of these houses and worked for Edward, as John himself seemed to have prospered, with later land purchases at the village of Warringal (Heidelberg), and later at Templestowe.
atthew Patrick Fitzsimons with unknown women
An unusual aspect of Matthew’s baptism certificate has his mother listed as Mary NEARY. All other references to John’s wife Mary state her last name was Doherty/O’Doherty.
‘£fis Fit:’, Mary Ann Fitzsimons (nee Kent) at View Hill
After the family moved to Templestowe, Matthew married Mary Ann Frances KENT in 1883. Mary was born in 1861 at Templestowe and was the daughter of another of Templestowe’s pioneering families; carpenter William KENT and Hanorah O’SHEA, who farmed over 300 acres called ‘Elm Vale’. Matthew and Mary had five children, John Albert, Hanora Rosanna, Frances Edith, William Matthew and Ambrose Gordon. It was a tragic start for this new family, loosing both John Albert and Hanora Rosanna at a young age.
Matthew worked on the family farm ‘Summerhill’, at Templestowe with other members of the family. With the death of
his father John in 1897, he inherited the eastern part of the family property, being 109 acres. Matthew named his half of the property ‘View Hill’ and his house was also on the top of the hill. His brother John Henry retained the name of ‘Summerhill’ for his half, being 109 acres also.
Matthew had suffered an illness for eight years before succumbing to it at his home ‘View Hill’, on 08-Feb-1916, the day after his 73rd birthday. He is buried in the Templestowe Cemetery.
After the Matthew’s death, the family continued the farm until it was sold on 03-Jul-1926. After the sale, Mary and her son Bill and daughter Francie moved to 126 Wood St. Preston and Gordon and his wife Rose moved to 14-Yarra Street, Heidelberg.
Mary died at home in Preston on the 12-Oct-1931.
John Albert FITZSIMONS. (1st child of Matthew and Mary)
John Albert was the born the 13th April 1884 at ‘View Hill’, Templestowe. He was baptised at St John’s Heidelberg on the 18th May-1884, sponsors were William KENT and Rose FITZSIMONS. John Albert died of a fever and was buried in the Templestowe Cemetery on 26-Dec-1889, aged 5 years and 8 months.
Hanorah Rosanna FITZSIMONS. (2nd child of Matthew and Mary)
Hanorah was born the 3rd of April 1887 at St. Andrews. She was baptised at St John’s Heidelberg on the 4th April 1887, sponsors were John KENT and Eliza FITZSIMONS. There appears to be some urgency in baptising Hanorah and she died of consumption caused by a hip disease and was buried at Templestowe Cemetery on 16-Sep1890, aged 4 years and 6 months.
William Matthew ‘Bill’ FITZSIMONS. (3rd child of Matthew and Mary)
Bill was born in 1888 at ‘View Hill’, Templestowe and he was baptised at St John’s Heidelberg on the 25th May 1888, sponsors were Mrs. Edward KENT and George KENT.
Bill also worked on the farm at ‘View Hill’ and there are many photos of him with different women, although he remained a bachelor. He had a round jovial face and was always smiling, giving the impression that life on the farm was good.
After ‘View Hill’ was sold, he moved to Preston with his mother and sister Francie. On 15-Aug-1944, Bill died on the back door step of the home, cleaning his shoes. He was buried at Templestowe Cemetery with the rest of his family.
Frances Edith ‘Francie’ FITZSIMONS. (4th child of Matthew and Mary)
Francie was born the 4th December 1892 at ‘View Hill’, Templestowe. She was baptised at St John’s Heidelberg on the 25th December 1892, sponsors were Richard and Mary MULLIGAN.
Francie was a big woman and round like a barrel and like her brother Bill always looked jovial in photos. It was said that when she laughed her whole body would shake. After moving to Preston with her mother and brother Bill, she was a housekeeper for a Mr. McGANN in Reservoir.
Francie died in 1954 and unlike the rest of her family, she is buried in the Preston Cemetery.
Ambrose Gordon FITZSIMONS. (5th child of Matthew and Mary)
Ambrose was born 14-Apr-1900 at ‘View Hill’, Templestowe. He was baptised at St John’s Heidelberg on the 29-Jun-
1900 and his sponsors were John FITZSI-MONS and Miss REYNOLDS.
Both Matthew and Mary are buried in Templestowe Cemetery, in the Roman Catholic section, near Matthew’s parents.
TC-m FAMLY OF AMBROSE GORDON FD1Z8IIMONS 14-Apr-lgm to 29-Jun-1900
Gordon, as he was known, grew up on ‘View Hill’ with his siblings amongst a farming life. He was a tall handsome man who appeared to take great pride in his appearance, as he was always well dressed in photos. Little is known of his early life on the farm, though along with the daily toil of farming life, there were probably mornings where they would leave the farm not long after midnight, to have their produce at the markets in Melbourne when they opened.
In the early 1920’s, there was a group from Warrandyte that used to walk to Templestowe to the end of Fitzsimons Lane and use a rowboat to cross the Yarra River, then go on to dances at Eltham. Amongst this group was Rosalie Elizabeth Johansen, known as ‘Tiddles’ or ‘Tid’ for short, along with her sister Olive and brothers Guy and Mick. Tid was born in Warrandyte in 1904, the daughter of Fred Johansen and Kate McAulay, both from pioneering families.
How Gordon and Tid met is not clear. Whether they met at the dances or the Warrandyte group used to take a shortcut through the farms of ‘View Hill’ and ‘Sum-merhill’, or Gordon knew her brothers from the early morning trips to the markets is not certain. Once they did meet however, Gordon would make the trip from Templestowe to Johansen’s Lane (now Jo-hansons Road), in South Warrandyte and escort Tid on the walk back to Fitzsimons
Lane and across the river in the rowboat to the dances. He would then escort Tid back to her home, then return to Templestowe, probably just in time to start the days work. This story of their courting, was proudly related by Tid to her daughter-in-law Pat, many years later.
Gordon and Tid were married on 21-Oct-1924, at St. John’s Church in Heidelberg. Gordon was listed on the marriage certificate as still living in Templestowe. To start with, they lived on the family farm at ‘View Hill’ and when it was sold on 03-Jul-1926, they purchased a house just down the road from the church they were married in, at 14 Yarra St. Heidelberg, at the rear of where Danaher’s Timber is today and opposite the old gasworks.
Unknown male, Rosalie ‘Tid’ Johansen and Gordon Fitzsimons
Gordon and Tid had three children, Alan Go-Dec-1926) and Maxwell Leonard (b. 07-Dec-1929). All three grew up at 14, Yarra St. Heidelberg and attended St. John’s Catholic School.
Going by old photos, there were many family gatherings with the Fitzsimons Clan at Templestowe and Tid’s Johansen Clan at Warrandyte. As was common in those days, everyone dressed up, as you had to look your best, even amongst family. Gordon’s three children always spoke fondly of their parents and old photos show a happy close family, always joking around,
as if nothing was ever taken seriously. A good sense of humour and a liking for practical jokes was another trait passed down. When Tid baked on weekends, Alan’s mates would all just happen to call in and of course sample the many delights Tid was known to produce.
After the sale of ‘View Hill’ in Tem-plestowe, Gordon then went on to work for the Council as well as a sideline as an SP Bookie, an illegal activity, but very popular with punters who couldn’t get to the horse races and could usually get better odds betting with their hard earned money.
Gordon died suddenly of a heart attack in 1946 aged 45, whilst his eldest son Alan was away at the war. This must have been devastating for his wife Tid, as she still had two teenagers to look after. One saving grace would have been over their back fence was an Army Barracks or Supply Depot, and the soldiers trying to impress a young Lauris Fitzsimons, would sometimes pass over the fence the odd bag of potatoes and such which helped to feed the family.
After Gordon’s death, Tid remarried Arthur Cox, though this was not to last for too long. In 1955, Tid was travelling on a bus when she suffered a brain haemor-
rhage and passed out, laying her head on the shoulder of the person next to her. She later passed away in hospital aged 50.
Both Gordon and Tid are buried at Tem-plestowe, next to his parents.
THE FAMILY OF ALAM GORDON F1TZSIIMONS 28-Apr-1925 to 18-Mar-1997
Alan was the first child of Gordon and Tid and a much loved big brother of Lauris and Max.
Schooling was at St. John’s in Heidelberg, just up the road from where they lived at 14 Tan & Street. Alan was a big boy with the face of one much older and stood out it school photos. He never quite understood why the Priest and Nuns referred to him as Fitzsimmons and not Fitzsimons as they did his cousins. Maybe it had something to do with the family not being good churchgoers, his father’s SP Bookie operations or that Alan was just a bit of a larrikin. He was always in trouble as he had that typically Australian dislike for authority and had inherited the mischievous family sense of humour for practical jokes, which he inherited from both parents.
Alan Fitzsimons (middle back row). St John’s Catholic School Heidelberg cl £37
Alan Fltzsimons, early kids toy, Heidelberg c1930
In Alan’s later years he recounted some of the stories of growing up in Heidelberg. One favourite pastime was billycart races and where better to have them than down Burgundy St. They would start at the top of the hill; go down past the Austin Hospital and through the main street of town. Although there was a lot less traffic then, it still must have been some ride, causing concern for motorists, pedestrians, the still frequent horse and carts and the local constabulary. Another favourite pastime in the summer was riding their pushbikes down Yarra St. and straight into the river. Alan also recalled spending a lot of time with his Renehan cousins Jack and Des and helping their father Tom with his blacksmithing and farrier work, often travelling with them up to St. Andrews and Kangaroo Ground shoeing horses.
Football was one of Alan’s passions and he recalled how the Twomey family lived nearby. Bill Twomey played for Collingwood, as did his three sons, Mick, Pat and Bill Jr. Bill Snr. would make foot-
balls out of newspaper for the kids in the street to kick around. Alan’s first pair of football boots were given to him by Bill Snr. He told Alan there was a pair in the woodshed and if he wanted to ‘dig’ them out, he was welcome to them. It’s not known if these boots helped Alan when he played for Heidelberg, though he did get a mention in the local paper one week, “Fitzsimons was conspicuous”, which Alan said, with a bit of a grin, he wasn’t too sure what was meant by that remark.
Alan’s father Gordon must not have thought it appropriate for his son to become involved in the SP Bookie trade, so a young Alan went and worked for another SP Bookie, which certainly his father would not have been aware of. Alan started as a ‘cockatoo’ (lookout for the police) and later graduated to taking bets. On one such occasion, he and his mates devised a scheme of backing a horse, which had already won, using an alias for the supposed gambler. They got away with it and won big. So flushed were they, they hired a taxi to take them from Heidelberg to Ivanhoe, just to buy a packet of cigarettes. They never tried this again, knowing had they been caught, they would have ended up as fish bait in the Yarra River.
Alan then started an apprenticeship working on milk separators for the dairy industry. Bored with such work and WWII in full swing, he could not wait till he was old enough so he could join up.
With the anticipation of going off to war, Alan left his apprenticeship and was listed as a motor truck driver on his enlistment papers, employed by J. Bartram & Son, 601-607 Little Bourke St., Melbourne. He enlisted on 18-May-1943, when he finally convinced his mother to let him join up, his father Gordon signed his enlistment papers, as Tid probably could not bring herself to send her son to war. Alan joined the
RAAF and was a Leading Aircraftsman, mostly working with the engineers, building new airstrips in Papua New Guinea and the islands between there and Borneo.
The introduction for Alan into the RAAF was not as smooth as it could have been, because he still had that dislike of authority, which often found him in trouble. One particular corporal was extra hard on him and as Alan was a big and powerfully built young man, told the much smaller corporal that he wouldn’t be so tough if he didn’t have those two stripes on his arm. The corporal was only too willing to oblige, taking off his shirt and they went behind a tent to sort matters out. Alan was in for a surprise from this tough little veteran and said he felt like a beach ball, as every time he got up, he was knocked down again. They became good mates after this, so it did accomplish something.
The ground crews of the RAAF were not immune to combat and several times they were used in beach landings, along with spare Naval personnel, something Alan never spoke of, but at times the odd comment whilst watching a documentary of the war gave a little insight as to what he had seen. Strangely, when his Service Records were obtained, what was thought to be a colourful and informative read, left more questions than answers as 49 pages had been destroyed. Some of the places he said he was posted and shown on an official certificate of his service were also not mentioned in what was left of his records. Alan did have many funny stories to tell and had great admiration for the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels (natives of Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands) and held no malice against the Japanese Soldiers as he said they were only following orders.
After returning from the War, Alan felt he could not go back to his mundane ap-
prenticeship and worked in many jobs. Some were in the many orchards in the area and also worked for the council, driving the horse and garbage cart. It was at this job he got the nickname ‘Singer’. Apparently he must have shared some of his cousins, love of music and used to sing doing his rounds. Whether he was any good our not, no one has ever come forward and said. According to him, as there were Lanigans in the family, he said he went to school with the famous singer John Lanigan and was a far better singer, but the Lanigan family had the money for John to go on with it, whereas Alan’s family didn’t. Alan was a great yarn spinner and this John Lanigan was not one of his cousins at all.
For several years Alan drove taxis for Power’s Taxis of Heidelberg. While driving taxis one day, Alan was in a petrol station getting fuel when he heard screams coming from the house next door wheie a car had fallen off a jack and pinned a man under the car. Alan jumped over the fence and lifted the car off the man so he could be dragged out. For those who knew Alan, they thought getting over the fence would have been more difficult for him than lifting the car.
Alan later went on to work at many pubs, among them was Daisy’s Hotel in Ringwood when Daisy still owned it. He later worked as a ‘Crowd Control Engineer’ (bouncer/security), at the now closed down Whitehorse Hotel in Nunawading and for Box Hill Council driving a street sweeper. Later on, he drove a is tick for Valvoline Oil and was well known for the way he could throw around 44 gallon drums of oil as if they were empty. His last job was as a storeman for Lewis Constructions, working at both Loy Yang and Newport Power Stations
Alan met Patricia Robina McAsey, who was going out with a mate of his. Pat was
from Preston, her family being pioneers in Yea. Pat had broken up with Alan’s mate and Alan went to her house to deliver a message from him. Pat wasn’t home and the family soon set him straight that she wanted nothing more to do with his friend. On leaving, he spotted Pat coming home from work on her bicycle and waited for her. He then asked her out to the fights at the Stadium (West Melbourne Stadium, now rebuilt as Festival Hall), and although horrified at the thought of going to the boxing she accepted. Pat had to tell her parents she was going to Alan’s sisters wedding, as she would never have been allowed to go to such a place. During their early years together, they would spend many a night at the Stadium, watching the boxing and wrestling. Pat recalls one night when Chief Little Wolf was wrestling. During a break between rounds, Alan stood up and in full voice yelled out, “Chief, go back to your fish and chip shop in North Fitzroy’. Alan knew the Chief and Pat was horrified because the stadium went silent and everyone turned and stared. Such was Alan’s sense of humour.
In the days before TV, cards was a favourite pastime and Alan spent many a night playing cards at his cousin Maggie Renehan’s in Heidelberg, along with her husband Tom and sons Jack and Des. The Parish Priest would also attend these evenings and one night discovered that Alan was Maggie’s cousin and that he was in fact a Fitzsimons, not Fitzsimmons as he had always called him in school.
Alan and Pat were married in Preston on the 29-Oct-1929. They first lived in Banksia St. Heidelberg before moving to Donvale. Alan had purchased 12.5 acres of land from his uncle in South Warrandyte and it was their dream to build their own home on this land. Finally in 1960 they moved into their new home in Johansen’s Lane (now Johansons Rd.), which was
named after his mother’s family. The property adjoined the land where his mother grew up and where Alan spent many weekends as a youngster. Alan’s uncle Mick Johansen still lived there and it was a great place to visit, as it was very old and like walking back in time. Uncle Mick was also a good yarn spinner and could keep the kids mesmerised with his many tall tales.
Alan and Pat had 5 children, Stephen Gordon (b. 29-Oct-1950), Sandra (b. 22-Oct-1953), Michael (b. 16-Apr-1955), Colleen (b. 02-Jun-1956) and Margaret (b. 11-Sep-1962). The property was an ideal place to bring up a young family, even though it was on a dirt road and had tank water. In the area were a few small farms and orchards and a lot of crown land, now part of Warrandyte State Park. It was quite normal to go outside in the morning and find kangaroos grazing around the house. The golden Labrador, Goldie, would be lying amongst them, oblivious to these native intruders. On seeing someone appear at the door, she would raise her head, look around at the kangaroos and give a half hearted bark, before going back to sleep and the kangaroos would go on grazing.
On weekends the family often visited relatives and friends. Over the years the family had many cars, but the favourite of the kids was a Willies Ute. Alan put a car bench seat in the back for the kids to sit on and they loved riding around in the open air. A lot of the cars in those days had running boards under the doors and the kids could hear Alan coming up Johansen’s Lane and would run down the road to meet him. They would then stand on the running boards, hanging on through open windows and ride back home. During the hot summers, there were always trips to the Yarra River at Warrandyte to cool down and everyone looked forward to the Sunday roast.
Tragedy almost struck during the 1962 bushfires. Alan had been keeping a close eye on the smoke and walked to the top of the next hill to get a better view. When he returned he told Pat to load up the kids in the car and go to his sister Lauris Petty’s place at Doncaster and not to go through Warrandyte as it was already alight. On reaching the main road, there was a roadblock, with traffic being directed through Warrandyte. Pat refused to go that way and headed towards Ringwood. Pat and the four kids narrowly escaped with the fire jumping the road behind them as they raced along in the old Morris Minor. They went to Alan’s sister’s place in Doncaster and the kids watched the fire where their father was, from the pool at the old Doncaster Primary School. Alan managed to save the house, though cars and sheds were all lost. As the house was new, a lot of valuable were still stored in sheds and all was lost along with the most precious thing of all, old photos.
In the late 1960’s the family took over the Inglenook Cafe near the bridge in Warrandyte. It was not only a cafe but a milk bar and fish and chip shop. All the kids had their jobs to do and when not busy there was the river just across the road.
Alan was much loved and admired by those who knew him. His quick wit, tall tales and friendly nature attracted people to him. Everyone who knew him had a story to tell. Whether it was playing practical jokes on someone, his generous nature, feats of strength, or saving someone from a beating by his sheer physical presence, Alan touched everyone in some way.
During late February and early March 1997, Alan suffered ill health and had two botched operations then a third to rectify things in two weeks. It became all to much for him in the end and he passed away on 18-Mar-1997 with son Mick and daughters
Sandra and Colleen by his side.
THE EMILY OF LAURIS OLIVE P0T280MONS 14-D@e=wm to SB-Gee-Wm
Lauris was the second child of Gordon and Tid and a rnuch-loved sister of Alan and Max. Like her brothers, she went to school at St. Johns just up the road from Home. As previously mentioned, during the war years, behind their home at 14 Yarra Si. Heidelberg, was an Army supply depot. As Lauris was a teenager, she caught the attention of the young soldiers and quite often there would be the odd bag of spuds, flour or such being passed over the fence, which was a great help to the family with the food shortages during that period’
Lauris married on 30th June 1947 at the Church of England in Box Hill to Neil Frederic!.: PETTY. Weil’s great grandfather Thomas PETTY was a pioneering or-chardist in the Doncaster, Templestowe, and Park Orchards areas. Two brothers in the family invented the ‘Petty Plough’. Lauris and Neil’s first home was in Mitcham and Lauris would walk daily to their property in Whitten’s Lane Doncaster to give Neil his lunch. Richard Gordon (12-Feb-1949) and Gillian Verna (03-Jun-1950) weie bom while they lived in Mitcham.
They later moved to a Californian Bungalow style house at 667, Doncaster Road, between Tower Street and Council Street, almost opposite Neil’s parents house. It was here that Karen Maxine (17-Nov-1955) and Michael Andrew (16-Jan-1960 were born. Lauris loved her garden and would spend many hours making it a showpiece.
All the children attended the Doncaster Primary School, as had their father and
grandfather before them. Lauris took in several children whose families could not care for them; they became members of the family and lived with them for several years. Lauris continued to help families, and regularly looked after children when called upon.
With the expansion of Melbourne and new land for housing being needed, Neil and Lauris sold up their orchard in Whitten’s Lane Doncaster and home on Doncaster Road and moved to Main Ridge on the Mornington Peninsula, where they built a new home and continued fruit growing. Lauris worked side by side with Neil on the Main Ridge property. Lauris loved animals and told many a funny story about them, she often said she should write a book.
When the orchard became too much for them, they sold up and moved to Flinders, where they bought a home on the cliff overlooking the Flinders pier and Phillip Island. They enjoyed life here for many years. Neil played golf and even though Lauris had never played before she became a very good golfer and loved nothing better than to get out in the fresh air and play a round of golf or work in her beloved garden.
Neil passed away on the 27-Jun-1990 and Lauris continued to live in Flinders with her youngest son Michael. Eventually, Lauris’ health deteriorated and she could no longer enjoy her garden and golf, which she missed doing terribly.
Lauris was always a bubbly person who welcomed everyone into her home. She had the sense of humour shared by the rest of the family and enjoyed a good laugh. She passed away at her daughter Gill’s home in Mornington on 29-Dec-1995 aged 69.
MAXWELL LEONARD FITZSIMONS
07-Dec-1929 to 11-Sep-2004
Max was the third child of Gordon and Tid and a much loved little brother of Alan and Lauris.
Max was very handsome, tall and well built like his older brother Alan and was also a bit of a larrikin with the same sense of humour as his brother and sister. Max loved to party in his youth, and would regularly tell his sister Lauris of his latest adventures, she would pretend to be shocked at some of the things he had been up to, but Max always knew Lauris would have loved to have been there. Max and Lauris had always been close and they both had always loved to party.
Max stayed with his mother until her death and this may have been how Max learnt to cook and developed a love of growing vegetables.
For most of his life, Max worked for Phillips Electrics as a storeman. He refused any promotions, as he often said, “The staff is like my family, I couldn’t start to give them orders”. All he worked with loved him and they stayed in touch long after he had finished working.
Max was wonderful to Lauris and when she was in hospital he would travel long distances to visit her. He no longer drove and would spend hours on public transport.
Max never married, nevertheless he had a full and happy life, and like the others of the family he always welcomed everyone into his home. Max lived in a flat above a shop in Hartwell and like Lauris, loved his garden and grew vegetables in his small back yard; he supplied all the local shop owners around him with his fresh produce.
The shop owners did not need security as Max looked after their properties as if they where his own. He knew everyone along the shopping strip in Hartwell and on the day of his funeral they all stood out-
side their shops to pay respect as Max passed by. Max passed away at Cabrini Hospital on the 11th of September 2004 with his nieces Sandra and Gillian by his side.
Descendants of
Matthew Patrick FITZSIMONS & Mary Ann Frances KENT
Bom: 07-Feb-1843, Me lb., Vic Bom: 1861, Templestowe, Vic.
Baptized: 27-Feb-1843 Died: 12-Oct-1931
St. Francis Church, Melbourne 126 Wood St. East Preston
Sponsors: Edward Fitzsimons aged 70
Lucy Newstead
Died: 08-Feb-1916. ‘View Hill’,
Templestowe, Vic. Aged 73
Married: 29-Jan-1883, St. Francis Church, Melbourne.
CHILDREN - GENERATION 4
John Albert FITZSIMONS b. 13-Apr-1884, ‘View Hill’ Templestowe. bap. 18-May-1884 St. John’s, Heidelberg. Sponsors: William KENT & Rose FITZSIMONS d. 1889 Templestowe Aged 5yrs, 8 months Buried Templestowe Cemetery.
— Hanora Rosanna FITZSIMONS b. 03-Apr-1887, St. Andrews, Vic bap. 04-Apr-1887, St. John’s, Heidelberg. Sponsors: John KENT & Eliza FITZSIMONS d. 1890 Templestowe. Aged 4yrs, 6 months Buried Templestowe Cemetery.
—■William Matthew “Bill” FITZSIMONS b. 1888 ‘View Hill’, Templestowe;l Bap. 25-May-1888, St. John’s, Heidelberg. Sponsors: Mrs. Edward KENT & George KENT d. 15-Aug-1944, Reg. No. 8890 126 Wood St. Preston, Vic. Aged 56. (bachelor) Buried Templestowe Cemetery.
— Frances Edith FITZSIMONS b. 04-Dec-1892, Reg. No. 8508 ‘View Hill’, Templestowe bap. 25-Dec-1892, St. John’s, Heidelberg. Sponsors: Richard & May MULLIGAN d. 1955 Reservoir, Reg.No. 9397 Aged 63. ( Spinster) Bur. Preston Cem.
— Ambrose Gordon FITZSIMONS b. 14-Apr-1900, Reg.No.14900 ‘View Hill’, Templestowe. Bap. 29-Jun-1900, St. John’s, Heidelberg. Sponsors: John FITZSIMONS & Miss REYNOLDS
Descendants of
Ambrose Gordon FITZSIMOHS &
Rosalie Elizabeth JOHANSEN
Bom. 14-Apt-1900 Reg.No. 14900 Born. Q4-Sep-19Q3, Reg. No. 22577
‘View Hill’, Templestowe Russell Rd. Warrandyte.
Died. 0 Man-1946, Reg. No. 871 DM. 03-Aug-1954
Aged 45, Heidelberg Vic. Aged 50, Heidelberg Vic.
Buried Templestowe Cemetery Buried Templestowe Cemetery
Married 21-Oct-1924, St. John's Heidelberg.
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Stephen Gordon — Stephen John
FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS — Chantelle St.JOHN
b. 29-Oct-1950 b. 10-Apr-1972 b. 20-Feb-1992
d. lg-Jan-2004 unmarried
aged 53, Qld. mother of child
m. 15-May-1971 J Simone St.JOHN — Harrison
Mary BROWN m. 10-Apr-2009 — FITZSIMONS
b. 15-May-1952 Sonasaili Island b. 01 -Jun-2000
Resort, Fiji.
Shay GANNON — Alyssa Marie
— Sandra b. G7-Peb-1974 FITZSIMONS
FITZSIMONS b. 24-Oct-2002
b. 22-Oct-1953
partner ■— — Dannyelle Jade
Christopher Henry STOPP
STOP? b. 05-Apr-1979
b. 13-Nov-1949 partner
Matthew
r—Brandon Wallen
r—j FITZSIMONS
Katie WALLEN • b. 03-Sep-1997
b. 07-Apr-1980
unmarried — Briannah Louise
m. 22-May-200- ’ FITZSIMONS
• Alan Gordon — Jared Lee b. 09-Aug-2001
FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS
b. 28-Apr-1925 b. 10-Apr-1978 — Bailey Michael Alan
Hawthorn, Vic. FITZSIMONS
d. 18-Mar-1997 b. 02-Dec-2002
East Ringwood
m. 29-Oct-1949 ■—— — Michael ‘Mick5 — Bay den William
Patricia Robina FITZSIMONS David FITZSIMONS
McASEY b. 16-Apr-1955 — Wayde Alan b. 23-Jun-2008
b. 29-Mar-1927 m. 10-Apr-1976 FITZSIMONS
Carlton, Vic. Holy Spirit Church b. 02-Oct-1979 — Eden FITZSIMONS
North Ringwood. m. 05-Mar-2005-—— b. 16-Aug-2006
Angela COLL Jayne HODGSON
b. 10-Apr-1956 b. 12-Aug-1979 — Isla FITZSIMONS
b. 10-Dec-2009
— Colleen FITZSIMONS b. 02-Jul-1956 — Matthew Gordon FITZSIMONS b. 10-Apr-1983 — Wesley James FITZSIMONS b. 08-Nov-1986 — Michael James COLL b. 11-Feb-1977 m. 25-Nov-2000 — Claudia Rose COLL
m. 20-Sep-1975 John Anthony Joanne Amy BRADEN b. 18-Sep-2000 (Cystic Fibrosis)
COLL b. 28-Dec-1952 — Margaret FITZSIMONS Divorced — Peter John COLL b. 16-Jun-1978 m. 2001 Kate LARDNER — Lachlan John COLL b. 12-Nov-2002 — Jordan COLL b. 20-Sep-2001
b. 11-Sep-1962 — Richard Gordon — Amanda Mae COLL b. 23-Nov-1980 (Cystic Fibrosis) — Grace COLL b. 20-Sep-2001
— Lauris Olive PETTY b. 12-Feb-1949 d. 03-Jun-2002 aged 53 married — No issue. Div. 1988. — Carolyn Ann — Brooke Anne
FITZSIMONS Lynette BARKER JENKINS
b. 14-Dec-1926 BUCKMASTER b. 26-Jun-1973 b. 13-Jan-2000
14 Yarn St. Heidelberg. — Gillian Vema m. Damian — Logan John
d. 29-Dec-1995 PETTY JENKINS JENKINS
1 Orchard Avc, b.03-Jun-1950 b. 17-Jan-2002
Momington Aged 69 married lsl01-May-1971 — Scott Andrew — Bree Cloe
m.30-Jun-1947 Geoffrey M. BARKER BARKER
Neil Frederick BARKER ■ b. 24-Feb-1975 b. 30-Ju-2002
PETTY b. 23-Jun-1918 divorced Apr-1982 2nd -Nov-1982 . m Kylie PAINTING — Jordyn BARKER
Doncaster, Vic. John Churchill b. 05-Aug-2004
d. 27-Jun-1990 Flinders, Vic. PALMER — Erin Gillian — Kobe BARKER
Aged 72 PALMER b Nov-2007
— Karen Maxine PETTY b. 17-Nov-1955 b. 20-Aug-1983 — Nicole Jane MOORE b. 17-Aug-1980 — Lachlan SWORD
m. 15-Jul-1978 m b. 28-Feb-2007
Ronald John MOORE Jeramy SWORD — Brendan Ashley — Harrison Jeremy SWORD
— Maxwell Leonard MOORE b. 14-Aug-2010
FITZSIMONS — Michael Andrew b. 17-Mar-1982
b. 07-Dec-1929 d. 11-Feb-2004 aged 74 (bachelor) PETTY b. 16-Jan-1960 (bachelor)
Mary Ryan (nee Fitzsimons) and
Rose, Ellen and Elisabeth Fitiainwis
John and Mary had five daughters: Mary, Bridget, Rose and Elizabeth and Ellen who died at 5 months.
Mary was the second child of John and Mary, born in 1845. She married Daniel Ryan in 1895. Daniel was born in Heidelberg in 1860 and war? 15 years younger than Mary. In those days it would have been strange to many a man so much younger. The marriage certificate states Mary was 40 years of age when in fact she was 50. There were no family members registered as been present at the wedding. Mary and Daniel lived in Diamond Creek where Daniel’s family had settled after moving from Heidelberg.
There were no children from this marriage, most likely as a result of Mary’s age. Mary was the only child not mentioned in John’s will, which was signed by John Fitzsimons in 1895, the year of her marriage which seems to suggest that she was estranged from her family.
Mary died in 1926 and Daniel in 154 1. Both are buried in the Diamond Creek Cemetery.
Rose Fitzsimons was born in 1849 in Heidelberg where she was baptised a month later. She never married and spent most of her life living in the family home.
Rose was left an annuity of twenty pounds after her father’s death.
Mary, her mother, suffered from severe heart disease for seven years prior to her death in 1893. The housekeeping duties would have been carried out by Rose and her younger sister Elizabeth.
Rose spent her final years living with her sister Bridget and family in Camberwell until her death in 1901.
Ellen Fitzsimons was born in 1854/55 at Heidelberg but her birth was not registered. She died in 1855 aged 5 months.
Elizabeth Fitzsimons was born it i 1GG5 in Heidelberg. She was the youngest girl in the family and was followed by the second son, John Henry.
Elizabeth never married and like her sister Rose would have been required for household duties in the large family. She also received an annuity of twenty pounds from her father.
Elizabeth died in 1914 at Templestowe at the age of 58.
She is buried in the Boroondara Cemetery, as are two of her sisters Rose and Bridget.
Is it possible that Ellen and Elizabeth were twins as they were both born around 1855 ? Verification is not possible as neither births were registered and baptism records are not available. There are twins in subsequent generations.
Reference to the Family Tree shows a listing for an unknown child born about 1851 but this date is only speculation. There is no birth or death registration for this child. The reason for the listing is because of details shown on the birth certificate of John Henry who was the youngest child. The certificate stated “issue” as six living and two dead whereas previously there had only been the death of Ellen. The entry showed his mother making a mark instead of a signature so the two dead may have been an error.
Bridget Louise Lynch (nee Fitzsimons)
Bridget was the third child of John and Mary Fitzsimons. She was born 10th June 1847 in Melbourne. Her baptism was registered at St. Francis Catholic Church in Melbourne on the 28th of June 1847. Unlike her brother and sister before her, there are no sponsors listed, there appearing to be no room in the book for them. There are two birth registrations for Bridget, both taken from St. Francis’ records. The first Reg. No. 2347, Fiche No. 29 and the second Reg. No. 41583, Fiche No. 513 under the surname Fitzsimon.
Bridget married the 2nd of August 1876, Reg. No. 2970, to James Lynch. James was born 1844 Melbourne, Reg. No. 319.
James was the son of Michael J. Lynch and Ellen Dinan, both of Co. Clare Ireland. The parents of James arrived in Melbourne, in January 1841 on the Sir Charles Forbes, having immigrated from Co. Clare, Ireland. Their arrival was in the same month as Bridget’s parents and the families may have known each other in the migrant tent city, where Flinders Street Station is today. The Lynch family moved around a bit and were for some time in Geelong before settling in Gowerville (now South Preston), where they had 640 acres (one square mile) of land. The Fitzsimons and Lynch families must have come in contact and the result was the union of their two children.
James Lynch and his wife Bridget Fitzsimons, daughter Ellen and son John Vincent
Bridget and James had five children, Mary born 1877, Augustine born 1881, Ellen born 1886 and John Vincent born 1890. The family had a tough start, first losing Augustine at age 3, then Mary aged 10, both dying within three years of each other. Ellen and John Vincent survived, however Ellen never married, so it was left to John Vincent to carry on the family name.
Bridget passed away in 1924 (Reg. No. 4496), aged 75 at Camberwell and was buried at Boroondara Cemetery, Kew on the 28th of April 1924. James passed away the following year at Camberwell, aged 80 and was buried in the same plot on 1si of April 1925. They are buried in the Catholic Section, F:/C A0226A. Buried with them is their daughter Ellen along with Bridget’s sisters Rose and Elizabeth Fitzsimons, all who never married.
John Vincent LYNCH
(1890- 1947)
John Vincent, known as ‘Vin’, was the fourth born and youngest child of James L ' and Bridget Fitzsimons. He was
mmm
born in 1890 at Richmond in Victoria. In 1917, he married Mary Alma Commons, affectionately known to her family as ‘Mamie’. Together they created the family home in Alma Rd Camberwell. They raised a family of three sons and one daughter, Gerard Joseph born 1918, Bernard Michael 1920, Mary Catherine 1923 and James Aloysius 1925. Theirs was a family of strong faith and morals and clearly they valued education, as all the children were well educated at Our Lady of Victories Primary School and then with the Jesuits at St Patrick’s East Melbourne. It was also a family where music and laughter and storytelling were highly valued and Sunday night around the piano was a family tradition which included friends as well as extended family.
The house at 36 Alma Rd became the centre of life for many, at times home to four generations. Mamie’s mother and two maiden aunts Molly and Chrissie lived with the Lynch family for many years, as did Ellen,Vin’s surviving sister. Such was the warmth of the Lynch family that it also became a base for a number of young country people who boarded there while
Wedding of John Vincent Lynch and Mary Alma ‘Mainie’ Commons. Women on left are Mainie’s sister Vera and Frances Commons. On right Vin’s sister Ellen Lynch
studying or working in Melbourne, and during the war years a place of respite during short leaves from the forces. Numerous weddings took place from Alma Road, all of them celebrated at Our Lady of Victories. They were always friends or cousins of friends of that large Irish Catholic network to which the Lynches belonged.
Vin was a very skilful craftsman and ran his own successful cabinet making business. He must have prospered in this craft as the Lynch family had some of the earliest “luxury” consumer items such as a car, refrigerator and washing machine when these were quite rare. Some of the beautiful furniture Vin made is still owned by his descendants including some of his great granddaughters.
Life during the depression became hard for this family as for so many others, especially after Vin lost his furniture making business. He was fortunate to later find a rare position with the Post Master General’s Department, the forerunner of today’s Telstra and Australia Post.
The war and post-war years presented many challenges, especially after Vin’s death in 1947. During WWII, all three sons enlisted for military service, which must have been a worrying time for the family. Bernard served overseas for several years as a gunner in the AIF in New Guinea where he like so many troops experienced the ravages of malaria and scrub typhus, but fortunately escaped injury.
Sadly, with Vin’s death at the relatively young age of 57, the link between the Lynch and Fitzsimons families was broken. So little is known of earlier generations, although the prowess in cricket by the Lynch Clan was well known by their Fitzsimons cousins. Bernard was Vice Captain of the Melbourne First XI for a number of years playing with some of the “greats” of the forties and fifties.
Although dying suddenly in 1947, Vin had lived to experience the joy of his first grandchild Michael, the eldest child of Bernard and Rene. He was not to know that he would become grandfather to 14 other grandchildren who would continue the family name and many of the Lynch traditions.
Gerard Joseph LYNCH
(1918-2001)
Gerard Joseph was the eldest son John Vincent Lynch and Mary Alma Commons. He first attended Our Lady of Victories Parish School in Camberwell, where on graduating from, was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the Priests to go to St. Patrick’s College in East Melbourne. This was a godsend, as it was at the height of the Great Depression and his father’s business has collapsed. At St. Pat’s, he shared a passion for cricket with his younger brother Bernard and they both played for the school’s First XI. After St. Pat’s, Gerard then won a scholarship to Melbourne Teachers College and on graduating began teaching in the country, in isolated small towns in the Mallee. Throughout his teaching career, he was a keen sports master and was said to have the ability to bring out the best in his students and also fellow teachers. Of course, wherever he was posted, he continued his love of cricket, playing on weekends.
With WWII raging, Gerard put his teaching on hold and joined the RAAF in 1942, when the war reached the Pacific. Up until then, teaching was considered an essential service, so teachers were ineligible military service. He was a wireless maintenance mechanic and it 1945 was stationed on Moratai Island. The Japanese were also on Moratai at the time, so experienced armed contact with the enemy. Gerard said the Japanese were, “Crummy shots” and he was famous for sleeping through an air raid of which there were many.
Gerard Joseph Lynch (back row 2nd from left), Bernard Miclmsl Lynch (back row far right) St Patrick’s, East Melbourne, First xi Cricket Team
After the war, he met Nance Eileen (Nancy) Henderson in 1945. After what at times was a distant relationship, as Gerard had gone back to teaching in the country, they were married at East St. Kilda on 10 January 1948. The following year, their first child Maureen Anne was born in 1949 and just fourteen months later came Peter Gerard in 1950. Gerard Joseph Lynch, passed away on 25 September 2001, aged 83 years.
Bernard Michael LYNCH
(b. 1920)
Bernard Michael Lynch was the second son of John Vincent Lynch and Mary Alma Commons. He also attended St. Patrick’s College in East Melbourne, where he won a cricketing scholarship from the Melbourne Cricket Club at age 15. He was Vice Captain of the Melbourne First XI for a number of years and played with some of the Test Cricketing greats of that era. His promising cricketing career was interrupted by WW2 and he served in New Guinea in the army for 4 years. Bernard had many bouts of malaria and scrub typhus and returned a shadow of his former
self. This was very noticeable in photos as he was 6 foot 2 inches tall. Despite his debilitation, he resumed play with Melbourne's Firsts after the war into the early fifties. He then became Captain Coach of the Ormond Sub- District cricket team for many years, when he moved with his family from Camberwell to East Bentleigh.
Bernard married Margaret Irene ‘Rene’ Linehan and they raised 2 boys and two girls.
Bernard had promised Rene he would retire from cricket and do the garden but when the Ormond Club heard he was in the vicinity they prevailed upon him to join their team. They held a working bee and rotary hoed and laid out the garden, as a sweetener to Rene, to let him play cricket for them.
Bernard and Rene had four children, Michael Desmond born 1945, Margaret Mary born 1948, Christopher Gerard born 1951 and Bernadette Therese born 1957.
Bernard’s eldest son Michael was a Sub-Lieutenant in the Fleet Air Arm or the
Gerard Joseph
Wartime RAAF wireless
mechanic, school principal 22-3-1918 — 25-9-2001
By Peter G. Lynch Gerard J. Lynch, who has died peacefully in Melbourne aged 83, had a working life of nearly 60 years, experiencing many of the social, economic and military challenges of the 20th century.
Fie was bom in 1918 in Alma Road, Camberwell -the firstborn and longest surviving of the four children (Gerard,
Bernard, Mary and James) of John Vincent (Vin) and Mary Alma (Mamy) Lynch.
Vin, a quiet dignified man, was a skilled furniture manufacturer. Mamy, a charming and competent woman, used her extensive range of home skills to successfully manage a diverse extended family household, which at various times included the members of four different generations.
Gerard was completing his primary schooling when the ravages of the Great Depression affected Melbourne life. The market for his father’s handmade furniture collapsed and prospects for the family were grim. Vin was successful in obtaining a rarely available job with the Post Office from among hundreds of applications for the single position.
Gerard obtained a scholarship to attend St. Patrick’s College East Melbourne, commencing there in 1932 at the height of the Depression. He witnessed daily the sight of the men with shovels working to build the Yarra Boulevard by hand as one of the Sustenance Schemes of the Depression. As with many of his contemporaries, these experiences of the Depression
left a deep impression on him. He attended the then Melbourne Teachers College in the mid-1930s and began a series of country teaching posts in the late 1930s, initially in the small Mallee town of Ultima.
He was ineligble for service in the European war, but with the outbreak of the Pacific War he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in January, 1942. He was posted to 35 squadron, based in Perth. He served as a wireless mechanic with the squadron throughout Northern Australia and the South West Pacific Island of Morotai in June-July 1945.
Although now little known or understood, coordination of the radio signals systems between British, American and Australian aircraft was an important issue for the conduct of the Pacific war and his work was involved with this.
After demobilisation in 1946 he returned to country teaching posts initially in the Western district and the Upper Yarra Ranges.
After marriage in January 1948 to Nance Eileen Henderson, he held a series of teaching posts in Melbourne initially in Gardiner. In 1949 the couple obtained a house in the then new suburb of East Bentleigh, developed in the midst of the market gardens. Initial services were sparse-unmade roads, no sewerage, minimal telephone links,
unreliable connections to power and water. They had no private car and were reliant on very limited public transport.
In the early 1950s, under a scheme to assist returned servicemen, Gerard commenced a Commerce degree at Melbourne University. The years of the Depression and war had inspired a considerable interest in economic subjects. However the demands of work, long hours of travel to a then difficult-to-reach suburban home, and his sense of duty to his wife alone at home with two young children, led him to regretfully abandon this mature age degree.
However, he maintained a lifelong interest in economics and later did further studies to become eligible to become a school principal.
His teaching posts after Gardiner, included being senior teacher at Bentleigh West primary, Hughesdale, Deepdene Primary (where he was also Deputy Principal) in the late “60s and early “70s and then St. Kilda Park Primary School where he was Principal until
1977.
After finishing as an educator in
1978, he enjoyed over two decades of quiet retirement with his wife. Then she provided great care for him at home until his needs were such that he required nursing home care for the final four months of his life. He is survived by his wife Nance, daughter Maureen Cooney, son Peter, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
This eulogy is based on the eulogy delivered by Gerard s son, Dr Peter G. Lynch, at the funeral service on September 28.
Royal Australian Navy and died as a result of his vampire jet crashing on take-off at Laverton RAAF Base in October 1967. He was just about to turn 22. He is buried at the Cerberus naval base at Flinders. The unfortunate and untimely death of a young and talented pilot on the 11th of October 1967, was the lead story in both the Sun and Age of the day.
Mary Gathers LYMCH {1923 - 'I£97)
Mary Catherine was the third child and only daughter of John Vincent Lynch and Mary Alma Commons. Along with her brothers, she attended Our Lady of Victories Parish School in Camberwell and went on to the Brigadine Convent, Lyndale at Hawthorn. Mary was an excellent student and gained 2nd place in the State of Victoria Leaving Certificate Examination.
On leaving school, she joined the Commonwealth Public Service and became the private secretary to Sir Frederick Shedden K.C.M.G., Secretary Department of Defence to the War Cabinet that was based in Melbourne. Her duties took her to Canberra many times before she was
married and when the Defence Department moved to Canberra in 1959, she and her growing family moved there also.
Mary met Reginald ‘Leo’ Jones in Melbourne and a relationship soon developed. They were married on the 1Q-May-1952 and had three children, Paul Francis born 1953, Damian Vincent born 1956 and Monica Mary Ellen born 1957, before moving to Canberra, where their 4th child Felicity Alma was born at Canberra Hospital in 1965.
Canberra Hospital was to play a big part in Mary’s life, working in the kiosk as a long serving member of the hospital auxiliary until the hospital closed in 1991. She was also a faithful member of St. Thomas More’s CWL from it inaugural meeting in 1961 when she became Secretary.
Mary was a loving and caring woman and when her mother was no longer able to maintain her own home, she went to live with Mary and Leo who cared for her until her death some four years later. In 1980 when her husband Leo became terminally ill, she and the family cared for him until his death isi 1984.
Wedding of Mary Lynch and Leo Jones. L-r Jim Lynch, Mary Fitzsimons, Leo and Mary,
Mercia Kiiis, Bemie Gaynor
Mary herself became ill and despite the rapid advance of Leukemia, which claimed her life, she was able to spend most of her time with her beloved family, receiving the grace and consolation of the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion.
James Aloysius LYNCH
(1918-2001)
James Aloysius was fourth child and youngest of son John Vincent Lynch and Mary Alma Commons. Along with his brothers, he attended St. Patrick’s College in East Melbourne, where he made life long friends.
When he left St. Pat’s, because of the war, he signed up with the Department of Manpower and was sent to work at General Motors. This was to be the beginning of a life long career for the young James. He progressed through the ranks of the company and his hard work and initiative skills did not go unrecognised. In the late 40’s they sent him to Michigan in the U.S.A. to study tool engineering. This move obviously paid off for James and General Motors as he continued to progress through the ranks to Director of Manufacturing, quite a remarkable achievement for one who started so young just doing his bit for his country and the war effort.
This long association with General Motors only had one break and that was when James turned eighteen and was able to join up in the armed forces, as his older brothers before him had done. He enlisted in the RAAF, the same as his eldest brother Gerard. James was to be spared the horrors of war however, as it came to an end before he was sent overseas.
Through a mutual friend, James met Anne Veronica McKenna who was also with a mutual friend. It must have been fate, as they were to marry on the 26-Jan-1961. James and Anne raise a family of two boys and three girls, Matthew Joseph born 1962, Barbara Ellen born 1964, Phillipa Jane born 1965, Stephen Thomas born 1967 and Christina Elizabeth born 1969, in their home at Glen Waverley.
Phillipa had twins, Carly and Jenna. Another set of twins in the Fitzsimons clan.
The garden at their Glen Waverley home was where James loved to be. A keen gardener, the same care and passion was applied there as with everything he did. James also loved his footy and was a passionate Hawthorn supporter.
Descendants of Bridget FITZSIMOHS <& James LYIICH
Bridget Louise FITZSIMONS James LY1 ICH
Bom: 10-Jun-1847, Melb., Vic Born: 1844 Melbourne, Vic. #319
Reg. No’s 2347 & 41583 or St. Francis R/Catholic # 37496
Died: 1924 #4496 Fiche No. 528
Aged 75, Camberwell. Died: 1925, #4377,
Buried: 28-Apr-1924 Aged 70, Camberwell, Vic.
Boroondara Cemetery, Buried: 01-Apr-1925
R/C A 0226A Boroondara Cemetery, R/C A 0226A
Married: G2-Aug-1876 #2970
CHILDRE1J - GENERATION 4
— Mary (Maria?) LYNCH b.09-Oct-1877 d. 1887 Richmond aged 10
— Augustine LYNCH b. 1881 Richmond d. 1884 Richmond aged 3
— Ellen LYNCH b. 1886 Richmond d. 1957 Caulfield aged 70 #1164 (spinster) bur. 22-Jan-1957 Boroondara Cemetery, Kew. R/C A 0226A
— John Vincent LYNCH b. 1890 Hawthorn Reg.No. 13718 d. 16-May-1947 # 4939 Camberwell married 1917 Reg.No.2903 Mary Alma ‘Mamie’ COMMONS b. 26-Dec-1385 Benalla, Vic. d. Apr-1964 Canberra, ACT.
b. 1890 Hawthorn, Vic Bom: b. 26-Dec-1885, Benalla, Vic.
Reg. No. 13718 Reg. No. 630
Died: 16-May-1947 Died: d. Apr-1964
Reg. No. 4939 Camberwell. Cemberra, A.C.T.
Aged 57 Aged 78
Buried: 19-May-1947
Booroondara Cemetery,
R/C A 0226
(J ENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
1— Erin Jean Choquenot
r—1 COONEY O’NEILL
Catherine Frances • b. 09-Feb-1989
O’NEILL • Canberra, ACT.
m. L 1 ■
? CHOQUENOT — Mary Grace
m. 2. 15-Aug-1995 - COONEY
— Michael Julian b. 13-Mar-1994
COONEY Canberra, ACT.
b. 18-Feb-1972
Canberra, ACT. — Patrick Michael
Pius COONEY
— Paul Brian b. 28-Oct-1996
— Gerard Joseph — Maureen Ann COONEY Canberra, ACT.
LYNCH LYNCH B. 27-JN-1973
b. 22-Mar-1918 b. lV-Oct-1949 Canberra, ACT. — Bridget Anne
Reg. No. 9157 Melbourne, Vic. COONEY
Camberwell, Vic. m. 28-Nov-1970 Alexandra Jean b. 18-Aug-1998
d. 25-Sep-2001 Brian Clive COONEY Canberra, ACT.
Ashwood, Vic. COONEY b. 2 9-Mar-1976
aged 83 b. 27-Oct-1948 Canberra, ACT. — Michael Joseph
m. 10-Jan-1948 Yarraville, Vic. Leo COONEY
East St. Kilda, Vic. — Stephen Gerard b. 11-Mar-2001
Nance Ellen COONEY Canberra, ACT.
HENDERSON Canberra, ACT.
HARDMAN b. 26-Oct-1978
h. 30-Nov-1921
Moonee Ponds, — Helen Elizabeth
Vic. COONEY
Canberra, ACT.
— Peter Gerard 14-Jun-1980
LYNCH
b. 06-Dec-195O — Julian Maurice
hl 01-Apr-1978 WATERS-LYNCH
Susan Mary Melbourne,Vic.
WATERS b. 12-May-1980
Separated abt. 1990
Partner: — Isabella
Liz LOWE WATERS-LYNCH
b. 08-Dec-1982
— Michael Desmond Melbourne,Vic.
LYNCH
b. 28-Nov-1945
Cobram, Vic.
— Bernard Michael LYNCH d. 11-Oct-1967 Laverton RAAF Base. Aircraft accident. — Kirsten Michelle
b.24-Sep-1920 Reg. No. 31969 — Margaret Mary HOLDEN b. lO-Aug-1970
Hawthorn, Vic. d. 14-Jun-1998 L Yi TCH b. 26-Apr-1948 m. 10-Dec-1998 ——-Christopher Simpson — Isabella Grace LANDMAN
m. m. 16-Jan-1970 ——- LANDMAN b. 12-Feb-2007
Our Lady of Victories Roger HOLDEN 1939-2009 — Melanie T egan
Camberwell, Vic. Margaret Irene — Christopher Gerard HOLDEN b. 11-Apr-1972
“Rene” LINEHAN LYNCH d. 28-Dec-2004
b. 1920, #20343 Cobram, Vic. b. 01-Nov-1951 m. 1980 — No issue — Belinda Clair
d. 31-Mar-2006 Judith Louise HOLDEN
— Mary Catherine LYNCH EDWARDS — Bernadette Therese LYNCH b. 15-Jun-1957 m. 09-Jan-198 Philip Nicholas YOUNG — Paul Francis JONES b. 06-Mar-1953 — Damian Vincent JONES b.01-May-1956 07-Sep-1975 — Daniel Nicholas YOUNG b. 16-Aug-1982 L— Johanna Theresa YOUNG b. 31-Jul-1987 — Kim Ellen WARREN b. 17-Oct-1981 —■ Prudence Maree
b.06-Jan-1923 Hawthorn, Vic. — Monica Mary WARREN b. 30-Apr-1983
d. 08-Oct-1997 Ellen JONES m. 18-Nov-2006
m. 10-May-1952 b. Ol-Sep-1957 David Anthony
Camberwell, Vic. Reginald ‘Leo’ no 24-Nov-1979-——-James Graeme CARGILL b. 28-Jun-1983
JONES b. 06-Aug-1917 WARREN b. 16-Nov-1952 — Jeremy Leo Jack
d. 26-Aug-1984 Aged 67 — Felicity Alma JONES b. 15-Apr~1965 m. 08-Aug-1987——-Clifton 'Cliff Gordon FROST b. 05-Aug-1963 ■— Matthew Joseph LYNCH b. 01-Jul-1962 m. 01-Jun-1996 —— - Edv. 2006 Paula CROFT b. 26-Feb-1966 WARREN b. 06-Gct-1984 — Samantha Louise FROST b. 22-Dec-1990 — Grant Clifton FROST b. 17-Jiiii-1992 — Benjamin James Kilian LYNCH b. 11-Nov-1999 — Amelia Patricia LYNCH b. 11-Aug-2001
— Barbara Ellen 1— Sophia Anne LYNCH b. 05-Jan-2004 — Quinn LYNCH-DANG
LYNCH b. 24-Oct-1995
b. 04-Apr-1964 partner Phuc DANG Maxi-Annam LYNCH-DANG
— James Aloysius b. 28-May-1998 — Jasper Long LYNCH-DANG b. 19-Feb-2002
6Jim’ LYNCH
b. 30-May-1926 — Sasha Mae
d. 12-Dec-1989 WITTS
m. 26-Jan-1961 b. 29-Oct-1998
Anne Veronica
McKENNA — Phillipa Jane — Liam James
b. 01-Jan-1933 LYNCH WITTS
b. 03-Oct-1965 b. 21 -May-2001
m. 06-Feb-1994 Anthony John — Carly Anne
WITTS WITTS
b. 17-Sep-1963 b. 22-03-2005
— Stephen Thomas Twins — Jenna Audrey WITTS b. 22-03-2005 — Conor James LYNCH
LYNCH b. Ol-Jun-2004
b. 07-Apr-1967 m. 03-Mar-2001 — Fiona Patrick Ian LYNCH
MACKINNON b. 3O-Oct-2006
b. 28-Aug-1973 — Emma Margaret
— Christina Elizabeth LYNCH b. 30-Jun-2010 — Sebastian James NOGARA
LYNCH b. 23-Sep-2004
b. 08-Jun-1969 m. 16-Mar-2002 — Patrick Giovanni Olivia Grace NOGARA
NOGARA b. 27-May-2006
b. 17-Mar-1964 — Claudia Joan
NOGARA b. 03-Jun-2008
John Henry and Catherine Mary
Ffesimens
John Henry Fitzsimons was born on 8th November, 1859 at Heidelberg being the youngest child of John and Mary Fitzsimons. His birth entry lists both his parents incorrectly as Fitzsimmons which has been a common error for the family over the years. The certificate states that he had six living and two dead siblings but in reality he had five siblings alive and one known deceased. The correct method of entry would not include the child just born (according to the Register of Births) but occasionally the new child was included (according to the Genealogical Society). The entry showed his mother as the informant making a mark instead of a signature. Her maiden name was listed as Dogarty instead of Doherty but she may not have realized the error.
His father John Fitzsimons had purchased a housing block of land in Banksia Street, Heidelberg in 1849 and two adjoining blocks in 1852 .As the birth certificate indicated the family was living in Heidelberg when he was bom - Heidelberg rate book of 1863 stated John Fitzsimons owned a house and land. This land was sold in 1864, when the family shifted to Templestowe where John Fitzsimons purchased 218 acres.
John Henry Fitzsimons was aged 30 when he was married on 26th January, 1891 at St. John’s Catholic Church, Heidelberg, which had been the family church for many years-his father was appointed a Trustee in 1864. The Certificate of Marriage listed him as a farmer as was also his father. He married Catherine Walsh whose parents were William and Catherine Walsh (nee Condon) of Eifharn. She was aged 19 and her rank or profession was shown as “Lady”. William Walsh was
Wedding of John Henry and Umcifne 1891
also listed as a farmer. Witnesses to the marriage were Michael Condon and Catherine’s twin sister Margaret whom she called May and was very close to-Catherine’s birth was registered as Kate Mary Walsh. Her first four children were born in Templestowe and she as mother was recorded as Kate Walsh. Birth records of the remaining four children showed her recorded as Kate Mary Wal-she, Cath Walsh, and Cath Mary Walsh. It would appear she was called Kate - her mother’s birth was also registered as Kate.
William Walsh’s farm in Eltham was near the Yan a River and quite close to the Fitzsimons farm in Templestowe which adjoined the Yarra River. A family photo shows the Walsh house being visible from the Fitzsimons property. Catherine’s two
Catherine and her sister Margaret at Summerhill on the occasion of her daughter Catherine’s wedding 8th January 1936
sisters Margaret and Helena both married at a later age than Catherine - aged 36 and 43 respectively. She also had a younger brother William known as Billy. They milked cows on their farm and one day Billy was discovered putting water into the milk and for punishment his father made him cart the milk himself. The farm and grazing land was owned by Catherine
Walsh senior and in her will was left to her son Billy. John Fitzsimons used to row a boat across the river to court Catherine
John Henry and Catherine had eight children. The eldest was John Leo who was born in 1892 and was known as Leo and Neesee. Mary Doherty was the next child and her second Christian name was her Fitzsimons grandmother’s maiden name - she was known as Maine and born in 1894. Mary was the older twin with her sister Margaret Condon - her second Christian name was her Walsh grandmother’s maiden name - she was known as Doey . Catherine Mary was born in 1897 but her birth was registered as Kate and she was also known as Kit or Kark. William was born in 1901 and he was known as Bill or Lou. William and the remaining sons only had one Christian name. Bernard was bom in 1907 and he was known as Berny, Sappy or Goag. Anthony was born in 1909 and he was known as Tony or Dick. Last was Cyril in 1913 and he was known as Yax. The first four children were born in Templestowe and the remaining four in East Melbourne, Collingwood and Clifton Hill. The source of the nick-names is uncertain but thought to be Bernard as he had names for a lot of other Fitzsimons.
Family photo at Sheila Calnin (nee Cashen) wedding 29 June 1946. L-r Bern, Margaret, Mary, John Henry, Leo, Catherine (snr), Tony, Cyril, Catherine and Bill
Records of Templestowe State Primary School No. 1395 show that the four eldest children commenced school there between 1897 and 1903 and their father was listed as a gardener, whereas his brother Matthew was listed as a farmer. However, the Electoral Roll of 1903 lists John and Matthew as farmers. It is known that John Henry and Catherine grew vegetables on the flat area near the Yarra River and this could be the reason why he was called a gardener. John Fitzsimons senior died in 1897 and by 1903 John would have been the farmer of his 109 acres after the property had been divided equally between John Henry and Matthew.
John utilized the farm to milk cows and the growing of crops to feed the cows. An orchard was also planted on the Fitzsimons Lane boundary on the flat area towards the river - this replaced the area previously used for vegetable growing. The market gardens in the Templestowe-Doncaster area were gradually being >e-placed by orchards. In 1893 the Victorian Government offered orchadists a bonus of three pounds per acre for each new planting. The orchard comprised approximately 20 acres and included apple, plums, nectarine and peach trees. In a big flood in 1934 some of the trees were washed away. In view of the large number of orchards in Templestowe and Doncaster the local growers formed the Templestowe Cool Store co operative and built a cool store in 1919 with a capacity of 20,000 cases. The cool store was conveniently built at the corner of Fitzsimons Lane and Porter Street, Templestowe. John regularly went to the Victoria Market and on his way home he used to call at his daughter Mary’s house in Thornbury where he would have something to eat and drink and also had a sleep there. John and no doubt the older children milked the cows by hand, which meant there were a lot of chores with which the other children assisted. The cows had to be rounded up to-
wards the cow bails, fed while they were being milked and then let out into another paddock. The feed consisted of hay from the property and grains purchased from the Carlton United Brewery. The children also assisted with collection of firewood for the one fireplace which had a black stove and open fire with a pot over it for heating water. There was no electricity and so kerosene lamps and candles would have been used for lighting in the house and milking sheds. Electricity did not come to Templestowe until 1922.
It is understood that John and Catherine had a house on the boundary of Fitzsimons Lane in the locality of Tony’s Fitzsimons present house. The latter house was built by Tony’s father William when he married in 1934. John and Catherine’s house was destroyed by fire and they then built on the top of the hill on the farm. This newer house eventually consisted of two buildings -the second portion was probably the sleeping quarters of the five sons. The family was quite musical and there used to be singalongs around the piano. Grandchildren remember that in John and Catherine’s bedroom there was a beautiful big washing bowl and matching jug.
When grandchildren visited they slept out on the verandah which had canvas blinds but when it rained it was cold and they felt miserable.
The entrance to the property was originally a bit south of the present Summerhill Road and two trees were planted either side of the drive and named Mary and Margaret when the twins were born. These two trees were removed when Fitzsimons Lane was widened in 1961 for the new bridge. Summerhill Road was then used as the entrance to the property. John built a tennis court next to their earlier house and later his sons built a cricket pitch near their second home which was
John Henry
the scene for social matches with some of the local boys. He encouraged the children to play sport and this proved fruitful when the sons played cricket and football producing excellent results.
John Henry was also known as Jack, which was probably to distinguish him from his father John. John remained close to his brother Matthew and was a sponsor for his son Ambrose at his baptism in 1900 at St. Johns Church, Heidelberg. It appeared he had a dry sense of humour per a story from the 1920’s. He had sold a bull to the local butcher and it was arranged for the bull to be delivered on the day of the local Council elections. On the way he was asked where he was taking the bull and his response was “up to vote”. He is remembered as a kind gentleman with a quiet temperament however on one occasion he got upset when one of his sons became impatient with the animals.
Catherine was the lady of the house and the three girls did most of the housework. When Mary left to get married in 1917 her husband Joe Cashen was told
by Catherine that he had taken away her “right hand”. Margaret married in 1921 which left her sister Catherine to manage the house until she married in 1936. Catherine senior was obviously the manager of the family finances. She bought a house in Spensley Street, Clifton Hill called “Dora” as an investment for her sons around the time they were aged 21 and the rent was collected at times by William on his way home from the Fruit Market. She also financed the purchase of a car for the sons in 1927. She dressed well and wore a fur coat and lovely diamond rings.
They were known to the grandchildren as Grandpa and Nanny.
The Fitzsimons family had been parishioners of St. Johns Catholic Church at Heidelberg probably before the church was built in 1861. When the new St. John’s School was built in 1928 the Parish Gazette of June 1928 listed many people who had donated towards its erection. The Fitzsimons family were listed as follows “ Mr. & Mrs. J. Fitzsimons and their children - Bernard, W, B, A, C . Fitzsimons and Miss K.Fitzsimons”.
They would have travelled to Heidelberg from Templestowe by horse and carriage for church as well as shopping trips which would have been a time consuming journey. There were numerous other Catholic pioneer families in Templestowe who would have made the same trip. Eventually two acres of land at the corner of Atkinson and Milne Street, Templestowe was purchased in 1920 for future church use. Half of the purchase price of 240 pounds was provided by the Fitzsimons family. Parishioners then cleared the land for erection of a church at a later date. During World War Two petrol rationing became a problem for the trip to Heidelberg so Father James Norris, parish priest at Heidelberg commenced celebrating Mass
in the Templestowe Memorial Hall. The first Mass was celebrated on a Sunday morning in 1942 using a plain wooden table as an altar. In due course an intricate altar was build by a local parishioner (Edward Sheahan) which became a storage cupboard when not used as an altar. However it could not contain the organ which was transported to and from the Fitzsi-mons property on the bumper bar of a car every week - the organist was Mrs. Kath Fitzsimons (wife of Bernard). Saturday night dances were held in the hall so it was necessary for it to be cleaned after midnight in preparation for the morning Mass.
Discussions were held in 1946 with Templestowe parishioners for the erection of their own church. However, as an aftermath of the war there was a scarcity of building materials. This was overcome by the purchase of an unused hut for 500 pounds from Camp Pell in Royal Park where it had been used by U.S. army personnel and seated 100 people. Transportation was not any easy task and took all day. On June 18th, 1947 the new church was blessed and opened by Archbishop Daniel Mannix. The Catholic newspaper The Advocate reported “with His Grace were eight Priests and Mr. E Sheahan and Mr. & Mrs. J. Fitzsimons” . The church was named St. Kevin’s after the Irish Saint and in memory of young local boy Kevin Sheahan who was killed during WW2.
In 1960 it was decided that Templestowe would leave the Heidelberg parish and become part of a new parish of Doncaster, Bulleen and Templestowe. In due course a new St. Kevin’s church was built in Herlihy’s Road with a 500 seat capacity to accommodate the growing number of parishioners. The local newspaper “The Mirror” issued a souvenir supplement to mark the opening on July 24li1,1968 and also included the Advocate report about the opening of the previous church in
1947. This supplement also had an advertisement from Templestowe Taxis and the owners name was Tony Fitzsimons of Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe, who is the grandson of John Henry and Catherine Fitzsimons. Bernard’s son Terry and his wife Eril were married in the new church on 7th January, 1969, being the first Nuptial Mass held there.
John Henry Fitzsimons died on 7th April, 1949 of a heart attack at Templestowe. in his 90th year. He had been staying with his son Cyril and been driven back to Templestowe by Bill Sullivan who was Cyril’s brother-in-law.. John had arrived to have dinner with his son Bill and wife Nell. John chatted and held Bill’s singlet for him whilst Bill had a wash and then went to visit Bern and Kath who had built next door to John’s house. He was found by his granddaughter Bernadette face down on the ground near the stable door. He had come back home to die. When the family Doctor from Doncaster arrived he asked for two pieces of timber six by eight feet to lay John Henry out. The timber was then used inside his son Bill’s fruit truck so the fruit in it would not be crushed.
Catherine Mary Fitzsimons died on 30th May, 1950 at Leighton Private Hospital in Bulleen. She had been in poor health for some time and had previously sustained a stroke.
John Henry and Catherine are both buried at Eltham Cemetery where Catherine’s parents are also buried. They are commemorated at St. John’s Church, Heidelberg where their names are recorded on brass plaques under the choir gallery. In addition the Fitzsimons family name is recorded on a small silver plaque on a pew in the church.
After John Henry died the farm of 109 acres was divided between Bernard with 70 acres and William with 39 acres.
Descendants of John Henry FITZSIMONS & Catherine Mary WALSH
Bom: 08-Nov-1859. #1757 Heidelberg, Vic.
Died: 07-Apr-1949. # 18409 Templestowe, Vic Aged 89 years.
Bom: 1891. #917 Eltham, Vic.
Died: 1950. #20626 Templestowe, Vic. Aged 79 years
Married 26-Jan-1891. Reg. No. 917. St. John’s, Heidelberg.
CHILDREN - GENERATION 4
— John Leo
FITZSIMONS 1892- 1953 m.1921
Elizabeth WARNER
— Mary Doherty
FITZSIMONS 1894- 1966 m. 1917
Walter GASMEN
— Margaret Condon
FITZSIMONS 1894- 1960 m.1921
Anthony T. REHEHAN
— Catherine Mary
FITZSIMONS 1897- 1970 m. 1936
William P. LANIGAN
— William
FITZSIMONS 1901 - 1959 m. 1934
Sarah E. BARLEE
— Bernard
FITZSIMONS 1906- 1978 m. 1938
Kathleen LeBROCQ
— Anthony
FITZSIMONS 1909- 1991 m. 1937
Catherine M. CONWAY
— Cyril FITZSIMONS 1913-1976 m.
Eileen SULLIVAN
John Leo Fitzsimons
The eldest son of John Henry Fitzsimons and Catherine Mary Walsh was John Leo, born in 1892. John Leo (known as Leo) married Elizabeth Warner in 1921 and had six children, Marjory, Bernard, Kathleen, Jack, William (Bill) and Leo. ‘Leo’ was the publican at the Eltham hotel then moved the family to Station St. Rosanna. During this time he worked at the Newport railway workshops. Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ died in 1945 aged 47 and Leo died in 1953. Their youngest son Leo is the only surviving member of the family and turned 70 on 1st June 2010.
Marjory
Marj was the eldest of the six children. She and her younger sister Kathleen were particularly close. Marj joined the army when she was eighteen and was sent to Brisbane where she met her Dutch husband to be Willem Boetje who later anglicised his name to Bill Burton. As newly weds they travelled to Holland to meet Bill’s family and from there travelled extensively in Europe. Marj worked as a sec-
Marj (I) and unknown at Summerhill
In 1945 their mother Elizabeth “Bessie”, died due to complications after surgery and Kath spent a lot of time helping to look after the three boys while Marj was away. After leaving school Kath worked at the RACV as a secretary. Some time later she began working at Davis Lancaster where she met her husband to be Christopher Fitzpatrick. Chris went off to war and would write to Kath whom he called ‘Red.’ There is a family story about Chris abandoning a female friend on a tram one evening when he spied Kath at the other end of the tram. Kath spoke of wartime Melbourne as an exciting time. Most Australian men were at war however visits by American servicemen on R&R made things interesting. The Americans bought goodies such as chocolates and cigarettes which were difficult to get due to rationing. They also bought stockings so the girls no longer had to tan and paint their legs. During those years Kath learned to play golf and occasionally played with her friend Ruth who remained a lifetime friend. There are a number of photographs of Kath as a young woman which show her enjoying picnics, tennis games and country outings in the company of handsome
strangers. She and Marj also enjoyed listening to the radio and enjoyed the ‘Hit Parade’ with songs from Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.
Kathleen
was a firm „ ... . _ , .
_ ... , Kathleen at Templestowe
Collingwood
supporter
which created some division in the family as Chris was an avid Carlton supporter. Growing up, the Fitzpatrick children had a choice between barracking for Carlton or Collingwood and at some stage were split down the middle - until someone rebelled and started following Essendon!
Kath often spoke about time spent at the Fitzsimons farm in Templestowe. It seems that she spent school holidays there as a kid and had very fond memories of those times. She spoke of a horse she used to ride called Kit which she would ride to the post office to get the mail. With these stories she engendered a love of horse riding with three of her five daughters being horse enthusiasts.
Kath became ill in her early forties eventually succumbing to her illness on 3 June 1975 at the age of fifty. Kath and Chris had seven children, Elizabeth, Helen, Catherine, Anne, Michael, Carmel and John - Michael and Anne were twins.
Elizabeth (Liz) has four children, twins Laura and David, Justin and Stephen. Liz is a nurse and has worked in many fields of nursing including midwifery, renal and maternal and child health care. She enjoys gardening, travel and is a very keen
Kathleen
Children of Kathleen Fitzsimons and Chris Fitzpatrick.
L-i• John, Carmel Lis. Kate, Helen and Anne
Collingwood supporter. She lives in Surrey Hills with her partner Graeme Brown.
These two sets of twins are among several others in the Fitzsimons family - see Mary Cashen’s chapter for more detail.
Helen has two children Daniel and Rachel. Helen started her working life as a teacher then moved out of teaching to enter the corporate world. Helen enjoys spending time at their farm in Redesdale. She is a Carlton supporter and lives in El-sternwick with her partner Rod Hopkins.
Catherine (Kate) has two children Adam and Ben. Kate started her working life as an accountant then retrained to become a secondary school teacher. Kate enjoys rowing, bushwalking and spending weekends at Blairgowrie. She is a Carlton supporter and lives in Prahran with her partner John Wright-Smith.
Anne started her working life in drafting and currently works for a firm of quantity surveyors. Anne enjoys skiing and horse riding and rides her horse two or three times a week. At some stage she barracked for Essendon. She lives in Kew.
Carmel has two children Nick and Kelly. Carmel is currently a stay at home mum and is also studying part time for her Graduate Diploma of Education. She enjoys
playing tennis when she can fit it in and barracks for Hawthorn. She lives in Wiiliamstown with her partner Royce Manning.
John Joseph. John has spent some time in the Real Estate industry but is currently the full time carer for Chris. John is an avid reader and particularly enjoys architecture. He is a keen follower of Carlton and lives in Kew.
John Henry (Jack)
T . n in Heidelberg on the 1st July 1929, John (Jack) was a happy, fun loving sportsman. He played cricket for Rosanna for many years, was an avid golfer and followed the Richmond football club. He met the love of his life at the Heidelberg town hall dance one Saturday night and told his best mate Ted Healey he was "going to marry that Marie Murphy". True to his word he did. They started up a butcher shop in Thompson's Road, Bulleen and bought a house nearby. He worked very hard, starting early at the markets and then finishing late delivering meat to all his loyal customers. He loved fishing and any spare time, not playing golf, he spent boating at Mallacoota. His goal in life was to own a string of butcher shops and retire young. Unfortunately fate played its hand and he died of a cerebral aneurysm aged just 32.
Bill
William ‘Bill’ Anthony Fitzsimons (1933 to 1994) was born in Melbourne on 31 March 1933. Bill left school around the age of fifteen following the death of his mother, Elizabeth Fitzsimons in 1945. Around the age of twenty, following the death of his father John Leo Fitzsimons in 1953, Bill travelled to Balranald NSW and found employment as a station hand on the properties around Balranald. Bill told stories of hunting wild pigs on horseback and having to rescue his beloved border collies from huge kangaroos before they
drowned the dogs in the local dams. He continued to work on the Balranald stations for 5 years before returning to Melbourne in 1958. It was during his time in Balranald Bill developed a love for working on the land and being his own boss. Bill also purchased his first car, an FJ Holden Ute which began his lifelong love of Holdens.
Bill also worked as a butcher with his brother John "Jack" Henry Fitzsimons and continued to use his butchery skills over many years by raising and butchering his own sheep and cattle on his farms. This ensured the family always had a good supply of meat for the table.
Bill enjoyed playing district cricket with his brother Jack and also enjoyed watching test cricket, something he maintained throughout his life. Bill loved AFL and was a lifelong Melbourne supporter and enjoyed following his team despite their lack of success over the years.
In 1959, Bill met Coral Ada Grace Neil. Coral was from Walwa in north east Victoria and worked as a nurse in Melbourne. Bill and Coral were married in Wangaratta on 6 February 1960. They lived at 33 Mayfair Ave, Lower Templestowe from 1960 to 1963. Their eldest child Mark, can remember riding a billy cart down the steep rutted dirt road which was Mayfair Ave back then and playing with Bill’s border collie pups in the backyard.
In 1963 Bill and Coral had the opportunity to purchase their first dairy farm at Heath Hill in Gippsland. It was a small farm with a milking capacity of 50 cows. During this time Bill and Coral had two more children, Craig and Bradley. With a growing family Bill purchased an EH Holden Station Wagon.
In 1966 Bill and family moved to Yal-lourn North on a share farm milking 120 cows. The dairy farm was newly cleared
land, which was too steep in places for tractors so the local farmers had fertilizer spread by airplane which took off from a small landing strip on the farm. Bill went into partnership with two other neighbours to share the cost of hay making equipment.
Bill and his mates enjoyed short day fishing trips, to the Gippsland lakes at Sale in between milking. They would bring back feeds of freshly caught bream from the lakes. There were not many family holidays due to the full time requirements of the dairy farm, milking cows twice a day, 365 days a year, however some short family fishing trips were taken in Lakes Entrance.
While living in Yallourn North Bill and Coral's youngest child, Kim Michelle Fitzsimons was born on the 29 October! 966.
Bill also purchased his third car, a 1968 HK Holden Sedan which he maintained until 1984 when he purchased a VK Holden Commodore.
In February 1971, Bill, Coral and family moved from the cold, windy and damp climate of Gippsland to Lima, a small farming community near Benalla in North East Victoria. In 1982, Bill purchased a half cabin boat from which the family enjoyed fishing for redfin and also waterskiing in Lake Nillahcootie.
The farm in Benalla also had two creeks running through it which contained trout. It was possible to walk 50 metres from the back step of the house and catch a fresh trout for dinner.
Every Christmas the family would always look forward to Uncle Bill Burton and Aunty Marj visiting the farm from their home in North Balwyn.
Following the sudden and unexpected passing of Coral in 1991, Bill decided to sell the family farm and move into Benalla. Bill's health was suffering from a life time of smoking. Bill passed away on the 31 August 1994, aged 61.
Bill is survived by his four children, Mark, Craig, Brad and Kim.
Lso
Leo was the youngest of the six children. He was only five when his mother
Bessie died. He spent his school years at Padua College, Parade East Melbourne and RMIT. In his youth he loved geology and had a wonderful rock collection. He is also a great lover of poetry and music and is particularly proud of his beard which he has had for forty years. Leo is the only surviving member of the family and recently had his seventieth birthday.
&ms of Loo and Bessie L-r Bill, Jack, Leo
Descendants of John Leo FITZSIMMONS & Elizabeth WARNER
GENERATION 5 — Marjory Elizabeth “Mag” FITZSIMONS b. 22-Feb-1922 d. 1981 Camberwell GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8 — Laura Kathleen FITZPATRICK b. 06-Dec-1983
aged 59 # 26988 married...no issue — Elizabeth Ellen FITZPATRICK Twins
Bill BURTON — Bernard FITZSIMONS b. abt.1923 d. 1923 Eltfaam. Reg.No. 1427 — Kathleen Frances FITZSIMONS b. 22-May-1951 Partner Graeme BROWN — Helen Ann FITZPATRICK b. 05-Jan-1953 m. 14-Dec-1985 Roderick — David Michael FITZPATRICK b. 06-Dec-1983 — Justin James FITZPATRICK b. 09-Sep-1987 — Stephen Thomas FITZPATRICK b. 13-Jan-1989 — Daniel Patrick HOPKINS b. 10-Dec-1986
b. 30-Nov-1924 d. 06-Jan-1975 HOPKINS — Rachel Brierty HOPKINS
Fitzroy, Vic. aged 50 # 12803 — Catherine Frances Sarah b. 19-Oct-1989
m. 16-Aug-1950 FITZPATRICK — Adam Christopher
Christopher Joseph FITZPATRICK b. 19-Dec-1916 b. 26-Feb-1954 m. 07-Feb-1976 John WRIGHT-SMITH b. 26-Jun-1985
Living 2010 at, 57 Pakington WRIGHT-SMITH — Benjamin John WRIGHT-SMITH
St. Kew — Ann Theresa FITZPATRICK b. 04-Apr-1958 Twins — Michael Christopher FITZPATRICK d. 04-Apr-1958 Carlton, Vic. d. 11-May-195 8 aged 37 days, # 5208 b. 12-Nov-1988
— Carmel Josephine
FITZPATRICK — Nicholas Jack
b. 26-Ian-1966 m OA A r*r OAAO MANNING b. 16-0ct-2003
III. ZU_/\pi“ZUUZ Royce MANNING
— John Henry “Jack” — Kelly Kathleen
FITZSIMONS — John Joseph MANNING
b.01-Jul-1929 FITZPATRICK b. 17-Mar-2006
Heidelberg, Vic. b. 25-Jan-1968
d. 22-May-1962 Fitzroy, Vic. aged 32 # 9767
T 1 * A
xii. y J-t juiiu/ rumt
Heidelberg, Vic. FITZSIMONS
Marie Patricia b. 15-Aug-1957
MURPHY b. 09-Apr-1932 Greensborough, Vic.
m. uo-Jdn-iv/n • iNduidii nuiusay
Rose Park, S.A. Heidelberg, Vic HOME
d. 07-Sep-2001 Douglas Lindsay b. 22-Oct-1983
Brisbane, Qld. HOME b. 30-Mar-1957 London, England — Mark William Bendigo, Vic.
FITZSIMONS — Katrina Lee
b. 07-Jee-1960 FITZSIMONS
Airlie Maternity Hosp. Ivanhoe m. 09-Apr-1983 — b. 26-Dec-1986 — Tracey Anne
Loma Anne FITZSIMONS
MADDEN b. 18-Aug-1988 — Andrew Mark FITZSIMONS
— William Anthony b. 18-May-1991
FITZSIMONS
b. 21 -Mar-1933 — Timothy
d. 31-Aug-1994 — Craig Douglas FITZSIMONS
m. 06-Feb-1960 — FITZSIMONS b. 02-Feb-1990
Wangaratta, Vic Coral Ada Grace b. 28-Nov-1963 m. 1988 — Claire
NEIL Leonie LAUDER FITZSIMONS
b. 01-Dec-1937 b. 02-Oct-1966 b. 01-Mar-1992
d. 07-Jun-1991
— Eliza Grace FITZSIMONS b. 28-Dec-1993 — Sarah Grace
— Leo Joseph — Bradley John FITZSIMONS
FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS b. 03-Apr-1995
b. Ol-Jun-1940 b. 19-May-1965
Living 2010 at married -— — Lauren Amy
St. Hilda. Andrea JAMISON ‘— Kim Michelle FITZSIMONS b. 07-Jan-1997
FITZSIMONS —Nicholas James
b. 29-Oct-1966 FITZSIMONS b. 01-Feb-1999
Mary Doherty Cashen (nee Fitzsimons)
“She was always doing some thing for someone else”. This is how her family remembers her.
Mary Doherty Fitzsimons was born on fifteenth October 1894 at Templestowe Victoria.
William Fitzsimons, grandson of William (Bill) Fitzsimons has twin daughters-Rachel and Sophie born in 2005. To complete the picture Jodie, who is the granddaughter of Bern Fitzsimons and daughter of Brendan gave birth to twin sons Nathan and Samuel in 2009.
She was the second child born to John Henry and Catherine Fitzsimons. Mary was the older of twin girls (Mary and Margaret). The twins were fraternal (non-identical in looks) and also developed very different personalities.
Another girl, Catherine, soon followed and then four more boys, William, Bernard, Anthony and Cyril were added to the family. Mary was later known as Maine to the family. It seems that Bern was responsible for giving all his siblings nick names.
Mary, as the older of the girls was expected to care for the younger children as well as helping her father herding the cows and helping with the milking.
Mary and Margaret were one of the several sets of twins in the family. Their mother, Catherine was a twin with her sister Margaret Walsh. Mary had a daughter Mary (Molly) Potter who had twin sons-Alan and Kevin Potter.
Mary and her twin sister Margaret attended the local school in Templestowe which they walked to each day with older brother Leo. Before setting out for school the children were expected to help with the milking.
When they were older the twins attended school in Heidelberg at St Monica’s School. Their education was completed before Our Ladies College commenced in 1910.
Mary Cashen, Catherine Fitzsimons, Margaret Connellan, Mary (Molly) Potter (nee Cashen), Margaret Renehan. Two babies are Alan and Kevin Potter. 1946
Mary was a very good tennis player and her father built a tennis court on the property. No doubt there was plenty of competition from other members of the family and friends from the neighbourhood.
Another of her talents was playing the violin. Mary, Margaret, Leo and Catherine formed a band and played at dances in Eltham. John Henry would take the young musicians across the river by boat to perform at the dances.
One of her early boy friends was Jim Sheahan and the Fitzsimons, Cashen and Sheahan families used to attend dances together and in later years Joe Cashen was rather jealous of this early romance.
When Mary left school she stayed at home and worked on the farm. Her days would have been very busy helping her mother in the house and also her father as required. She was an excellent cook as her family would later attest and also a talented seamstress. Later when her children married she made the bride’s frock, the bridesmaids’ frocks as well as her own. Her family remember Mary as always at the sewing machine, sewing, knitting or cooking.
Mary met the young man of her life Walter Cashen (known as Joe) at a local dance. Joe came from Doncaster where his family owned an orchard. Joe and his five brothers were all keen sportsmen. The Cashen boys were also avid Collingwood supporters and Catholics so she had met her perfect mate.
Mary and Walter were married at St John’s Catholic Church in Heidelberg on 22nd November 1917.
Catherine Fitzsimons was sad to lose her helpmate. She was reported as telling Joe that he was taking away her right hand.
Mary and Joe Cashen began their married life in Clifton Hill. The first three children Catherine, Mary (Molly) and Sheila were born there. The family bought a house in Flinders Street, Thornbury. Some years later Joe bought a milk bar in Preston. Although Joe continued to work, Mary looked after the three girls. Whilst they were at the shop, the house in Ttiorn-bury was rented. Sheila remembers going with her dad to collect the rent each week.
After several years Mary and Jo-bought a house at 104 Keon Street, Thornbury which became the family home and Mary and Joe lived there for the rest of their days.
The family was expanded with the arrival of three boys, Kevin, Bernard and
Mary with her mother Catherine and her daughter Catherine c1923
Brian. The kitchen of the house in Keon Street was very small for six children and their parents. It had two pantries and a small dining area. Mary managed very well and provided basic food but plenty for her family. Their father Joe instructed the
children not to speak at meal times, so no doubt this was a quiet time in the household. The boys were the quiet ones and not outgoing as the girls.
Kevin, Bernie and Brian played a lot of tennis mainly with the Victorian Catholic Lawn Tennis Association at the weekends and also travelled interstate playing tennis. The boys used to sleep in a sleepout at the rear of the house. The first structure was an ex-cable tram and then a bungalow was built.
In her pre-teen years, regularly on a Friday afternoon, Mary would take Sheila to the tram at West Preston to Bell Street, then a bus to Heidelberg to Auntie Margaret’s place. Uncle Tom, Margaret’s husband was the local blacksmith. Grandpa and Grandma Fitzsimons would travel to Heidelberg by horse and cart to do their weekly shopping. They were often joined by Cath Fitzsimons (Uncle Leo’s daughter) and sometimes Molly, but Cath refused to go. Mary would always send food with the girls. One day she sent four chops, but Margaret used to check and occasionally remove one for herself.
The house at Templestowe was rather forbidding for these young girls as there was so electricity in those days, and candles and kerosene lamps were used after dark. The children were expected to work around the house and their duties included feeding and herding the cows and collecting the fire wood for the kitchen stove.
Grandpa Fitzsimons was a wonderfully good man who would never lose his temper, but he did get cross with Uncle Bern when he would become impatient with the cows. Sheila didn’t like going to Templestowe, but was expected to do so by her Mother. She didn’t like sleeping on the uncovered verandah which was very cold in winter. The horse named Kit was ridden
Catherine and Mary (Molly) Cashen C1920
by the children to collect the mail from the bottom paddock. When they were leaving grandma always gave them sixpence as a reward for helping.
The Cashen family had many friends but didn’t go out a lot, mixing mainly with the other members of their families. It was not until 1946 that their first car was purchased. Prior to this Joe drove a two stroke motorbike.
When the children were young, holidays were spent in Aspendale in a house which they rented for two weeks each year. Uncle Lou (William) Fiizsimons would drive the family there in his truck and collect them at the end of their holiday.
Mary was a frustrated doctor and she always had cures to treat her family. The family members only visited the doctor as a last resort when Mary was unable to help them.
Mary’s greatest success story was caring for the very premature baby William (Bill junior) Lanigan when he was a young baby. Catherine, his mother, stayed with Mary until Bill was well enough to return to his country home. One story is that Mary kept Bill wrapped in cottonwool to provide warmth e ;e were the days before hu-
midicribs were in use.
In later life when her mother Catherine suffered a stroke it was Mary who looked after her. She worked so hard caring for her mother who was quite demanding, that the doctor feared for Mary’s own health and told Joe, “If you don’t get her out of the house for a rest, she will die first.”
Mary had a very even temperament, not unlike her Father, and she never showed temper or mood swings. She always treated everyone kindly.
Sundays were special days when the children were older and all the family would attend. Mary would spend all day Saturday preparing the food she would share with the family next day.
Mary spent much of her time in her later years making clothes for her grandchildren. Her children often warned her that she would die with a thimble on her finger which she did in 1966.
Mary was mourned by her family and all those who knew her.
Joe her beloved husband had died in 1963. They are buried in the Heidelberg Cemetery.
Descendants of Mary Doherty FITZSIMONS & Water Joseph CASHEN
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Michael Anthony SHOPPEE b. 15-Nov-1947 — Damien Hendy SHOPPEE b. 14-May-1972 — Zane Michael TASEVSKI b. 03-Jul-05
Veronica Frances SWEET — Renee Michelle SHOPPEE b. 27-Feb-1975
m. Steve TASEVSKI Jay Thomas TASEVSKI b. 22-Feb-07
— Catherine Mary CASHEN b. 24-Oct-1918 d. 28-Apr~2005 aged 86 m. 03-May-1941 Desmond Joseph SHOPPEE b. 23-Mar-1918 d. 04-Mar-1998 — Bernadette Anne SHOPPEE b. 21-Apr-1949 — Jacquelyn Louise SCULL b. 10-Jan-1974 — Kye Nicholas TASEVSKI b. 9-Jul-2010 Mitchell David
IllalllCU divorced Geoffrey John SCULL unm. — David Anthony SCULL b. 28-Jan-1976 Sefton SCULL b. 28-Aug-2003
— Desmond Gerrard SHOPPEE b. 11-Jan-1952 — Natasha Lee SHOPPEE b. 05-Apr-1976 m OO \Tn,, OAAa — Luke Paul FULLARD b. 29-May-2008
ill. ZZ-INUV-ZUUj Andrew Paul FULLARD — Benjamin Jacob SHOPPEE b. 18-Aug-1978
niaiiieu Cheryl WATERHOUSE Divorced, m. 2 Valerie McGRATH TV/faHiervn T A VPPV
JL/A“Pdl til Cl iVJLdQlSOn V JDlK. l b.
— Mark Stephen SHOPPEE b. 24-Jul-1958 m OA 1 AO A |— Kelly SHOPPEE b. 13-May-1977 Q;mnT,p cunpprr
III. ZU“ijCp“ 1 ou Lynn OEHME b 5-Mar-1956 ulnlOIlC uLiUr Jr JdJd b. 29-Jan-1982 — Cameron SHOPPEE b. 16-Oct-1987 1 1—Walter James STAGG
— Maureen Patricia — Peter James STAGG b.l7-Aug-1970 Melbourne, Vic. b. 09-Jul-2002 Clayton, Vic. — Goby Marie
POTTER b. 16-Mar-1943 m. 17-Apr-2004 Kristel Marie STAGG b. 20-Jul-2003
Melbourne. BURNS Clayton, Vic.
m. 01-Oct-1960 Barry James b. 17-Feb-1981 — A lex Jay STAGG
— Mary Josephine STAGG b. 09-Aug-1940 Manangatang, Vic. — Alan James — Jennifer Patricia STAGG b. 16-00-1972 Melb. m. 04-Jan-195 Dale Murray RIORDAN b. 01-Dec-1971 — Darren Andrew POTTER b. 01-Mar-1975 Warragul, Vic. b. 09-0ct-2005 Clayton, Vic. — Mitchell Murray RIORDAN b. 12-Jun-1997 Dandenong, Vic. — /Hannah Emily RIORDAN b. 20-Sep-1999 Dandenong, Vic. — Jamie Leigh POTTER
“Molly” CASHEN b. 20-Jan-1921 POTTER b. 16-Jan-1946 m. 26-Feb-2000 — Debra Kaye b. 16-Jul-1997
Clifton Hill, Vic. Melbourne, Vic. CUNNINGHAM — Rachael Ann
d. 2 8-Feb-2007 m. 24-Feb-19' b. 08-Apr-1978 POTTER
aged 86, Warragul Heather Susan b. 03-Apr-2001
m. 10-Jan-1942 —— Alan James MIRAMS b. 06-Jan-1953 — Tenae Lansay
POTTER b. 25-Aug-1916 Twins POTTER b. 25-May-2000
Richmond, Vic. — Paul Alan Warragul, Vic.
d. 20-Feb-1997 — Kevin Anthony POTTER d. 28-May-200O
Warragul, Vic POTTER b. 22-Sep-1976
b. 16-Jan-1946 Warragul, Vic. — Jalen April
Melbourne, Vic. m. 18-Nov-1972 m. 06-Oct-2001 —- Shelley Nicole POTTER b. OS-Nov-2002
Helen Louise Gladys GREEN Warragul, Vic.
EDWARDS b. 01-Oct-1951 Yallourn, Vic. b. 04-Oct-1979 — Scott William — Dominique Jade POTTER
— Eileen Mary BYERS b. 25-May-1975 b. 12-Feb-2O07 Wangaratta, Vic.
POTTER b. 30-Apr-1950 Neerim South, Vic. d. 02-Jan-2003 — Paxton Rose
Healesville, Vic. m. 13-Oct-1973 — William Michael —- Mark Anthony BYERS POTTER b. O4-Dec-2O09 Wangaratta, Vic.
BYERS b. 13-Nov-1952 Lockerbie, Scotland. d. 29-Jul-1990 Warragul, Vic. — Carmel Margaret POTTER b. 11-Nov-1957 m. 1. 14-Jan-1978 b. 02-Sep-1976 Neerim South, Vic. m. Rebecca — Kathryn Louise BYERS b. 02-Nov-1980 Neerim South, Vic.
Des DAVEY Divorced. m.2. 24-Aug-1992 Donald George SCOTT b. 24-Aug-1945 Atherton, Qld. — Denise Margaret — Jackson Alan SCOTT b. 07-Jan-1997 — Ryan McMILLAN b. 06-Aug-1976 — Luke McMILLAN b. 13-Jan-1978 m. Rhonda — Jake McMILLAN b. 10-Feb-2005 — Tayla McMILLAN b. 25-May-2007
— Sheila Margaret CASHEN CALNIN b. 10-Dec-1948 m. Grant McMILLAN b. 20-Sep-1943 McCORMACK — Amy McMILLAN b. 22-Dec-1979 m. David DEMPSEY — Bryce McMILLAN b. 01-Aug-2009 — Jack DEMPSEY b. 21-Feb-2006 — Josh DEMPSEY b. 08-May-2007
b. 14-May-1923 m. — Harry DEMPSEY
Allan Edward —■ John Damian — Ben McMILLAN b. 14-Dec-2Q09
CALNIN CALNIN b. 26-Jan-1982
b. Ol-Feb-1915 d. 29-Sep-2010 — Kevin Joseph b. 06-May-1951 married 1 Patricia Mary YOUNG ' b. 02-May-1949 — Gerard Thomas CALNIN b. 21-Nov-1953 — Ann CASHEN b. 1959 Partner | Sarah MICHAEL L- Mitchell CALNIN b. 01-Aug-1989 — Thomas SMYTH b. 1992 — Abbie McMILLAN b. 13-Aug-2009
CASHEN b. 21-May-1926 m. Greg SMYTH — Harrison SMYTH
d. 28-Mar-1998 b. 1959 b. 1994
aged 71 married 1953 Judith EGAN — Stephen CASHEN — Peter CASHEN b. 1989
b.1931 b. 1962 m. 1953 Jancinta NICOLLS — Peter CASHEN — Rachel Catherine CASHEN b. 23-Jun-1992 — Ben CASHEN
— Bernard Frances b. 1968 d. 1983 b. 03-Dec-1995
“Bern” CASHEN b. 13-Oct-1928 — Leigh Patrick — Reannnn Lee
d. 04-Dec-2005 CASHEN CASHEN
Yarrawonga Hosp. b. 1955 b. 1981
aged 76 m. m. 1st Debbie — Chyvonne Emma
?? Patricia WILLIAMS CASHEN
GROVES 2nd Robyn Joy b. 1986
b. 1929 TAYLOR
1 — Maree Frances GASMEN b.
married 1976, — - - Peter PARROITE — No issue — Samantha Rose
— Philip John CASHEN
GASMEN b. 1987
— Bryan John GASMEN b. 1959 rm 07-Mar-1982 -—- — Emma Sue
b. 23-Jun-1935 Susan Gay CASHEN
m. 22-Nov-1958 —-Dianne PORTINGALE b.1988
POLLOCK — Gary Bryan — Michael John
b.23-Dec-1937 GASMEN CASHEN
b.1962 — Michael Walter CASHEN b. 1965 d. 1986 b.1991
Margaret Condon Renehan (nee Fitzsimons)
Margaret Condon Fitzsimons was born on the 15th October 1894. She was the younger of the twins and much smaller in statue than her sister Mary. The girls were educated at the Templestowe Primary School and at St Monica’s, Heidelberg when they were older. Like her sister and older brother, Leo, she was expected to help on the farm and around the house. Later she was given the nickname Doey, and was known by this name by most of her brothers and sisters and their families.
Margaret married Anthony Thomas (Tom) Renehan in 1921 at St. John’s Church in Heidelberg. Tom was born and raised in Kangaroo Ground. He gained an apprenticeship as a blacksmith at Mullens Forge in Templestowe and moved to live in the area. Tom played football for Templestowe and his picture is in the present clubrooms. It was through his association with the football team that he met the Fitzsimons family members and subsequently Margaret.
After their marriage Tom set up shop as the local blacksmith in Heidelberg. The forge was located near the corner of Burgundy St and Lower Heidelberg Road. The works are immortalized in the street name Forge Lane. The local school kids used to avoid walking past the forge, otherwise Tom would call them in to operate the bellows and the kids would be stuck there for hours.
Margaret and Tom had two sons- Jack born on 27th May 1922 and Des born 23rd January 1927.
During the power rationing in the 1940’s Margaret and Tom were featured in the newspaper cooking their meals over the forge fire.
Tom was an avid Carlton supporter, while Margaret, of course supported Collingwood. Subsequently her son, Des, barracked for the Mighty Pies as do nearly all the grandchildren.
Mullens Forge, Templestowe. Tom Renehan is second from left
Tom and Margaret at the Forge
Tom liked working long, hard hours and enjoyed a drink at the end of the day.
.Jack and Des were older they were expected to deliver the newly shod horses before or after school.
After living next door to the forge in the early years, Margaret and Tom built a house at 57 Yarra Street in Heidelberg in the 1950’s.
Margaret would preside over some pretty serious card games in which Euchre was the game of choice. An old army blanket was laid out on the table and the guests, including the local Parish Priest, enjoyed the evening. The children, who were to be seen and not heard were given the task of toasting bread on the open fire, using special forks which Tom had made in the forge. To supplement their income from the forge, Margaret took in boarders who lived in the spare room at the back of the house.
There was a : (elite phone in the house which was a party line and one of the first in the district. The neighbours
were charged for the privilege of using it. There was a lock on the phone to ensure the boarders paid and she wasn’t left with the bill. The kitchen contained a green Metters stove.
Tom died in 1954 and Margaret in 1960.
John James (Jack) Renehan married Betty Devereux on April 30, 1949 when they were both 27 years of age, in fact on Betty’s 27th birthday. They attended school together at St Monica’s Heidelberg (now St John’s) and Jack went off to St Thomas’ Clifton Hill to finish his education. He pursued Betty when she commenced work at the City West Exchange and met her after work every day on the Exchange steps to escort her home. Eventually Betty relented and went out with him. Jack purchased a block of land at 27 Banksia St Heidelberg from Tony Fitzsimons Snr in 1947. They then set about building their home on the block. As building materials were in very short supply after the war, Jack was unable to obtain roofing tiles. He worked for Wortley’s Butchers in Burgundy St.
Heidelberg Forge
The Wortley Brothers were staunch Masons, and when Jack explained his predicament Sid Wortley said to leave it with him. Jack had the tiles within a week. Jack and Betty lived in this home for 54 years. Jack and Betty were married in 1949 and Jack, being his usual resourceful self, traded his cigarette coupons for petrol coupons so he and Betty could have
a honeymoon. They borrowed a car and headed off to Sydney after the wedding. They got as far as Sydney road when pulled over at an intersection by a policeman. Jack was worried as to what he had done wrong. The policeman came over to the car, put his foot up on the running board and proceeded to ask Jack about the car as he had just purchased one for himself. After this episode they proceeded to Sydney, where Betty’s sister was in the convent. For the next week they spent their honeymoon each day with a car load of nuns touring the sights. Jack and Betty’s love was being involved with people and they held many parties and were part of every social occasion in Heidelberg. In the 1950’s and 60’s they belonged to a Square Dancing group which moved around the homes of those involved every Saturday night. When they came to 27 Banksia St the table and chairs were moved out of the kitchen, the kids put to bed and the square dance caller set up in to lounge room doorway to call the sets and ensure an enjoyable night for all. Betty would spend hours preparing the supper for these nights ensuring she and Jack were perfect hosts.
Jack and Des at Jack’s wedding
When the family was young they went to Newstead a couple of times to visit the Lanigans. They stayed at the station with Aunty Kark, Uncle Bill and young Bill. It was exciting to wake during the night and watch through the window as Uncle Bill went out to hand the Baton to the night goods train drives. They would all go across the road on Sunday morning to Mass in the little timber Church which had a very distinctive smell. It was fun to visit the Butter factory, walk along the rail tracks and explore the stores shed. Another adventure was to travel “all the way” from Heidelberg to Templestowe once a month on Sunday.
The family would attend 7am Mass, have early roast lamb lunch and take off in the meat delivery van (a Thames Truck will i s. cane lounge tied in the back using butcher’s twine) to visit Aunty Nell and Uncle Lou, Aunty Kath and Uncle Bern and families. These trips involved a visit to the dam for yabbies, then rounding up the cows for milking, “helping” with the milking then settling down for homemade scones and fresh cream (straight from the milking shed) at the obligatory afternoon tea. On
one occasion we were at Uncle Bern’s with cousins Brendan and Terry, assisting with rounding up the cows in the lower paddocks near Porter St. Brendan was yelling but no-one took much notice and kept going with the cows. A while later Brendan arrived carrying a tiger snake, its head crushed, on the claw of a hammer. He put it on the ground at the back of the house and it immediately took off across the grass. It was not dead and he had carried it for at least ten minutes while we continued to herd the cows. In those days Fitzsimons Lane was just a dirt track which finished at the river. Heidelberg-Templestowe Road was single lane and only partially made, so the trip across was a great adventure with a stop along the way at the Blessed Sacrament Father’s Monastery to walk across the swinging bridge. Jack and Betty finished the family with five children, Philip, John, Patricia, Gerard and Bernadette.
Philip married Jan Palmer in 1985 and has two sons, Anthony and Luke. John married Frances Larkin in 1975; they have four children Brendan, Jacinta, Anastasia, Thomas and two grandchildren Caitlin and
Jack and B&ffitw with extended family.
Front row: Peter and Patricia Winceni, John and Frances Renehan, Bernadette and Jim
Foley
Back row: Gerard Renehan, Jack and Betty Renehan, Philip and Jan Renehan
Campbell who belong to Brendan. Patricia married Peter Vincent in 1985 and they have a daughter Rachel. Gerard is single, Bernadette married Jim Foley in 1990 and they have a son Andrew. Jack worked for Wortley Bros Butchers as an apprentice then as a butcher and finally as shop manager until 1972, when he purchased his own shop in Templestowe at Keep’s Corner, on James St. Terry Fitzsimons, Bern’s son worked with Jack in the shop for a time. When he sold the shop Jack took on a position as storeman in the general store at the Austin Hospital which he did until he retired in 1987.
When Jack retired he and Betty took off touring around the country. They travelled as far north as Cairns and west to Adelaide, always driving, as Betty would not fly. They had one plane flight in their lives, to Sydney in the early 1960’s, and would not fly again as the wings on the plane “flapped” and worried Betty for the entire journey.
In the early 1950’s Jack was approached by Fr O’Connor ,the Parish Priest at St John’s, and asked to help out with the St Vincent De Paul Society. He agreed to do so and remained a member for over 50 years , receiving his 50 year service badge in 2001. Jack took on organizing the monthly Mass for patients at the Austin Hospital. For 40 years he never missed the first Sunday of the month when he would arrive at the Austin around 7:30 am prepare the old Physio room in the 3KZ wing by moving all the equipment and clearing the room. Then he would tour all the wards to see if they had patients wanting to attend Mass. Once the volunteer bed pushers arrived Jack would assign them patients to collect and organize everyone as they arrived. Once Mass was finished Jack would organize the patients to return to wards and re set the room for Monday.
His work with St Vinnies was important to him so much so that at 82 years of age he was still out visiting people requiring assistance and organizing help for them. For 10 years Jack and Betty spent many weeks prior to Christmas putting together hampers for delivery to disadvantaged families. They purchased the grocery and gift items wrapped and packed them, then delivered each one in time for Christmas day celebrations. Jacks other Christmas venture was selling Christmas Cards. From early November until sold out, for more than ten years Jack stood outside the Church after every Mass selling hundreds of packets every year to raise funds for St Vinnies work. Jack was very proud of the fact that he was St John’s Parish longest serving parishoner.
Jack and Betty lived at 27 Banksia Street for 50 years when Betty succumbed to dementia and moved to Manningham Nursing Home where she died in October 11, 2003. Jack continued to live at home until he passed away on October 20, 2004.
Desmond Leo Renehan was a very bright lad, topping his class several times at St Johns Primary School and going on to win the ‘Quiz Kids’ state wide radio trivia programme. He won a scholarship and was a boarder at Saint Patrick’s, Ballarat. He worked as a supervisor at the Taxation Department, and that was the only job he ever had after he left school. Like his mother, he didn’t mind a card game, and his punting mate, Bill O’Connor and wife Prill, invited him on a blind date one night. Prill bought along her best friend, a nurse by the name of Anne Veronica McLaren, better known as Nancye, The two married and the rest is history. Des was a gifted sportsman. He played in two premierships for the Heidelberg Football Club, and won at least two professional foot running sprints, which were believed to be the Ep-ping and South Morang Gifts. He also
played Baseball for Victoria in the Claxton Shield and was a life member of the Heidelberg Cricket Club. In his last match for Heidelberg he broke his collarbone while diving for his fifth catch. He also represented the Victorian Taxation First Eleven in the National Championships, famously once hitting a six on the Adelaide Oval.
Dos drank at Dawsons (the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel) for most of his life until a change of ownership saw him shift camp to the Heidelberg RSL. He drank there until his passing. He worked part time after retirement as a book keeper at Tom Tyrrell Accountants. Throughout his life he donated his book keeping skills to St Johns Church Parish, Parade College Fathers Club, Heidelberg Cricket Club and the RSL. He was also made a life member of the Heidelberg RSL.
Nancye Renehan nee McLaren was
born ii Preston. Her parents emigrated from Glasgow in Scotland. Nancye was educated at Saint Euphrasias in Abbotsford. She trained as a Nurse at St Vincent’s. Dss and Nance got married in 1954 and their first marital home was at 15 Anderson St. Rosanna. Back in those days it was all dirt roads and surrounded by open paddocks and dairy farms. After Des’ parents passed away they shifted in to the Renehan family home at 57 Yarra St. Heidelberg in 1960 where they stayed until all the kids had grown up and left and Des had retired. They then sold the house and shifted further up Yarra Street into a unit near the Railway Station. They also bought a holiday house at Karadoc St.Dromana, which remains in the family to this day.
Growing up was fairly hectic as there are seven Renehan kids. When Simon, the youngest was born, Nance had to deal with seven kids under the age of nine. Such was the lot of the catholic housewife. Most of the families in Heidelberg had around seven kids in those days. The
Larkins had fifteen which I think topped the list. The family car was a red 1 Dfiy EJ Holden station wagon which Dee bought new from Bib Stilwells of Camberwell. It was the forerunner of the modern people mover in those pre seat belt days. Des looked after the car, and it was in great nick until a car came out of a side street and T-boned Damian. It had a misfire and used to make a ‘cork toop’ sound every now and again. After that Des had a bronze HR Premier for a few years before he scored Angelo Nardellas 1970 Mercedes 250 compact. This was Dessie’s pride and joy as he could cruise around Heidelberg under the illusion that he had ‘made if. When Des and Nance used to go to Surfer’s on holidays, we used to drive it around without permission, as we knew where he hid the keys.
Raising seven kids on a public servant’s wage ensui ed Dee was careful with his money. This meant that when he wanted to fulfil a dream of building a pool in the backyard, the tradesman came via contra from the local pub. This method of project management meant that it took six years to build the pool and that it was bigger than originally designed (the walls of the excavation collapsed due to heavy rain). We used to make regular trips to Auntie Nells in Templestowe to savour the delights of dairy farm life. On these trips we were reminded of Des and his mates jumping off the old Banksia St. bridge when they were kids. We used to pass the old Jimmy Finns pub, which was derelict and we wondered how it managed to keep from collapsing. We were always instructed to be on the lookout for cowpats when roaming through the paddocks. We were also intrigued to watch the milking machine in action and to taste the milk direct from the cow. Aunty Nell used to teach us how to do it by hand in to a pail. I remember a big flash American car which seemed like it was twice the size of the family EJ Hoiden.
Des used to play cricket with one of the Fitzsimons family members, not sure which competition, but they both opened the batting. We also used to visit Uncle Tony Fitzsimons at his house in Studley Road. The Fitzsimons that we probably most visited was Uncle Cyril down at Mentone. Many times we would all load up in the EJ, seven kids and two adults and head down on a Sunday after mass. Whenever we would start fighting in the car, we would get a smack, and then a chrystomint lifesaver each to shut us up. When we got there, there would be kids everywhere running around the house. Cyril used to cook almighty bowls of chips. I remember trips out to where Cyril worked at the South Oakleigh club. The club would be shut but they would tap a barrel and do their best to knock it over in a few hours. Every year we used to borrow a beach house from someone and go down for two weeks holiday to the Mornington Peninsula. This also used to include a visit to Cyril’s.
Our eldest, Damian married Helen and they have two kids Gemma and Patrick. He started life working in the Commonwealth Bank and now is in Hospital Administration, while Helen is a nurse. They live in Heidelberg. He played football for Heidelberg YCW. Anne is the second oldest and she is single. She spent many years with Australia Post and is now working at a call centre and lives in Rosebud. Mark is third oldest and is an eye surgeon with a practice in Mornington. He is single and lives in McCrae. He sits on the National Board of Ophthalmologists and is highly regarded in his profession. Fourth is Paul who is an Automotive Service Technician and lives in McLeod. He married Sue and they have three kids, Daniel a plumber (who plays for Montmorency), Ali who is studying genetics at Melbourne University, and Chloe who is studying interior design. Fifth is Michele who lives in Northcote and is single and a public ser-
vant. Sixth is Christopher who has lived in Darwin since 1986 and has a partner Dawn. He runs an Architectural Practice and has won several National Design awards. He was also named Territorian of the year and played football for many years before turning to motorsport, where he still competes in Speedway). Seventh child is Simon who is a public servant and lives in Rosanna. He is married to Leonie. They have two children, Sean and Amy (Simon also played for Heidelberg)
All of Des and Nance’s kids went to St Johns primary before all the boys went to Parade College. Anne went to Our Ladies and St Euprasias in Collingwood while Michele went to Our Ladies. Damian’s children became the fourth generation to attend St Johns / St Monicas. Eighty percent of Renehans barrack for Collingwood and Damian, Patrick and Gemma go to just about every game in the Fitzsimons tradition. There are no Renehans still in the blacksmithing game although Paul used to be a tyrefitter. The Renehans would all appear to have our grandmother’s nose and chin, so that must be the Fitzsimons legacy to our side of the family.
Des and Nancye with children at wedding of Damian and Helen
Descendants of
Margaret Condon FlTZSlMUI-TS & Anthony Thomas RENEUAN
Married 1921, Reg.No. 4753
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION !
|—Philip RENEHAN — Anthony RENEHAN
b. 11-Dec-1950 b. 06-Nov-1987
m. 05-Nov-1985—
Jan PALMER — Luke RENEHAN
b. 17-Oct-1958 b. 09-Nov-1990
— John RENEHAN — Brendan RENEHAN
Jack RENEHAN b. 28-Jan-1952 b. 10-Jul-1976
b. 27-May-1922 m. Ol-Nov-19
m. 30-4-19* Frances LARKIN — Jacinta RENEHAN
Beatrice b.1953 b. 07-Mar-1978
DEVEREUX
b. 30-Apr-1922 — Patricia RENEHAN — Anastasia RENEHAN
b. 23-Dec-1954 b. 08-Aug-1979
m.
— Gerard RENEHAN ??? JOHNSON
b. 20-May-1957
— Thomas RENEHAN
— Bernadette b. 03-Jan-1981
RENEHAN
b. 07-Mar-1960
— Damian Thomas
RENEHAN — Gemma RENEHAN
b. 06-Mar-1955 b. 06-Dec-1989
m. 15-Jan-1986 ——-
Helen DOHERTY — Patrick RENEHAN
b. 14-Jun-1960 b. 12-Jul-1993
— Annie RENEHAN
b. 12-May-1956
■ Desmond Leo — Mark John
RENEHAN RENEHAN
b. 23-Jan-1927 b. 01-Jun-1958
d. 10-Nov-2004
m. 19-Apr-1954 — — Paul Desmond — Daniel RENEHAN
Anne Veronica RENEHAN b. 24-Apr-1986
McLaren b. 25-Sep-1959
b. 17-Sep-1929 m. 19-Mar-1983——- — AM RENEHAN
d. 11-Nov-2003 divorced b. 28-Mar-1988
Sue BURGESS
b. 06-Aug~1959 — Cliloe RENEHAN
b. 04-Iul-1990
— Michelle Theresa RENEHAN b. 16-Feb-1961 — Christopher Joseph RENEHAN b. 19-Mar-1963
— Simon Anthony — Sean Michael
RENEHAN RENEHAN
b. 28-Sep-1964 m. 31 -Oct-2005 Leonie BRABET b. 02-Sep-2006
b. 05-Dec-1967 — Amy RENEHAN b. 02-Sep-2009
Catherine Mary Lanigan
(sue® Fifisiswis)
Catherine Mary Fitzsimons was born on 25th September, 1897 being the 4th child of 8 children born to John Henry and Catherine Mary (nee Walsh ) Fitzsimons. She was born in Templestowe and her name was registered as Kate and this name was also used when she commenced school at Templestowe State School in September 1903. Kate was probably used because her mother’s birth was also registered as Kate She was also know as Kit and Kark -latter name probably invented by her brother Bern who called a lot of the extended family by various names. She used Kit herself and so we will refer to her as Kit in this story. She left Templestowe in 1930 to get married and so lived there more than half of her life. Her older twin sisters Mary Doherty (called Maine) and Margaret Condon (called Doey) Fitzsimons were married 1917 and 1921 respectively which meant Kit assisted her Mother around the house. She would have looked after her four younger brothers and one older brother which included cleaning their sporting
Kit at Summerhill on “Poppy”
boots as well as helping her father with farm duties. During this time she used to ride the farm horses including one called Poppy. She was a hard worker and did most of the housework whilst her mother was the lady of the house and presided over things. The girls used to milk cows before they went to school. Kit’s niece Sheila remembers her as keeping the children under control when they used to stay at Templestowe.
Kit married William Patrick Lanigan on 8th January, 1936 at St. John ‘s Catholic Church in Heidelberg which had been the family church since c 1850’s as Templestowe did not have its own church until 1947. Her bridesmaids were her nieces Marjorie and Cath. Her marriage certificate showed her as Catherine and her age was listed as 38 whereas it should have read 38, possibly to be younger than
Kit on Tony’s bike at Summerhill
Wedding party 8th January, 1936.
L-r: Cyril Fitzsimons, Marjorie Fitzsimons, Bill Lanigan and Kit, Catherine Shoppee,
John Patten
her new husband (normal at that time). where they met, as it was never told to Bill She never said at any time that she was jnr. and he didn’t ask as he was of the gen-
older than Bill. It is not known how or eration to be seen and not heard.
Only son Bill Lanigan at Summerhill, February 1939 - 9 months
William (known as Bill) was born in Ballarat in 1899 but spent most of his younger life living with his parents and three brothers and one sister in Brunswick . He worked for Victorian Railways from 1916, aged 17 until retirement age on 6/6/1964 as Stationmaster at Newstead. He worked mainly in the country and was a Reliever at Seymour when they married but two months later he was Assistant Station-master at Canterbury for seven months before going back to Seymour until appointed Assistant Stationmaster at Pura Pura.
During their time at Pura Pura their son and only child William John (Bill Jnr) was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne premature and stated to be 3 lbs at birth. Kit was aged 40 at the time. After discharge from hospital Kit stayed at her sis-
ter Mary’s Cashen’s place in Thornbury and sent her breast milk with Joe Cashen (Mary’s husband) to the hospital for Bill After two years living at Pura Pura the family moved to Westmere, which was two stations away, where Bill was transferred as Stationmaster. At that time rabbits were in plague proportions so the locals organized rabbit drives where the rabbits and hares were herded into a trap after being chased there by a lot of people walking and making lots of noise. Pura Pura and Westmere are small locations in the Western District of Victoria.
In 1942 file family transferred to Nyah West where their son Bill started school. Nyah West is in the Mallee and during this time there were drought conditions and bad dust storms which blocked the railway line. A photo taken in 1943 shows a dust storm approaching. Bill snr was playing Bowls one day and he said he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face because of a dust storm. They had a cool-gardie safe (invented by a man in Cool-gardie, W.A.) which kept the food in good condition. It had water on the top from where strips of flannel transferred the water to dampen hessian type bags down the side for coolness. An Indian hawker in his horse driven covered wagon used to call regularly selling clothes and trinkets. On one occasion they met in the countryside and he convinced Kit to let Bill Jnr travel with him back home. Nyah West was the home town of Bob Rose who was well know as captain and coach of Collingwood. Bill jnr. met him in Tasmania a few months before Bob died and they discussed how Nyah West shopping area had deteriorated. The Fitzsimons family has been ardent supporters of Collingwood for years and this flowed on to Kit and Bill. jnr.
After nearly three years the family shifted to Anderson, which was on the railway line to Wonthaggi. They tried to get
Bill into the Catholic school in Wonthaggi, but government regulations stated you got free school transport to the nearest school, so he went to the state school at Kilcunda. His main memory of school there was on the day Peace was declared in the Pacific in World War 2 he was let out of school earlier than usual and he then aged seven walked with other kids along the railway line back to Anderson (approx 6/7 km). There was very little at Anderson and remains so with its main fame being the turn off on the Bass Highway to Phillip Island. Kit wasn’t impressed with Anderson so they only stayed seven weeks and shifted to Newstead in August 1945.
Kit and Bill jnr. arrived in Newstead by night train and just before arrival they could see a big machine lit up like a circus. It turned out to be a dredge digging for gold in the Loddon River. The dredge was quite large with big buckets in the front digging up the river bed. Bill continued school here and on the first day he was driven there by his uncle Bern Fitzsimons in his Chevrolet.
The living quarters were part of the railway station and a door from one bedroom which was used by visitors opened on to the railway station platform. There were a few trains each day and included one at night .This train did not worry the Lanigan family, except when bigger engines were progressively introduced, but used to disturb the visitors. The bathroom had a wood chip heater for heating up the bath water. The kitchen also had a wood stove for cooking and which provided heating as the kitchen was the main living room where the wireless, now restored and still in the family, was the main entertainment.
The lounge/dining room was mainly used for visitors and this room had a piano which Kit only played occasionally. There was a passageway in the centre of the house which led to the Railway Office and
the floor was used as a sleeping area on hot nights. A grape vine grew in the backyard but the grapes were bitter to taste. The laundry and toilet were in buildings not attached to the house. The family always lived in houses rented from the Victorian Railways. Floor coverings were moved from house to house and usually comprised linoleum squares with stained boards surrounding the lino.
The family lived through tough economic times and money was tight, but Bill Snr had an entitlement to an annual railway pass and he used it most years- including trips interstate. These times included World War 2 and the aftermath when food coupons were issued and letters were censored. Bill snr .was responsible for the maintenance of Newstead and nearby stations and Bill Jnr can remember cutting up squares of newspaper with Kit for use in the railway toilets. The railway station was situated away from the town and over the Loddon River from the township. Bill used to ride his bike to the state school (approx 2+km) and on several occasions when the Loddon River flooded he wasn’t able to get to school. The main street of Newstead was quite close to the river but was protected by a levee bank. Maintenance gangs for the railway line on occasions used to live in railway carriages in the station yard and Kit regularly invited them in for a meal and on one occasion she invited a newly ar-
rived Polish immigrant for lunch and he ate the cherry pips.
The local Butter Factory was nearby and sent butter on the train and ice was made there for use in Bill and Kit’s ice chest. Bill jnr. led a very quiet and protected life being an only son. He mainly played with the kids from the butter factory as Kit was friendly with their mother. He sometimes went swimming in the Loddon River but remembers leeches were a problem. Newstead had a Mechanic’s Institute, as did lots of towns, which held dances and card games in the room out the back. It hosted an annual concert by the Institute for the Blind and the family usually attended via tickets won by Bill jnr. for selling the most tickets. Kit and Bill used to like dancing and attended functions in the district including the Mechanics Institute and the hall at Sandon near the Catholic Church. The dances were quite often on Friday night and supper was delayed until midnight so the Catholics could eat meat. If the dance was on a Saturday night the supper had to be before midnight so the Catholics could fast and receive Holy Communion at Mass on the Sunday morning. Kit spent most of her time at home looking after her two Bill’s and any Fitzsimons visitors. She was a loving mother and a good wife with a reasonably reserved manner. She was a good cook. She was very involved with the Catholic Church (St. Annes) at New-
St Anne’s Church, Newstea~ .......... J t
performed her many duties - Bill making his first communion
stead as it was very close to the railway station. She used to play the organ as she had been a competent pianist, plus launder the altar cloths, decorate the altar with flowers and assist with cleaning the church. First Communion breakfasts were often held at their house as it was close to the Church. Mass was celebrated by a Priest from Castlemaine at Newstead every fortnight and the other week at San-don (St. Lawrence OTooles).
Bill jnr. was an altar boy until he left Newstead to work elsewhere. Kit was a member of the Country Women’s Association and used to bake for their meetings .They kept fowls (chooks) in a pen located in a nearby paddock, owned by Victorian Railways and also there they kept a jersey cow (called Daisy) which Kit used to milk as she was well experienced from her early days at the Fitzsimons dairy farm in Templestowe. A beautiful red setter dog, called Ginger was a favourite of the family for many years and later a fox terrier but both were killed by cars so Kit said no more dogs. A cal was also always part of the scene.
Bill was the Stationmaster at Newstead
and along with the Schoolmaster and Postmaster were regarded as important people in the town. Newstead was the biggest town they had lived in having two hotels, a bank (NAB), general store, garage, butcher, baker as well as the offices for the Newstead Shire. Kit relieved at Moolort station, which was two stops up the line on the way to Maryborough, on more than one occasion when the permanent person was on holidays. Kit was friendly and helpful to the proprietor of the nearby Railway Hotel. Fitzsimons nephews and nieces can remember having a squash in the ladies lounge with Kit and the proprietor Miss May McGuinness. Miss McGuiness subsequently retired and lived nearby. After Miss McGuiness’s death, Kit found she had been given two large Victorian vases and an antique clock, which are still in the Lanigan family. Bill snr. enjoyed playing bowls at the local club and also golf. The course was on the local racecourse where races were held occasionally.
Bill had a 1930’s Singer car for many years . It had a soft top with a dicky seat in the back where Bill jnr. used to sit as there was not too much awareness of safety in those days. In 1951 they bought a new black Vauxhall Velox six cylinder car which they had until Bill snr. died in 1975. The car was purchased from monies Kit received from the estate of her parents as the farm at Templestowe continued to be operated by her brothers Bern and Bill. Bill Lanigan was not a good driver and had the habit of turning his head to talk to the occupants in the back seat. On the way to Mass at Sandon one Sunday he ran off the road and finished up between two large trees not too much worse for wear. Kit also drove the car.
In 1950 Bill started secondary school at St. Gabriel’s Convent in Castlemaine. He travelled by school bus for the 15km journey. Si. Gabriels was a two classroom
school of approx 50 pupils taught by the Sisters of Mercy to the mixed grades. The boys were well treated by one particular Nun. Visits to the Fitzsimons at Tem-plestowe were as frequent as Kit could organize and were mostly by train with Bill jnr. Bern and Kath’s house (up top as it was called -as distinct to Bill & Nell’s house down the hill) was the usual place to stay. Bill jnr. always enjoyed his visits as it was a chance to play with his cousins. On one visit he attended Sir Donald Bradman’s testimonial with his uncle Bern and cousins. The match was held in December, 1948 at the M.C.G. over four days with a total attendance over 90,000 people who watched Bradman lead a “Bradman XT’ against a “Hassett XT’. Meeting up with other non-Templestowe Fitzsimons relations were mainly if travel to Melbourne was by car. He helped in a minor way on the farm and remembers grabbing a possum with disastrous results in the hay shed.
Another occasion he went to the Wholesale Fruit Market early morning with Uncle Bill who went there in his covered van on a regular basis to sell his fruit. Fitzsimons relations were welcome regular visitors to Newstead and were mostly children coming to stay for school holidays which happened all the time they lived at Newstead. Bill and Kit were good hosts and enjoyed having the nephews and nieces stay with them and particularly in later years when Cyril and Eily’s children were very regular guests, as Kit wanted to mother them. Visits were made to Cyril and Eily’s various houses over the years, particularly Fern Hill and Creswick as these were closer to Newstead.
Bill started work at the ANZ Bank in Castlemaine in January, 1955 and was able to travel on the school bus in the mornings but frequently missed it in the afternoons, due to work commitments. The alternate was to try and get a ride home
from people at the Market, opposite the bank, or hitchhike. He worked there for a year, until the next lot of school leavers joined the bank, as was the normal practice until he was transferred to Loch. When Kit heard about it, she said where is this b*** Loch although she was usually averse to swearing. During his year there Bill turned 18 and on the day of his birthday he obtained his licence with only a short driving test from hotel, (where policeman was at the time) to police station. Thereafter he weekly drove the Bank Manager’s car to a bank agency on his own with cash and a gun. This was the year of the Melbourne Olympic Games and Bill was able to see several events. He lived in the local hotel for the first few months and then was able to obtain private accommodation. Next he was transferred to Moe where he stayed three years and accommodation was in private houses.
Travel back to Newstead was difficult because of the distance and so only happened at a long weekend or at Christmas or Easter. He used to hitchhike on Saturday afternoons, as the banks were open on Saturday mornings, up to Tem-plestowe where he stayed at Bern and Kath’s place on Saturday night. Terry used to get kicked out of his bed and slept on the lounge, which he enjoyed. Bill used to go to dances, mainly at Sacred Heart, Preston, with his cousins Tony Fitzsimons and later Brendan Fitzsimons joined the boys.
On the Sunday night Bill stayed at Jack (cousin) and Betty Renehan’s house in Heidelberg, so next morning he could catch a train into the City and back by train to Loch and Moe. Bill eventually could afford a car as living away from home took up a large proportion of wages and when aged 21 he purchased the bank manager’s 1954 FJ Holden, which made it a lot easier to travel to Newstead and Tem-plestowe. Within a year he was trans-
ferred to Melbourne where the Bank arranged for him to live in a boarding house ,first in Armadale and then South Yarra with “Deck” who was a kindly landlady. Bill went to dances several times a week with some of the other boarders and in 1961 met his future wife Irish at Heidelberg Town Hall. That night he had brought some boarders in his car but was able to offload them into another boarder’s car so he was able to take Trish and her friend Helen home. Kit welcomed Tilsh into the family with open arms as she was the niece of Father Ted Fennessy who had been the parish priest in Castlemaine and Bill jnr. had been his altar boy. Around this time Brendan Fitzsimons had a serious bike accident and Bill visited him regularly in Box Hill hospital and Trish wondered why she was not getting all of Bill’s attention.
Trish and Bill were married in 1963 at Glenroy and Tony and Brendan Fitzsimons were his best man and groomsman respectively. When considering names for their first daughter Trish mentioned that she liked Catherine, but said to her mother-in-law that Catherine the baby would be another Catherine Lanigan. Kit immediately replied she was a Fitzsimons and this was after 28 years of marriage to a Lanigan, so the Fitzsimons bond was very strong. Around this time Bill snr.went
on an organised lawn bowls trip overseas and wanted Kit to accompany him, but she said she would be away from family for too long. She meant Fitzsimons family, of course. Kit had her Mother’s sewing machine and it is still in the family.
Bill retired in 1964 and they shifted from Newstead to Brunswick where they lived in the house Bill’s mother and father built in 1908. Kit would have preferred to live closer to Templestowe. Bill and Trish have four children - Catherine (b 1964), John (1966), Colleen (1969) and Monica (1976). Catherine and her partner John have 2 children - Toe (b 2000) and Jarno (2006) ; John (divorced from Lisa) has 2 children - Thomas (b1999) and Alice (2002) ; Colleen and her husband Paul have 3 children - Olivia (2001), Emily (2004) and Lachlan (2007) and Monica and her husband Andrew have Mitchell (2010). Kit died in 1970 after being ill for some months. She saw three of her grandchildren born and would have been pleased to have seen the fourth one. She would have been pleased to know that her eldest grandchild Catherine grew up to have some similar characteristics as her grandmother. Her husband Bill died in 1975 after being ill for IS months. They are both buried in Warringal Cemetery in Heidelberg adjoining Kit’s brothers and sisters.
Next generation 1993.
L-r: Monica, Colleen, John, Cathy Front: Trish (ms Fennessy) and Bill
Descendants of Catherine Mary FITZSIMQNS & William Patrick LANIGAN
Married 08-Jan-1936
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Catherine Veronica — Zoe Lena
LANIGAN van der KNIJFF
b. 22-Sep-1964 b. 30-Jan-2000
partner —
John — Jarno Jacob as
van der KNIJFF van der KNIJFF
b. 23-Jan-1955 b. i 1-Jun-2006
— John Anthony
William John LANIGAN — Thomas Desmond
“Bill” LANIGAN b. 22-Mar-1966 LANIGAN
b. 23-May-1938 m. 14-Mar-1998 b. 04-Dec-1999
m. 05-Oct-1963 & Divorced.
Patricia Mary Lisa PATTERSON — Alice May
FENNESSY b. 24-Feb-1966 LANIGAN
b. 31-Jan-2002
— Colleen Mary
LANIGAN — Olivia Jade
b. Ol-Dec-1969 STARICK
m. 08-Nov-1998—- b. 27-Oct-20Ol
Paul STARICK
b. 28-Apr-1971 — Emily Grace
STARICK
b. 18-Jun-2004
— Lachlan William
STARICK
— Monica Frances b. 31-Jul-2007
LANIGAN
b. 04-Jun-1976
m. 14-Feb-2009 Mitchell Andrew
Andrew JORDAN JORDAN
b. 26-Jun-2010
William (Bill) Fitzsimons
This story begins on a fateful day in 1932 at Kalymna Guest House in Healesville, Victoria where Bill and one of his younger brothers Cyril were holidaying. On this particular day they decided to enjoy a game of billiards before dinner. In another part of the residence was a young girl Sarah Ellen Barlee (Nell) whose task was to mind the four children of her sister Grace and husband Joe, who ran the guesthouse. The children were not permitted in the section of the guesthouse where the guests were staying, but on this occasion young Ken escaped from his minder and ran into the Billiard Room. Bill who was about to play a shot, poked the young boy in the midriff then looked up to see an embarrassed and breathless young girl in hot pursuit.
Bill was later to describe Nell as the most beautiful girl in the world, so one can assume that it was love at first sight. He did not realise at the time that the two of them were very different. Bill was a cham-
pion sportsman, a superb dancer, a devout Catholic, a 31 year old bachelor who lived with his family in semi- rural Tem-plestowe. Nell was a shy 22 year old girl with no interest in sport, she did not dance, was a keen reader and an Anglican who grew up in Khancoban in the remote Snowy Mountains of NSW.
Somehow Bill and Nell were able to surmount all these differences and were married at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on 7th April 1934. Nell had taken instructions in the Catholic faith and converted to Catholicism prior to her marriage. This decision caused dissention in her family and she was estranged from some family members for quite a few years. The unlikely partnership lasted over 25 years until Bill’s untimely death in 1959.
William, always known as Bill, was born on March 31,h1901 in the year of Australian Federation. He was the fifth in the family of eight. He was preceded by an
Bill and Nell on their wedding day 7th April, 1934. Bern was Best [Wan amd Mabel Barlee, Nell’s sister was Bridesmaid
Bill and Nell with Cyril at Healesville where they met in 1932
older brother, Leo, and his three older sisters who no doubt spoiled him. Bill and his sister Catherine were particularly close and would remain so all their lives. Although his childhood was a very happy one, a disaster did occur when he was a small child. Bill managed to poke his finger into a chaff cutter which severed the small finger of his right hand. His mother clutched his hand to her breast during the long journey to Ivanhoe by horse and cart, but the doctor was unable to save his finger. Bill was followed in the family by three brothers -Bern, Tony and Cyril whom he led in the many sports which they pursued. Grandpa Fitzsimons appreciated their skills and built a cricket pitch and tennis court near their home and gave land near the corner of Fitzsimons Lane and Porter Street for a Templestowe Football ground.
All the male members of the family became talented sportsmen. Bill was the captain of both the football and cricket teams. The Templestowe football team played in the Diamond Valley League which was of a very high standard and produced many league footballers. The
other interesting outcome of this sporting involvement was that the Catholic Fitzsimons boys mixed with the locals who were not of their faith. The members of the local cricket team all attended Sunday cricket practice on the Fitzsimons pitch. This would have been quite a social event. The Petty, Mangan, Mullens, Beale, Au-mann and Rasmussen families were members of these teams and most became lifelong friends. In winter months when the Australian team was touring England many of these men would visit Bill’s house to listen to the Test Cricket on a very crackly radio.
The social life of the Fitzsimons family was not forgotten. The older members of the family were quite musical and played in a band. The younger ones did not play a musical instrument, no doubt too busy playing sport but enjoyed singing and dancing very much. In 1927 Nanny purchased a Chevrolet car for the boys so they could drive to dances and balls in the
Bill and Tony taken In 1935. Note Bill’s missing finger on his right hand
surrounding districts. Bill really enjoyed dancing and was much in demand as a partner. He used to say that he was a very good waltzer who could “turn on a threepenny bit.” Another use of the car was to visit the Heidelberg Cinema after it opened. There was drama on one occasion when the car was stolen from outside the Cinema by Neil Mann’s brother. Neil Mann was a league footballer who later captained Collingwood, so no doubt his brother was forgiven!
Bill was educated at Templestowe Primary school and when he was old enough St John’s in Heidelberg (then known as St Monica’s) He was not a brilliant student but he had a wonderful general knowledge and interest in world affairs which he frequently shared during his illness. Bill and his siblings travelled to Heidelberg for their education, the girls attended Our Lady of Mercy College, the boys St John’s. They travelled by coach and horses and on one occasion Bill was put off the coach on the return journey for telling the coachman that his horses were skinny.
Maureen particularly enjoyed this story as she was put off the school bus at the exact same spot- outside Finn’s Hotel- for accidentally hitting the bus driver with an orange peel!
When he was 14 years of age Bill left school, which was the norm in those days. Although he was interested in working on the land he did not like dairy farming and after helping his father for some years he was allocated 20 acres of the family property to develop an orchard. This he did very successfully until his illness intervened. Bill developed warm friendships with the other orchardists in the district and did much of the marketing for them at Victoria Market. The tlegri family, Italian immigrants, who cultivated a market garden in Lower Templestowe became firm friends. Bill took their produce to market and was generous to the family. At the time many immigrants were ignored by the locals, but not so Bill who instructed the family to look after Antoinette Negri when she started school.
After Bill and Nell married in 1934 they immediately moved into their new home which had been built for them by Thc! Sheehan on land down the bottom of the hill where Grandpa and Nanny once lived. Nell was a great cook and a been gardener who soon had the new house looking splendid. However later that year, disaster struck with horrific floods uprooting many of the established fruit trees. So severe was this flood that a pear tree was later found where the bridge is now situated.
Eileen, Maureen and Tony
in 2OO0
1935 turned out to be a good year when their first son Tony was born on August 14th.
Tony was a red head, although Nell and Bill were both brunettes. It was also a successful year for the newly planted orchard and Bill bought Nell a fur coat. A great sadness occurred a few years later when their second son died at birth. This death so affected Bill and Nell that they never spoke about it to their family. In the December of 1940 a daughter Maureen was born, another redhead. Bill said that World War Two was at such a critical stage at the time of his daughter’s birth that he didn’t know whether to give her back or take her home. Shortly after her birth, Bill was called to enlist in the Army. As he was involved in an essential industry, he was told that the Australian Government would only call on him when the ‘Japs’ were on the door step. The family was complete when a second red headed daughter, Eileen, was born in February 1946. Bill instructed Maureen to run up the hill to tell Nanny and Grandpa of the new arrival.
Early childhood was a wonderful experience for the two older little redheads who spent endless hours in the orchard with Bill while he worked. Summer time was bliss when the children were allowed to sit at the base of peach trees and eat the best peaches in the world. Much of the crop was sold for export. Several men were employed to help in the orchard with the pruning and picking. Nell always provided the workers such as John Swanberg with his dog Princey and Harold Smith with lunch. The amazing event that the children witnessed was that the men tipped their tea into their saucers to cool and then drink. Nell was a wonderful mother and provider producing two or three courses for each meal as well as working in the orchard beside her husband. Nell had been a keen reader all her life and read to her children from a young
age and they were also given books at birthday and Christmas. This love of reading was to stay with them all their lives and was handed on to their children and grandchildren. Nell had been denied the education she craved because of the lack of good teaching in the remote area in which she lived. She was adamant that her daughters receive the best education available.
The extended Fitzsimons family remained very close even after marriage. Bill and Nell were fortunate to live next door to Bern and Kath and Cousins Bernadette, Brendan and Terry. As the children grew they played together, fought together, went to school together, got into trouble together and of course played endless games of sport. A combination of ages and sexes meant that all six engaged in cricket and football games. These games were frequently interrupted by a blast from Auntie Kath’s pea whistle which was a call that her children were to return home. Later Bernadette and Maureen played netball in the school team and represented the local Templestowe team much as their fathers had. Eileen and Terry were born in the same year and began school together. In their first year of school they kept the audience at a school ball, held at Heidelberg Town Hall, entertained by having a stand up fight in the middle of the dance floor. Unfortunately for Terry, Eileen was wearing an angora bolero most of which ended up on Terry’s dark suit.
Most weekends other members of the family would come to visit and the cousins played together while the adults socialised. Holiday time was an exciting time when Auntie Cath and Bill Junior would come down from Newstead to visit. Now another member was added to the team. A visit to Heidelberg was never complete without a visit to Uncle Tony and Auntie Kit’s home in Studiey Road where
Cousins Mary, Denise and Patricia, later joined by John, lived.
Denise and Maureen were in the same class at school and made their first Communion together. Another cousin Helen Connellan was also in the same class. The Connellan and the Fitzsimons families were very close. The Grandmothers Catherine and Margaret Walsh were identical twins. Margaret married a widower John Connellan and they had three boys -John, who became a priest, William (Bill) and Tom. The Connellan boys were not unlike the Fitzsimons men to look at and of course Bill and his wife Nell Connellan produced one red head among their four girls. A favourite family story about the Walsh twins Catherine and Margaret became family folk lore. One day in later life Nanny went to the State Theatre to see a movie. As she was climbing the staircase she thought she saw her sister coming towards her and commented that she didn’t know that Margaret was down from the country where she lived. On reaching the top of the stairs Catherine was amazed to see that it was her own image reflected in the full length mirror.
A large part of the Fitzsimons family’s time when not participating was following sport. Bill, Bern and Tony were all members of the Collingwood Football Club and attended most games. Nell, who never attended any of these games, supported the cause by continually buying umbrellas, which Bill invariably left behind. In the end she admitted defeat and stopped buying umbrellas. To say that supporting Collingwood was a religion would not be an overstatement. All the cousins supported the team with the same enthusiasm. The children were taken to home matches at Victoria Park when Collingwood was playing lower teams and the ground was not too crowded. The highlight of the season for the brothers was the Geelong home game. Bern, who was a teetotaller, was
the designated driver in his big Chevrolet and he was instructed to stop at all the Pubs on the Old Geelong Road so the brothers and friends could refresh themselves.
Cricket matches were also popular for these men. As a special treat Maureen was taken to the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria end New South Wales on her birthday each year as it was then held over the Christmas period. The early introduction to elite sport was to stay with the next generation who all still support Collingwood and follow the cricket.
in 1943 the lives of Bill, Nell, Tony, Maureen and two year old Eileen changed forever when Bill began experiencing severe joint pain. The pain increased in intensity until he sought medical advice and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Bill was to fight this disease for the next ten years, seeking various treatments and spending periods of time in the Austin Hospital. Although Bill frequently suffered acute pain he never lost his sense of humour. This illness must have been very hard to bear for this once active man.
In 1949 Bill’s condition had deteriorated and he was unable to continue working the orchard.
Tony was forced to leave school and the orchard was removed and the land converted to a dairy farm. Nell and Tony worked tirelessly to make this new venture profitable.
The extended family rallied to help where necessary. They constantly visited, often with remedies they hoped would cure this strange disease. Uncle Tony Fitzsimons bought one of the early television sets so Bill could watch the Olympic Games and other sporting events.
Tony’s 21st Birthday featuring many of Nell’s and Bill’s relations
One of the cures Bill had been recommended was gin and lemon squash. Bill Connellan frequently turned up with a bottle of gin which he insisted he had found on the train.
Bern and Kath were particularly caring at this difficult time. Bern drove the children to Mass, to school functions and sporting events. Kath was a great friend to Nell and they would remain close all their lives.
Through all this upheaval Nell worked so hard, but always insisted that Eileen and Maureen continue their education. Bill was by now confined to a wheel chair so he was around to help with homework and relate all the wonderful stories of his life, many of which have been used in this piece. Bill’s life ended on the 26th December 1959. The enormous attendance at his funeral was a testament to a much loved man.
Nell and Tony continued to work on the farm and with their assistance Eileen and Maureen finished their education and both became teachers.
Tony married Shirley Meehan in March
1966 and Maureen married Michael O’Neill in England in the same year. Tony’s son William was proudly given his grandfather’s name. He married fellow teacher, Jill Earle and they have three girls- Lucy and twins Rachel and Sophie. Maureen and Michael produced two daughters, Vanessa who has a son Daniel and Natalie who lives in Vietnam with her husband Tim and daughter Laila.
Eileen still teaches at Genazzano. She is married to Leon Bendall and has two daughters, Alicia and Jessica.
In 1966 before Tony’s marriage, Nell moved from the farm to North Balwyn. Here she had more time to indulge her loves of reading and gardening. She continued to produce amazing meals, incomparable roast dinners and superb scones and sponges. Although she was widowed at 50, she never contemplated remarrying as she said she couldn’t stand old men. Nell lived long enough to see all her grandchildren born and of course spent endless hours reading to them.
Sadly Nell died in 1989 and although William and Vanessa were both studying at Melbourne University, she wasn’t to
know that all her grandchildren would be university graduates, something which would have pleased her.
This story which began at Kalymna Park Guesthouse in 1932 had come to an end. The legacy of Bill and Nell lives on in
Shirley and Tony
with son William and
Daughter-in-law Jill in 2007
the family, who also appreciate their Fitzsi-mons heritage.
One wonders what their lives would have been if that little boy had not run into that forbidden Billiard Room on that fateful
day
TEw three cousins Demise, Helen and Maureen (holding Daniel) with their husbands Bob, Geoff and Michael.
TEw cousins made their First Communion together in 1948. Fleur is also in the photo
The four cousins Jessica, Vanessa, Alicia and Natalie in 2003
wm
m
Descendants of William FITZSIMQNS & Sarah Ellen BARLEE
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Anthony “Tony “
FITZSIMONS
b. 14-Aug-1935 r-Lucy FITZSIMONS
m. 26-Mar-1966 — William b. 30-Jul-2003
Shirley MEEHAN FITZSIMONS
b. 16-Oct-1939 b. 14-Nov-1967 — Rachel FITZSIMONS
m. 11-Dec-1999 b. 05-Oct-2005
Jill EARLE
— Peter b. 07-Jan-1972 twins
FITZSIMONS
b. 1936 — Sophia FITZSIMONS
d. 1936 #5699 b. 05-Oct-2005
— Maureen — Vanessa O’NEILL
FITZSIMONS b. 06-May-1968
b. 29-Dec-1940 um. — Daniel O’NEILL
m. 28-May-1966 b. 22-Dec-2005
Michael O’NEILL
—Natalie O’NEILL
b. 03-Nov-1970
m. - Laila ELMS
Tim ELMS b. 28-Jul-2009
— Eileen
FITZSIMONS r—Alicia BEND ALL
b. 11-Feb-1946 b. 25-Sep-1980
m. 18-Dec-1976
Leon BEND ALL — Jessica BENDALL
b. 12-Nov-1942 b. 05-Jan-1984
Bernard (Bern) Fitzsimons
Bern and Kath’s wedding 17th March, 1938. L-r: Andy Le Brocq, Yvonne Le Brocq, Bern and Kath, Bill Fitzsimons, Catherine Cashen, Yvonne Cresp
extremely high altitude when the engine gave trouble so he decided to land. Flying through sleet he saw the only possible landing ground was a rain-soaked pad-dock. He managed to land successfully but the plane overturned before it had stopped its run on the ground. The plane crashed into a fence and was extensively damaged. The wings and bodywork were covered with snow and ice. The pilot complained only of a sore back. He returned to Melbourne later and an Air Force guard was placed over the plane which was a Bulldog single-seater fighter. As a result of the accident the Meteorological Bureau was without the usual data obtained by the Air Force daily”. Bern helped with the recovery of the plane as access was limited. He brought parts of the wreckage out by horse and dray. He was given a small memento of a part of the propeller and this was displayed in his home for many, many years.
Bern married Kathleen Le Brocq on 17 March 1938 (St. Patrick’s Day) at Our Lady Help of Christians in Eltham. Kath lived in Eltham for many years, as her father was the station master there, and they lived in Luck Street not far from the
station. Kath played the organ at Our Lady’s and the choir presented her with a canteen of cutlery as a wedding present. During those days St. Patrick’s Day was the only day that you could marry during the Lenten season. During her time at Our Lady’s she formed some strong friendships and these friends remained with her throughout her married life. Even after her death her children kept in touch with these friends until their deaths. Kath was the only daughter with five brothers Daniel, Andrew, Michael, George and Ronald.
Her secondary education was at Our Lady’s College in Heidelberg.
After Bern and Kath married they moved into their house on the hill which was named “Summerhill” after the grandparent’s place of residence in County Meath in Ireland. The middle chimney, which was the original chimney in Nanny and Pa’s house was used in Bern & Kath’s house and still stood until its demolition in 2007. “Summerhill” was a great meeting place for our families and their friends and this continued even after their grandchildren were born. Bern and Kath were very
Bern with his five horses
hospitable and theirs wa , i open house. Kath always baked scones of a weekend to feed the visitors. Their hospitality was sometimes stretched when the grandchildren’s school and kinder classes came up to see how a farm was run and stayed for the day. They were given rides on the tractor trailer and Bern showed them how to milk a cow.
Harvesting was a great time for us all. The flat right on the river was harvested every year and Des Renehan (cousin) would come to help Bern and he would bring a friend with him, Kevin Leahy. The hay was carted on a horse and dray and sometimes the hay bales fell off the dray. The hay had to be carted in as quickly as possible before the rains came. Terry Fitzsimons had one of the Twomey broth-
ers ycrnocc r: r a.aa, ae-
on him when the load slipped and he, Terry, broke his collarbone.
Farm life of course was not all fun and games and Bern ran the farm very efficiently because it was his livelihood. There were many instances when representatives of the Department of Agriculture visited the farm and took many cover photographs of the farm and Bern at work.
Bernadette, Brendan and Terry helped milk the cows on a Saturday afternoon to enable Bern to go and play cricket. He played cricket for Templestowe for many years in the Box Hill Reporter District Assoc. Bern was a good cricketer and won many awards during his time. He was also a 50 year member of the club as well as a life member at Templestowe and
Bern cutting hay (Newspaper cutting). This photo was on the front cover of Dept. Agriculture Journal of October 1946. House in the background was home of Catherine Fitzsimons (nee Walsh) in Eltham over Yarra River before marriage.
there is now an award in his memory for the Best Club Man at Templestowe. All the brothers were very keen sportsmen.
Bern and some of his brothers also played football for Templestowe Football Club. The Club was originally founded in 1982 and its first home ground was Finns Reserve. In 1912 the Club moved to Smiths paddock (now Westerfolds Park). After a stint playing at the Fitzsimons property the Club moved to its current location at Porter Street in the early 1930s.
Bern was also a member of the Templestowe Cemetery Trust for many years and after his death Brendan assumed Bern’s role. During 120 plus years since the Cemetery’s beginning, the trustees have had to face many problems, including financial ones, and particularly through the depression years. But these were overcome with some help and co-operation of the residents of Templestowe. In
1954 a pair of Memorial Gates and Pillars was erected at the entrance of the cemetery in Foote Street. The money for these gates was obtained by public subscription from the descendants of the early pioneer families. The first burial at the cemetery was on 20 March 1860. By the end of 1981, 5,842 was the figure. Amongst those who have been buried in the Templestowe Cemetery were a number of gifted men and women who were leaders in community affairs. The cemetery must, therefore, claim a place in the history of our City as it is the final resting place of many of our earliest pioneers and their families.
On 19 January 1951 Bern was having his usual Sunday snooze when there was a terrific storm and lightning set fire to his hay shed. Bern lost all his hay and also a young heifer died that was tethered nearby. The fire made front page news the next morning in the daily newspaper. Fire trucks and people came from everywhere to assist on this day.
Bern regularly grubbed tussocks in the paddocks as well as spreading super and harrowing. When he was a distance from the house Kath would blow a whistle and wave a white flag at 12 o’clock for him to come home for lunch. He had an uncanny knack of accurately forecasting the weather. He used to say that when he could hear the trains rattling in Eltham, it would rain. Sure enough it did.
On Bernadette’s 12th birthday she received a bike and was then able to ride to the local grocery store and present a coupon to receive butter and sugar etc. The store was one mile from home but the thrill of riding her new bike made it an enjoyable journey. There was only one general store in Templestowe. There was also a milk bar a little further down the street.
Bern and Kath’s 25th Wedding Anniversary
Farming of course had its ups and
and keep the fires burning at night when the family would visit Brendan in hospital after he had his motor bike accident. He was in Box Hill hospital for six months. Gordon and his wife Dot became close friends of Bern and Kath. Bern did light jobs helping on the construction of the bridge on his grey Ferguson tractor pulling a roller which he very much enjoyed. This bridge carries a lot of traffic today and cut off a 12 mile trip to Eltham. The bridge now connects Fitzsimons Lane, which is now a major thoroughfare to the northern suburbs of Lower Plenty, Eltham and beyond.
Although the farm was a little bit remote from normal suburbia (only 15 house lights were visible from Bern and Kath’s house) there were many good aspects about living on the farm. Bern built a tennis court and many happy afternoons were had entertaining friends on the tennis court. The children went yabbying, ferreting, horse riding, shooting, and built bon-fires, to name just a few. Sing-a-longs around the piano were also very popular with their young friends whilst having BBQs.
On 16th December 1939 Kath and Bern’s first child Bernadette Carmel was born at Airlie in Ivanhoe and the family doctor was Dr Appleby. It was a very hot day and Bern made 61 not out in cricket. Bernadette suffered badly with asthma in her early years and she was even hospitalised. It was eventually discovered that she was allergic to rye grass. Bernadette moved to Canberra in 1961 and remained working there until 1964 when she married Gerard Selleck, whom she had met in Canberra whilst living there. They returned permanently to Melbourne in April 1965 and their first child, Mark Gerard was born in October 1965. Andrea Bernadette was born in November 1966, Paul Andrew was born in August 1969 and Matthew Bernard was born May 1971.
Bernadette & Gerard’s eldest son Mark, is a geologist and moved to Western Australia after graduating from University with a Science degree. He is married to Julia and they have three children Lachlan, Nicholas and Ashlee (born 22/02/10) and they are residing in Singapore. They will eventually return to Sydney, where they have a home, in time for Lachlan to start secondary school. Their daughter Andrea is married to Kevin and they have two children Taylah and Jack. Andrea has an arts degree and is lucky enough to be employed and able to work from home. Paul is married to Fiona and they live in Wan-garatta on 164 acres of beautiful countryside. They are both Agricultural Science graduates and enjoy the outdoors. They both have outside employment but there is always plenty to do on the property. Matthew is the youngest and has recently returned from a 7 month trip around Australia. He is not married but has a lady friend Debbie - so our fingers crossed! Matthew has just returned from working at Marysville driving heavy machinery and clearing land after the bush fires.
Brendan Michael was born on 26th June 1942 and he, like Bernadette, suffered badly with asthma. When Brendan was at school at Parade he got hepatitis and was off school for quite some time. Brendan married Maureen Fitzpatrick on 4th February 1967 and their first child was Karen was born later that year.
Karen Marie was born on 3 October 1967 at St Georges Hospital in Kew. She attended St Kevins Primary School in Templestowe and then Catholic Ladies’ College, Eltham. Whilst working part time at the Templestowe Hotel in 1987 she met Tim Tucker who she eventually married in February 1992 and had a daughter Ashlee Alyce born 17 June 1995. Karen and Tim divorced in 1996. Karen then met Neil McNutt at Templestowe Football Club in April 1997 and again at the Geebung Polo Club in Hawthorn. They married on 31
December 1999 in their garden at Lower Templestowe. They have a son Shea William Brendan born on 17 October 2000. Karen and Neil divorced in October 2002. Michael Brendan was born on 26 February 1989 and married Caryn (Man-ley) on 28 October 2006 at St Kevin’s Templestowe. Darren Joseph was born on 17 December 1970 at Box Hill Hospital. He married Jodi (O’Brien) on 21 November 1998 at St Ignatius, Richmond. They have two children Luke Michael born 9 December 1999 and Emily Michaela born 30 May 2003. Damien Patrick was born on 24 March 1972 at Box Hill Hospital. He married Julia (Houston) on 9 March 2002 and they have three sons Jordan James bom 22 February 2003, Cooper Daniel Born 17 November 2005 and Mason Thomas born 4 December 2008. Travis John was born on 2 July 1973 at St Georges Hospital, Kew. Travis lives in Greensborough and is not married. Jodi Ann was born on 3 March 1976 at Mercy Hospital and married Scott Andrew Han-nington on 14 July 2007. They have twin sons Nathan William and Samuel Brendan born on 10 June 2009 at Mercy Hospital, Heidelberg.
Brendan collapsed and died from Coro-n; jmbosis on Qantas flight QF85 flying between Brisbane and Hong Kong on 5th August 2002. Brendan and his wife Maureen were on the first leg of a two month tour of England and Europe. Brendan collapsed mid flight and although there were two doctors on board the flight, they were unable to revive him. Brendan had lived life to the full. He loved to be a member of committees and was President of many, including his work Social Club. He was a life member of the Templestowe Football Club and the Templestowe RSL, helping to build it from a “hole in the wall”, for men only, to making it the social club it is today with a function room and the facility it is today. Unfortunately Brendan did not live long enough to see the new club rooms at the Templestowe Football Club
completed but he had played a large part in their planning. Brendan was very proud of his family and was forever introducing them to friends and acquaintances.He was very popular amongst his peers and had many friends. He is greatly missed by his family and all those who knew him.
Terrence Anthony was bos n on 22nd May 1946. Something Terry is proud of is that he was born on the same day as Uncle Tony. Ten days before Terry went into the Army to do National Service at Puckapunyal in 1967 he met Eril Topliss who lived in Lower Plenty. During his stay in the Army in Victoria Kath, Bern and the family would visit, along with Eril. In June 1968 they became engaged and married on 7th January 1969 and Terry was posted to Townsville. Kath and Bern visited whilst they were living there. Terry left the Army in October 1969 and returned to live with Kath and Bern for a short while until they eventually bought a home in Templestowe. Their first child Dean was born on 1st December 1970 followed by Shannon on 4th March 1974. Both boys are married. Dean married Samantha (Marshall) in 1998 and they have three children Holly, Harry and Oscar. Shannon married Rebecca (Grace) in 2004 and they have two daughters Ella and McKenzie. Both boys are plumbers and Shannon works for Dean. Dean lives in Panton Hill and Shannon in Montmorency. History repeats itself - Dean, Sam and the children are members of the local Pony Club and Terry & Eril also go horse riding when they are at Dean’s.
We had a very happy and privileged way of life while Bern and Kath were alive. Bern passed away in July 1978 and Kath in May 1983.
Descendants of
BERNARD FITZSIMONS & Kathleen LeBROCO
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Mark Gerard SELLECK b. 15-Oct-1965 mm 9^ Tnl 900° — Lachlan Riley SELLECK b. 03-Apr-2004 — Nicholas Christian SELLICK b. 20-M-2007 — Taylah Andrew FLEMING b. 21-Nov-1996 — Jack Kevin FLEMING b. 31-Mar-1999
— Bernadette Carmel FITZSIMONS b. 16-Dec-193 9 t-n 11 in^ XXX. Z*ULX Z* v/ Mia LONG — Andrea Bernadette SELLECK b. 22-Nov-1966 lst.m. 16-Dec-1989 Ian HOULT now divorced Ond ^
m. IZ-kjCp-JL Gerard SELLECK b.1 l-Sep-1937
z, 111. Kevin FLEMING — Paul Andrew SELLECK b. 26-Aug-1969 m. 27-Oct-2002 Fiona O’NEILL
— Matthew Bernard SELLECK b. 15-May-1971
— Karen Marie FITZSIMONS b. 03-Oct-1967 mm 1 90 1 OOO A nklAA A 1-tr rr\r\
XXX. X. Ay-r CIJ”X yy£ Tim TUCKER St.Kevin’s Templestowe b 26-Aug 1969 div Aug 1996 mm 9 9 1 1 OOO /T-biiicc /\iyce TUCKER b. 17-Jun-1995 \A/i I li am
XXX. Z,. J X -L/CL" iyyy Templestowe Neil McNUTT b 06-June-1963 div. Oct 2002 oiled W lillalli Brendan McNUTT b 17-0ct-2000
— Brendan Michael FITZSIMONS b. 26-Jun-1942 :— Michael Brendan FITZSIMONS b. 26-Feb-1969 m 90 9AA/C — Jacksyn Thomas FITZSIMONS b. 01-Jan-2008
XXX Z/O vJvUZUUO St.Kevin’s
d. 05-Aug-2G02 Templestowe 1 — Paige Isabelle
m. 04-Feb-1967 —1 Caryn MANLEY FITZSIMONS
All Hallows Balwyn Maureen Patricia 07-July-1980 b. 25-April-2010
FITZPATRICK — Darren Joseph — Luke Michael
b. 05-Feb-1947 FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS
b. 17-Dec-1970 m. 21-Nov-19 b. 09-Dee-1999
St Ignatius Richmond — Emily Michaela
Jodi O’BRIEN FITZSIMONS
b. 04-Jun-1970 — Damien Patrick b. 30-May-2003
Michael — Jordan James
FITZSIMONS FITZSIMONS
b.24-Mar-1972 m. Q9-Mar-2002 ■— b 22-Feb- 2003
The Dandenongs. — Cooper Daniel
Julia Marie FITZSIMONS
HOUSTON b. 04-Dec-1972 b. 17-Nov-2O05 — Mason Thomas
— Travis John FITZSIMONS
FITZSIMONS b. 02-Jul-1973 — Jodi Ann FITZSIMONS b. 03-Mar-1976 m. 1. 01-Sep-2001 Eltham b. 04-12-2008
Paul JENKIN — Nathan William
b. 14-Nov-1974 HANNINGTON
div July 2004 m. 2. 14-July-2007 — b. 10-June-2009
St. Thomas the Aquinas South Yarra Twins.
Scott Andrew — Samuel Brendan
HANNINGTON HANNINGTON
b. 12-Oct-1973 b. 10-June-2009 r—Holly FITZSIMONS
r—Dean FITZSIMONS b. 24 May-1999
— Terry FITZSIMONS b. 01 -Dec-1970 m 15-Nov.l997 —— — Harry FITZSIMONS
b. 22-May-1946 pp Trs-p 1 AZ A Sam MARSHALL b. 11-Jan-1973 b. 02-Peb~2001
m. u / “Jan-1 you
Eril TOPLISS — Oscar Henry
15-M-1949 — Shannon FITZSIMONS b. 17-Jun-2004
FITZSIMONS — Ella Grace
b. 04-Mar-1974 ♦"P 1 H A p.-** OAA/I FITZSIMONS b. 09-Bec~2O05
m. i /-/\pr-zuun-Rebecca GRACE
b. 11-May-1974 •— Mackenzie
FITZSIMONS 10-Jan-2008
Anthony (Tony) Fitzsimons
At the age of fifteen and straight out of school, Anthony Fitzsimons, better known and forever known as Tony Fitzsimons, broke with the family tradition of farming and began a plumbing apprenticeship. He was apprenticed to J. W. Brown of Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe, he also enrolled at Collingwood Technical School, where he attended night classes three times a week. In January 1930 Tony received his plumber’s license and A. Fitzsimons Plumbing was born. Tony toured from Templestowe to Ivanhoe on his new BSA motorbike. He soon attached a sidecar to transport his tools. It was on this same BSA motorbike that Tony had a tangle with a cable car in Collins Street. The details are sketchy but somehow Tony’s bike became attached to the under carriage of the cable car and he was dragged some distance. His bike was quite damaged and so was his pride but he survived to tell a lively story. His plumbing career flourished, he worked long and hard hours and he was well suited to his trade
Business was going well for Tony, so well, the story goes that he was able to purchase a block of land in Studley Road, Heidelberg. It was a large block by current standards and had a laneway at the back, running from Banksia Street. It was the perfect set up for his expanding business and he operated out of the rear of 80 Stud-ley Road with an elaborate series of sheds and an office manned by the ever reliable Mrs Betty Duncan for 33 years. The purchase in 1936 cost him a staggering £500.00. His family was aghast especially his mother Nanny, who called him in no uncertain terms a ‘spendthrift’. Even when the home was complete and grandchildren had arrived, Nanny with her unswerving stubbornness never set foot on the property. Tony would relate this story to his family and friends in later years, well after it was clear that it had been a wise purchase.
Tony was born on May 22nd 1909 in Clifton Hill. He was the seventh of eight children to John Henry and Catherine Fitzsimons. At birth Tony weighed a robust thirteen pounds. He was educated at Templestowe Primary School and later at St Monica’s (now St John’s, Heidelberg). Tony often shared the story of his walk to primary school one day along the bush track that is now of course Fitzsimons Lane. He claims he fell and broke his arm. He fervently believed that he fell again and broke his arm a second time. Nanny took
Tony - 21st Birthday
him to the doctor’s who tried to straighten Tony’s arm, probably without pain relief. Tony lashed out and struck the doctor in the face. The doctor’s response was firm, “You can have a crooked arm for the rest of your life”. And he did! It was Nanny’s idea to insist Tony carry buckets of sand to straighten his arm. But that failed also. Tony would often laugh (and he did that so well) about his crooked arm and he loved showing it off to his grandchildren.
Tony was a fine sportsman. In 1924 when he enrolled at Colling wood Technical School he soon joined the senior football team and the senior cricket team -both teams were premiers that year. Sport always played an important role in Tony and in his brothers’ lives. He went on to represent Templestowe and Heidelberg in both football and cricket over many years. After the arrival of his family, Tony’s cricket playing days were replaced with golf days. He became a member of the Heidelberg Golf Club. He was also a member of the
Melbourne Cricket Club. But there was little that was more important to Tony than the Collingwood Football Club. We assume that the poor boy would have had no choice in the matter with his older, stronger brothers already members of the Collingwood faithful and then Tony’s schooling at Collingwood Tech’ would have cemented it. He was a club member and keen supporter all his life. He went on to influence his own family to support the magpies and sadly some of them are still stalwart supporters today!
The Immaculate Conception Parish Socials were held at Rockbeare Grove in Ivanhoe. It was here in 1934 that Tony met Catherine (Kit) Conway. Tony’s brother, Cyril and Leila Kelly, Kit’s best friend, introduced them. Kit wrote in later life that she and Tony felt they were attracted to each other shortly after they met. They became engaged in 1936 and married on April 22nd, 1937 at The Immaculate Conception Church. The Nuptial Mass was
Wedding L-r Leila Kelly, Bern Fltzsimons, Tony and Kit, Cyril Fitzsimons, Eileen Conway
Tony and Kit at 105 Studley Road, Heidelberg -1937
celebrated by Father Norris. They honeymooned at Marylyn in Marysville and returned home to 80 Studley Road, to the fine home that Tony had built.
Kit was born in Rainbow, Victoria in 1912. She arrived in Melbourne in 1930. She began working at The Ivanhoe Doctor’s Surgery in Upper Heidelberg Road with Dr. Littlejohn and Dr. Simpson. Kit soon became involved socially at her local Church Parish and at the Ivanhoe Tennis Club. She was 22 years old when she met Tony. They were a gentle and quiet couple and both committed to their Catholic faith. They enjoyed dancing and Kit was particularly competitive on the tennis court.
Tony and Kit had their first child, Mary in 1938. Denise was born in 1941, Patricia in 1945 and John in 1950. It surprised many family members that no red heads were produced, although that has since happened in following generations. When John arrived it became apparent that the growing family needed more space. Tony extended their home by adding a second storey. It remains an impressive home to this day. Tony began to branch out of the plumbing business and took on some building projects. He also invested in several properties with his brother Bern, in East Melbourne.
Tony was a great socializer; he enjoyed the company of his large family and of his large circle of friends. Frequent visits were made across the Odelmore Road rail bridge to the Connellan cousins in Wimbledon Grove, Eaglemont. The Booths, the Mullens, the Shepherdsons and then later on the Boyles were also very special friends. Longer trips were often taken out to Templestowe to visit Nanny and Grandpa on the farm. Tony took great delight in showing his girls and John about the farm. Aunty Nell’s afternoon tea was always a highlight. Her scones and home made jam and cream made the young Fitzsimons family happy to travel such a long distance. On the way to Bern and
Studley
Road
1937
Studley
Road
1950
Kath’s house, the girls were usually busy collecting buckets full of mushrooms. Patricia especially enjoyed helping (well, she thought she was helping) at milking time. She loved rounding up the cows and getting as muddy as possible. She also recalls one occasion when she and cousin Eileen found themselves alone in the dam paddock being chased by a bull, a big bull! They scrambled over a fence to safety but were quite rattled by the experience. Kit enjoyed the yabbying expeditions. On one occasion a bucket full of yabbies was taken home to Studley Road, but before a great feast could be had, the largest yabby somehow managed to eat all the other yabbies. Ail that was left was one very
over sized yabby!
Tony and Kit found it difficult to take frequent family holidays, but in 1947 the family ventured to Portland with the caravan in tow behind the 1939 Oldsmobile. As the children grew, seaside holidays at Morn-ington and Mt Martha became popular. In 1954 Tony and Kit packed the car ‘sky-high’ and hit the highway to Sydney. It was a long and testing trip with four young children on board. The most memorable holiday was possibly the crossing to Tasmania in 1956 on the Taroona .It was memorable because the family spent most of the night praying the rosary, quite certain they would sink to the bottom of Bass
At Studley Road L-r: Denise, Tony, Trish, John, Kit and Mary W54
Tony -1984
Strait in the wildest seas ever known! In 1962, Tony, Kit, Trish and John ventured west by train to Perth and returned in style on the P & O Oriana. In the early 1960s, as the grandchildren started to arrive, Tony made a very popular purchase. He bought a block of land in Henley Street, Barwon Heads and built a family holiday house. The families jockeyed for the prime holiday weeks at Barwon Heads for the next twenty-five or so years.
Tony and Kit were enormously proud of their four beautiful children. The girls started their schooling at Our Lady of Mercy College in Heidelberg. The girls often walked to and from school with their Connellan cousins. One wet morning, Tony’s trusty apprentice, Brian Sheehan was instructed to drive the girls the short distance to school in the work utility, a 1936 Chevrolet. Turning out of Studley Road into Banksia Street, young Denise’s door flew open and out she fell! She was unhurt bar a few grazes, but poor Brian received the full wrath of Tony Fitzsimons’ rage when he found out his precious girl had hit the tarmac. The girls completed their school days at Genazzano College in
Kew. John was educated at Parade College, Bundoora. Mary and Denise both completed Nursing Degrees, Mary at St Vincent’s Hospital and Denise at The Mercy Hospital. Patricia became a medical receptionist and worked for general surgeons in Spring Street. John worked in Nuclear Medicine.
Mary married Jim Klein in 1961 and they have four children, Catherine, Peter, Elizabeth and Paul. Mary and Jim have thirteen grandchildren, the eldest, Sarah Anderson was the only great grandchild lucky enough to meet her great grandfather, Tony. Denise married Geoff Belleville in 1964 and they have five children, Anne, Anthony (Tony), Simon, Tim and Kate and seven grandchildren. Patricia married Rod Sexton in 1968 and has three children, Matthew, Caroline and Andrew. In 1973, John married Jennifer McKenzie in a beige linen suit and they have three children, Joanna, Daniel and Maggie.
After 33 years in their family home Tony and Kit left Studley Road, Heidelberg and moved to Feathertop Avenue in Lower Templestowe. They spent eleven happy years there before they moved on to Mt Waverley. Tony had always enjoyed good health. He was strict about his diet, although liberal when it came to sprinkling salt and would only drink Carlton Draught. He always carried a small spiral pad and a carefully sharpened pencil stub to take down vital notes, in fact we buried him with his pad and pencil. He continued to support the Magpies and was so chuffed in 1990 when the Pies won their first premiership in 32 years that he told his nieces and any family member who could hear above the rowdy cheers that he would be hanging around for another one. Unfortunately the Pies let him down in ’91, they didn’t even make the finals! At the age of 82, while still alert and living at home with Kit, Tony suffered a massive stroke and died peacefully surrounded by his family,
on December 12th, 1991. Kit, who surprisingly preferred to be called Catherine after Tony’s death survived him for many years. She continued to live alone in Headingley Road, Mt Waverley until she was finally encouraged to move into a purpose built apartment adjoined to Trish’s home.
Catherine spent her final years here being lovingly cared for. Catherine died peacefully at Box Hill Hospital on October
20th, 2006 at the age of 94. She was the last Fitzsimons of her generation to depart this life.
Tony’s legacy is strong and he is often and fondly remembered. He has one grandson, Andy Sexton who has followed in his footsteps into a successful career as a plumber. He is survived by his four children and his fifteen grandchildren and at last count, twenty great grandchildren
Descendants of Anthony FITZSIMONS & Catherine Mary CONWAY
b. 22-May-1909, Reg. No. 9712 Clifton Hill, Vic. d. 12-Dec-1991 Box Hill, aged 82
b. 12-Sep-1912, Reg. No. 33826 Rainbow, Vic.
d. 2O-Oct-20O6 Aged 94
Married 1937.
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
— Sarah Catherine ANDERSON b. 15-Sep-1991
— Catherine Mary KLEIN b. 13-Mar-1962 m 17 Qe*ir% 1 OOQ — Joshua William ANDERSON b. 01-Apr-1993 I homas Michael
St. Dominies, Camberwell, Vic. Terence Joseph ANDERSON b. 07-Oct-1959 ANDERSON b. 15-Aug-1995 — Isobel Maria ANDERSON b. 28-Jan-1998
— Mary Therese FITZSIMONS b5 06-May-193 8 Airlie Hospital, Ivanhoe, Vic. — Charlie Joseph ANDERSON b. 10-Sep-2003 r— Jack Oliver KLEIN b. 13-Aug-1994
111. ID uCp"lyOl St. Johns, R/C Heidelberg James Campbell Him3 KLEIN b. — Peter James KLEIN b. 31-Jul-1963 m °fl Nn’r 1 ^no — Lucy Alice KLEIN b. 12-Sep-1996
111. ZU LNU V 1 7yZ Geraldton, W.A. Jennifer CARROLL b. 23-Oct-1969 — William Campbell KLEIN b. 2O-Jul-2OO0
— Elizabeth Mary KLEIN b. 30-Apr-1965 — Lilly Mae KLEIN b. 02-Jul-2005
llilllldl 11C/VJL Timothy BUSHELL Sidney Thomas BUSHELL b. 11-Apr-2007
—Paul KLEIN b. 02-Oct-1967 — Nicholas Arthur KLEIN b. 01-May-1998 Alexandra Rose
111. Jacqueline EDGERTON KLEIN b. Ol-Dec-1999
— Anne Louise ' — James Campbell
BELLEVILLE KLEIN
b. 26-Mar-1964 — Anthony John ‘Tony’ b. 1 l-Jul-2001
BELLEVILLE — Emily Catherine
b. 09-Peb-1968 BELLEVILLE b. 19-Sep-1998
111. ZU-InOV- 1 777 Xavier College, Kew.
— Denise Margaret Jennifer PHILLIPS — Eliza Rose
FITZSIMONS b. 26-Jan-1967 BELLEVILLE
b. 03-Aug-1941 b. 07-Aug-2001
Mercy Priv. Hosp.
East Melbourne. — Simon Gregory
m. 26-Apr-1963 BELLEVILLE
Xavier College, b. 15-Jul-1967
Kew. m. Feb-1997
Geoffrey John De Bertoli Winery
BELLEVILLE Yarra Valley, Vic.
b. 29-Nov-1938 Jodi MINUTE b. 03-Nov-1969 — Timothy Michael
BELLEVILLE — Nicholas Charles
b. 04-Dec-1968 mm 0Q M1 Q BELLEVILLE b. 07-Dec-2001
m. uo-inov-i v,_ Kangaroo Ground
Rebecca DOYLE — Georgia Kate
b. 24-May-1971 BELLEVILLE b. 21-Nov-2004 — Jack Andrew
— Katherine Mary SANTAMARIA
‘Kate’ BELLEVILLE b. 16-Nov-1973 m. 07-Nov-19. b. 13-Oct-1999 — Benjamin Joseph
St. Dominies, SANTAMARIA
Camberwell, Vic. Paul Joseph b. 15-Aug-2001
SANTAMARIA — Ella Catherine
b. 29-Apr-1973 SANTAMARIA b. 11-May-2007
— Patricia Anne
FITZSIMONS ■—Matthew William
b. 17-May-1945 SEXTON
Mercy Private b. 26-Feb-1969
Hosp. East Melb.
m. 20-Apr-1968 — — Caroline Louise
St. John’s R/C SEXTON
Heidelberg b. 18-Aug-1970
Roderick William
SEXTON L— AndrewJames
b. 27-Aug-1945 SEXTON
div. 1978 b. 07-Feb-1973 in. 22-Oct-2010 Katie COOK b. 10-Dec-1977
John Joseph
FITZSIMONS — Joanna Kate
b. FITZSIMONS
Mercy Private Hosp. East Melb. m. 29-Sep-1973 b. 18-Mar-1974 Daniel James
St. Bridgets FITZSIMONS
North Fitzroy, Vic. Jennifer Susan b. 09-Dec-1975
McKenzie — Margaret Ann
b. 11-Oct-1945 FITZSIMONS b. 10-Aug-1977 m. 01-Dec-2001 Barwon Heads, Vic. Dale PERCfVAL b. 22-Dec-1975 (divorced 2009)
Cyril Fifisinion®
Cyril Fitzsimons - Sportsman, milkman, publican, loving husband and devoted father was born on an auspicious day - Friday 13th February 1913. He always insisted that the day and the date of his birth made him very lucky.
As Cyril was the eighth and youngest child of John Henry and Catherine, they were unable to decide on a name for him. It was not until his baptism at St John’s Heidelberg that the priest suggested the name.
All the records and stories inform us that Cyril and his brothers were good sportsmen. Their fitness and team spirit possibly developed from the hard physical work of the day and the larger family numbers. Cyril loved his sport and was good enough to play A Grade cricket for Colling-wood.
Cyril used to drive Jack Ryder to the cricket. Jack Ryder was an outstanding
cricketer who captained both Victoria and Australia. Jack was older than Cyril, so it is easy to assume chat he was Cyril’s idol and he would have loved the privilege of being able to give Jack a lift. The Victorian Cricket Association instituted the Jack Ryder Medal in 1973.This medal is awarded annually to the best district cricketer.
The Frankston and Glenhuntly Cricket Association archive records from 1937 to 1990 show that Cyril was very successful during his time in this association. Some of the notable records were:
ide Highest Bowling Average
4.3
Noted - The most creditable performance was that of C Fitzsimons (Chelsea ANA) it being fully realised that under the circumstances this was outstanding and he deserves special mention.
1938 Notable performance of 101 Not Out against Mordialloc.
1939 FGCA - Highest score for Grade 59.
Noted - G Fitzsimons got going again.
1939 - 39 not out
1940 Selected to represent Frankston Glenhuntly association and made 25
1940 70 runs and 4/9
1940 Semi Final 5/22
1940 A Grade 7/29
The FGCA records show that Cyril was awarded the following trophies for the highest averages :
1938 B Grade Bowling 6.5
1930 B Grade Highest Batting 144.5
1939 B Gsade Batting 43.6
1940 B Gsade Bowling Average 5.0
Cyril’s sports records beyond 1940 are not available but it seems that his business, marriage and the arrival of children forced him to put his sporting career on
Cyril cricket gear cl928
Cyril - aged 21 years
the back burner. He later groomed his only son, John to participate in both football
and cricket. John was to go on and play both cricket and football for Mordialloc for many years and was given the honour of being made a Life Member.
Although little is known of Cyril’s schooling or early working life he bought his first dairy in Chelsea in 1937. The dairy was in Argyle Avenue where the Catholic Church now stands. Milk was delivered by horse and cart and Cyril kept the Clydesdale horses in nearby paddocks. It is quite some time now since the sound of Clydesdales was heard clip clopping through the streets of Chelsea.
Anne Sullivan worked for Cyril and it was through her that he made the acquaintance of her beautiful daughter Eileen Mary (Eily) Sullivan whom he married on the 25thApril 1942 at Elsternwick.
ijytll and Elly with Carmel, Patricia and John c1954
After a honeymoon in Tasmania, Cyril and Eily returned to Melbourne to run the new dairy they had purchased in Elston j-wick
Cyril had a motor bike with a side car in which he would take Eily to the cricket. After they became engaged Eily started knitting Cyril a cricket jumper. It was not until 1949 that Eily finished the jumper, by which time they had two children. Eily liked to recall the story of the day Cyril left for cricket proudly wearing the finally completed jumper. Unfortunately Cyril left the jumper behind at the cricket club. The jumper so lovingly knitted was never to be seen again.
Cyril and Eily went on to own a number of dairies. They purchased Elsternwick in 1942, Jasper Road Ormond in 1945 and Glenhuntly in 1948.
Carmel recalls a story Cyril related regarding an altercation he had with one of the Clydesdale horses. The horse wouldn’t back into the milkcart to do the morning
deliveries. Cyril used such force trying to make the horse cooperate that he sustained a broken wrist.
After the dairies, perhaps thinking an indoor job was more attractive than being outdoors in the elements seven days s week, Cyril purchased the freehold of the Fern Hill Hotel in 1954.The idea of owning a large, flash hotel is just a fantasy according to Carmel and Pat as they recall that the hotel had no hot water or electricity. Power was provided by an extremely old, noisy and unreliable generator. Kerosene lanterns were necessary after dark for a back up when the generator failed. One night Cyril went to bed and forgot to lock the doors to the main bar. The next morning when he returned to the bar for that day’s duty he discovered one of the locals perched on the bar along with his singing dog waiting for service.
in 1955 Cyril purchased the American Hotel in Creswick. This hotel is still operating today but has been through a lot of changes. Early memories of Creswick often include stories about snow. Creswick is a picturesque and historic township, located on the Midlands Highway, a scenic 15 minute drive from Ballarat. Cathy recalls Cyril being cross with the children for building a snowman on the footpath outside the bar, thus creating a considerable hazard the patrons could stumble over on their way out. Surrounding the property were blackberry bushes and many a bucket full of the berries were gathered and consumed over the years.
Cyril would make the children chase the sheep when they escaped from the pad-docks. One can only wonder if he was deliberately letting the sheep out to keep the children occupied, as we didn’t have play stations for entertainment back then. Carmei and Pat recall that being the publican’s daughters meant the locals were always keeping a watchful eye on them
and reporting their observations back to Cyril and Eily.
Pat has memories of attending school in Creswick at St Augustine’s where the Josephite nuns taught. Cyril was always kept busy in the hotel but on Saturdays he took the children to the local football. During this time Cyril was President of the Creswick Football Club for four years. The club was very successful at this time, winning three premierships. Celebrations always continued at the American Hotel until the wee hours of Sunday morning. Cyril always took the children to Mass on Sunday mornings. He and the four children would pile into his FJ Holden, and again on Sunday night to attend Benediction which Carmel would always try to be excused from.
School holidays were always spent in Newstead. Auntie Kit and Uncle Bill Lani-gan would come to Creswick and take
Pat, John and Cathy home to stay with them. Uncle Bill Lanigan was the station master and the children enjoyed watching the trains and sometimes being permitted to ride in the engines when the trains were shunting.
Uncle Bill played bowls and the children were allowed to go with him when he was practising. Pat remembers rolling bowls down the green. Uncle Bill must have been a very good bowler as he had a large spoon collection.
Uncle Bill would also take the children with him when he was going to golf and allow them to have a hit.
Auntie Kit spent most of her time cooking, washing and cleaning. There was always great joy when she knew Bill Junior was coming home for a weekend or holidays.
Cyril and Elly cl970
The children loved Sunday nights when freshly baked bread, still warm from the bakery, was provided with the milk from the dairy with cream on top. Auntie Kit and Uncle Bill would also take the children on picnics to Castlemaioe and when it was hot to the pool for a swim.
When Cyril sold The American Hotel, Pat, John and Cathy lived in Newstead and finished the school year in Castle-maine.
In 1960 Cyril and Eily’s fifth child Maree was born, joining her sisters Carmel (1946) Patricia *1969) (Catherine (1955) and brother John (1953). Unfortunately Maree’s heath was not good and Cyril and Eily had many trips to the Children’s Hospital. Later that year Cyril was forced to sell the American Hotel and move back to Melbourne. In 1961 the family lived in a house in Collicott St Mordialloc. The house was next door to stables and not far from the Epson Racetrack. Although Cyril had long ago left the dairy and the Clydesdales, the love of horse never really left him.
In 1962 Cyril and Eily purchased a house in Riviera Street Mentone. It was while living here that Margaret (1962) and Denise (1964) were born.
The house, while not overly large, had enough room to bring the entire family back under one roof. It must have been an immense relief to Cyril and Eily after the turbulent few months they had been through. Riviera Street had three bedrooms, one outhouse, wood heaters for hot water and a bungalow which was standard in those days and a haven for the only brother, John. There was a ebook pen, a vegetable garden, fruit trees, dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, bikes, scooters, bats, balls and kids galore.
Summer provided endless days of fun for the family and their friends from the surrounding neighbourhood. There were endless games of back yard cricket. It was lovely to grow up in this environment, protected by the knowledge of how much Eily and Cyril loved us unconditionally.
This was to be the final home of Cyril and Eily and still remains in the family today. Maree and her family live there, although major renovations and extensions to the house in recent years have changed it greatly from the way it was in 1962. Members of our family have now lived in this house for over 43 years and we still have the fantastic memories, stories and photos that cross four generations. There is no need to chop wood for the hot water heater anymore but the laughter, games of sport and the fun times continue with Maree’s family and back yard cricket, of course.
In 1962 Cyril began work at the South Oakleigh Club, holding the position as Secretary Manager. The SOC was like an extension of the family. The Saturday night Dinner dances wese a highlight of the social calendar and Eily and Cyril always looked very dapper dressed up, Eily in her best finery and Cyril in his dinner suit.
It was during his time at the SOC that Cyril suffered his first heart attack at the youthful age of 52.
Cyril spent the following 11 years fighting deteriorating health. It was his ill health which forced him his resignation from the SOC in 1972. Unbeknown to anyone at the time he would only survive another four years. His untimely passing occurred on Tuesday 8th June 1976. Eily, with her own poor health and her only income being the widow’s pension was to survive Cyril by further ten years. At the time of Cyril’s death, the three younger children Maree, Margaret and Denise were still attending school. Times were certainly challenging but as a strong family unit with lots of support they somehow managed to pull through.
Eily passed away on the 19th January 1986.
Cyril, like his older brothers, was an avid Collingwood supporter and a lifetime member of the Collingwood Football Club. Unfortunately Eily was a Carlton supporter, so the family was divided in their support.
Six barracked for Collingwood and three for Carlton. This division of allegiance always made for interesting and sometimes heated debate at the dinner table. This tradition continues today, particularly for Collingwood and Carlton matches.
Cyril always got tickets for the football matches for John and Pat. They spent many hours waiting for Cyril outside the members at Victoria Park.
Cyril took Pat and John to the 1966 Grand final. To this day Pat hasn’t forgiven St Kilda for beating Collingwood by one point.
Cyril and the children attended many Grand Finals in which Collingwood was the losing team. Cyril often said that he didn’t think he would live to see Collingwood win another Premiership.
In 1990, even though Pat was living in Perth she said to John, whatever the cost, if Collingwood get into another Grand Final we have to go or we may not see Collingwood win one.
What a day! The rest of the family met at Vic Park after the game and had a drink for Cyril.
We knew that he was there in SPIRIT with us all.
Cyril and Eily formed a great partnership together and worked hard in various businesses over the ensuing years, while providing a loving home and lots of support for their seven children and increasing number of grandchildren.
Carmel, Patricia, John, Catherine, Maree, Margaret, and Denise were indeed fortunate to have such wonderful parents as Cyril and Eily so perhaps they too were lucky like their father claimed to be.
Cyril c1972
Cyril FITZSIMQNS & Eileen SULLIVAN
Married
GENERATION 5 GENERATION 6 GENERATION 7 GENERATION 8
r— Sharon Maree
COWDEN
b. 28»Sep~1966
— Carmel
FITZSIMONS — Michael John
b. 03-Oct-1946 COWDEN — Jack Robert
m. ——-- b. 30-Jan-1968 COWDEN
i Colin Gary partner b. 14-Jun-2001
COWDEN Mandy WILLIAMS
b. 26-Nov-1945 b. 27~Sep~1970 — Robert Colin
d. 04-Jan-2006 COWDEN
aged 60 b. 14-Mar-2005
— Mackenzie Colin
L— Patricia Glenice GARDNER
COWDEN b. 08-Dec-1999
b. 28-Apr-1974
m. 28-Oct-20( — Hudson Kenneth
Kenneth GARDNER
GARDNER b. 16~Aug~2002
L— Poppy Mae
GARDNER
b. 05-Jan-2005
I—Jay don Lee BURKE
— Simon James BURKE
BURKE b. 27-Oct-1998
— Patricia b. 11-Nov-1975
FITZSIMONS m. 29-May-2004 —— - — Samantha Jo
b. 25-Oct-1949 Jodie SCLATER BURKE
m. 21-Mar-1970 — b. 29-Mar-2000
& divorced. — Maxine Peta BURKE
Peter Hamilton b. 10-Aug-1977 — Casey Maree
BURKE BURKE
b. OS-Dec-1948 —-Adam John BURKE b. 27-Dec»2002
b. 27-Jun-1979
— John Joseph
FITZSIMONS — Robert J.
b. 29-Nov-1953 FITZSIMONS
m. —— b. 25-May-1985
& divorced.
Ingrid — Sean P.
HAMMERS FITZSIMONS
b. 11-Dec-1959 b. G9-Jan-1989
— Catherine Mary — Denise Joy FRANCIS b. 17-Mar-1975
FITZSIMONS — Desiree Catherine
b. 11-May-195 5 FRANCIS
m. L 02-Jun-1973 b. 21-Jun-1978 partner — Matilda Kate
Peter Harold Jason MOORS MOORS
FRANCIS b.10-Sep-1953 b. 05-Apr-1972 b. 26-Dec-2006
div. 22-Mar -1994 — Chantelle Peta
m. 2. FRANCIS
05-Nov-1995 Paul GABRIEL b. 21-M-1965 Div. 17-Aug-2002 Changed back to FITZSIMONS — Maree Ann b. 18-May-1983
FITZSIMONS — Paul MUMFORD
b. 30-Jan-1960 m. b. 16-Jan-1990
Thomas — Michael MUMFORD
MUMFORD b. 26-Mar-1959 — Margaret Frances b. 16-Sep-1991
FITZSIMONS — Lauren PICKLES
b.02-Jan-1962 m. b.08-Dec-1987
Gregory — Megan Louise
PICKLES PICKLES
b. 13-Aug-1953 b. 10-Mar-1989
— Bianca Jane
— Denise Bernadette ROBINSON
FITZSIMONS b. 28-Jun-1964 Partner b. 21-Oct-1992 — Emily Kate
Timothy ROBINSON
ROBINSON b. 01-Nov-1961 b. 19-Apr-1995
— Tameeka Jade ROBINSON b. 26-Aug-1996
Sportifnig History
FsEzsimons Family
The Fitzsimons family has always been involved in sporting teams and competition. This preference has continued through each generation with both the men and women participating in a myriad of sports.
Loo: Leo played football and cricket for Templestowe although no records have been found. He was a committeman for the football club in 1910 and is pictured with his brother-in-law Tom Renehan and also Mick Cashen who was a brother of Joe Cashen (Leo’s brother-in-law). Another photo shows Leo as a player in 1912 cricket team with Mick Cashen and his brothers Jim and Tom.
BiSI: Bill was a very good cricketer and footballer. Bill won many club and district awards, both in football and cricket. He
was captain of the 1929 Templestowe Grand Final side. Tony, his brother was also a member of this side. In that side were well known names such as Mangan, Petty, Mullens, Cunningham and Reid to name just a few. Bill’s sporting life was cut short due to his illness.
Bi§6Tu: Bern was also a good sportsman like his brothers, playing football and cricket with Templestowe. Bern was vicecaptain of the Templestowe Cricket Premiership team of 1954-55. He played in three premiership sides in a row from 1952 to 1955. Bern won the batting average three years in a row plus many other years and scored many centuries, including three in one season. He also played a season with Tony Fitzsimons and Des Renehan at Heidelberg Cricket Club. Bern also played with Tony Fitzsimons at Heidelberg CYMS. One Saturday in 1961
Templestowe Football Club A Grade 1910 Back row: Leo (Committee) 2nd from right, Tom Renehan 2nd from left Front row: Mick Cashen 4th from left
Templestowe Football Club 1927 Bill (with ball% Tony (2nd row, 1st left), Bern (3rd row, 2nd left)
Templestowe Cricket Club Premiers 1931-32 Back row 2nd from left Tony, 3rd from left Bill, 2nd row, far right Cyril
Templestmm Cricket Club Premiers 1952-53 Bask few centre Bern
Bern, at the age of 54, went into bat at Tem-plestowe. When he got to the crease his nose started to bleed. He suffered a haemorrhage, retired from cricket and never worked again. Between the age of 21-31 years Bern retired from cricket away due to farm commitments. Up to his retirement he was the second highest run scorer in the Box Hill Reporter District Cricket Association.
Tony taking a swing on the Summerhill pitch, he and his brothers put down in the 1930’s
The boys (Bern and his brothers) built a cricket pitch in front of Bern &
Kath’s house. In the eady 1960s Bern also built a tennis court beside their house (on the original site of Nanny and Pa’s house) which got plenty of use by Bernadette, Brendan and Terry and their
friends. Sheila and Cal Calnin and the Potter family from Warragul played tennis when they visited.
Tony: Tony played cricket and football with Templestowe, and Heidelberg and the
Heidelberg Cricket Club Premiers and Shield Winners 1938-33 3rd row, 2nd from right Tony
Collingwood Technical School. At the Technical School he played for both the football and cricket premiership teams of 1924 when he was aged 15. Tony also played one year of football and cricket with Heidelberg CYMS with Bern. He also played in the same football team at Tem-plestowe with Bill, Bern and Cyril - a rare feat. He was in the 1929 Grand Final side of which Bill was captain. When Tony and Kit’s family grew and the plumbing business expanded Tony gave up those sports and played golf at Heidelberg Golf Club. He later played lawn bowls. One of Terry Fitzsimons memories of Tony was at the MCG in 1990 seeing Tony’s face when Collingwood beat Essendon - what a day. Brendan and Terry would often get into trouble from Aunty Kit for getting Tony home late from the MCC Members Bar.
Cyril: Cyril, being the youngest, had a hard act to follow but he certainly did that. He played cricket and football with Tem-plestowe with Bill, Bern and Tony. He also
played football at Heidelberg and also with Heidelberg CYMS. There is a team photo taken with Bill Connellan (cousin) and a few of Tony’s mates.
After some good seasons at Tem-plestowe he was invited to Collingwood Cricket Club. He was on the verge of a game in the 1st eleven when Jack Ryder was injured. VCA records have been checked but he didn’t play a senior game. A great effort though. From there Cyril went to Glen Huntley in 1937. He won numerous awards with a bowling average of 4.3. In 1938 he made 101 runs against Mordialloc. Cyril’s best bowling effort was in 1940 with an A Grade bowling average of 7.24 and a best batting average of 144.5.
After his sporting playing days Cyril became publican at Creswick where was elected President of the Football Club, a position which he held for 4 years. In that time the team won 3 premierships - great
effort. Still to this day we don’t know where he got the nick name Yax - possibly from Bern as he gave everyone a nick name.
The Teraplestowe Football and Cricket elute have been very successful.
Templestowe Football Club were premiers in 1st Division in 1968, 1973, 1997, 2010.
Runners up in 1927, 1936, 1966,1994, 1995, 1996, 2000.
2nd Division Premiers in 1992,1997.
Runners up in 1974,1994.
Templestowe Cricket Club. Ist Eleven were premiers in 1911/12, 1918/19,
1928/29, 1937/c 1/52, 1953/54,
1957/58, 1963/64, 1974/75, 1978/79, 1997/98.
2nd Eleven Premiers in 1920/21, 1921/22, 1924/25, 1937/33, 1956/57, 1959/60, 1962/63, 1968/69, 1973/74.
It is interesting to note that Templestowe Cricket Club was established in
1864 which was the year John and Mary Fitzsimons arrived in Templestowe.
The next generation of Fitzsimons boys all played junior and senior cricket.
Brendan played in an Under 16 premiership in 1956/57 and seniois 1953/59.
Brendan played for over 20 years and Terry for 15 years.
Tony played in two premierships sides in 1957/58 and 1958/59.
Brendan and Terr/s sons played many games of football for the club as follows:
Under 18 - Shannon - 20 games.
First 18 - Damien - 66 games
Seconds - Darren 148 games, Damien 115, Travis 128, Michael 207, and Dean 50 games.
Damien and Darren played in a seconds Premiership in 1997.
Best and Fairest seconds - Damien 2nd 1989, 3rd 1992, 1st 1995.
Templestowe Sports Ground Fitzsimons Property beyond (pre 1961)
Cashen Family.
Joe and Mary Cashen were involved in sport from a young age. Mary was a good tennis player and Joe played both cricket and football. Their children were also involved in many sporting activities.
Anne Smyth (nee Cashen), daughter of Kevin and granddaughter of Mary and Joe has played competitive tennis all her life. She is married to Greg who was an out standing cricketer. He represented Australia against New Zealand in the Under 19 team in 1976/77. He also played in the 1976/77 Australian team which toured Sri Lanka. Greg played District Cricket for the Carlton Cricket Club.
Greg and Anne’s sons Thomas and Harrison have also participated in sports - tennis, football and hockey but it is in cricket that they have excelled.
Both Tom and Harrison have played Dowling Shield Cricket (Under 16) East Region in the State Championships. Their early days were spent playing Junior and Senior cricket for the Box Cricket Club.
Tom played for Victoria in the Under 17 XI in Perth in January 2009. He also represented Victoria in the Under 19 XI in Canberra December 2009. Tom has played 1st X! Senior cricket for Carlton in the District Association from 2008.
Harrison has followed in his brother’s footsteps and has also played with Carlton since 2010.
Stephen Cashen, also Kevin’s son, joined Carlton Cricket Club in 1976 when he was 14 years of age and captained the winning Dowling Shield team in 1977/78. He continued to play with Carlton for 15 years. During this time he was Captain of the senior team for four years and coached them for two years. In the 1991/92 season Steven transferred to Footscray where he was Captain/Coach
for four years. Steven also played for Heidelberg, Footscray and Heidelberg again before he retired at 46 years of age. He had played 237 District games.
Steven’s son, Peter Cashen, has played junior and senior cricket for the Heidelberg Cricket Club and then joined the Fitzroy - Doncaster Club in 2007/08. He is presently keeping wickets in the Second XI.
Lynch Family
Gerard Joseph Lynch (grandson of Bridget Louise Lynch (nee Fitzsimons) attended St. Patrick’s Jesuit School in East Melbourne, where he shared a passion for cricket with his younger brother Bernard and they both played for the school’s First XI. Gerard then attended Melbourne Teachers College and on graduating went teaching in the country. Throughout his teaching career, he was a keen sports master
Whilst Bernard was at St. Patrick’s he won a cricketing scholarship from the Melbourne Cricket Club at age 15. He was Vice Captain of the Melbourne First XI for a number of years and played with some of the Test Cricketing greats of that era. His promising cricketing career was interrupted by WW2 and he served in the army for 4 years. Bernard returned a shadow of his former self. This was very noticeable in photos as he was 6 foot 2 inches tall. Despite his debilitation, he resumed play with Melbourne's Firsts after the war into the early fifties. He then became Captain Coach of the Ormond Sub-District cricket team for many years, when he moved with his family from Camberwell to East Bentleigh.
The tradition continues as the next generation prepare to participate in the sports which their fathers, grandfathers and great, grandfathers enjoyed. It is important to acknowledge the role the Fitzsimons
women played in the men’s success. Apart from cleaning all those boots and laundering the outfits, many of them were successful sportswomen in their own right.
Collingwood
The references to the Magpies in this book show that a large proportion of the family are loyal supporters. The source of this loyalty is not known but is evident in families of both Matthew and John Henry
Fitzsimons. One possibility is that the Fitzsimons and Twomey (three brothers played for Collingwood) families were at school together at St. Johns, Heidelberg. Another possibility is that the family used to shop in Smith Street, Collingwood. Whatever the reason it was very pleasing to the clan that their beloved Magpies achieved a premiership in 2010 after an absence of 20 years.
Epilogue
The dictionary defines a pioneer as ‘one who ventures into unknown territory to settle’.
The word is derived from the French word - peonier - meaning a foot soldier who prepares an area for battle.
John and Mary Fitzsimons were true pioneers and this book is a tribute to them and the six generations of Australians who followed in their footsteps.
In 1840 a young, newly married couple, John and Mary Fitzsimons left their home in Ireland to embark on a new life. They travelled by ship to Australia and more importantly to Melbourne to begin a new life in this recently settled area. How courageous these two 18 year olds were. Not only were they leaving their homeland and way of life behind, but farewelling their families whom they would never see again must have been very difficult.
John and Mary arrived in Melbourne on January 15th 1841 to be confronted by a city very much in the making. What had previously been a place of great beauty, where billabongs and swamps were sprinkled around the bay teeming with birdlife, a settlement of 10 acres had been created. How different to Ireland it must have seemed and being January one wonders how they coped with the heat. As you will have read earlier in the book they managed to survive the harsh conditions, eventually moving to Templestowe in 1864 to establish a dynasty.
The book is also a celebration of 170 years of the Fitzsimons family in Australia and subsequently 147 years in Templestowe. It is interesting to note that several members of the family still live on the
original land in Templestowe on which John and Mary settled in 1864.
This long association with Templestowe and the surrounding areas has not prevented people referring to the family name as FITZSIMMONS or the road as FITZSIMMONS LANE. It was for this reason that this family history was given its title.
The Fitzsimons family members of the generations that followed John and Mary often displayed the same pioneering spirit in the many endeavours they embarked on.
It is this pioneering spirit and same determination which was responsible for producing this book.
Bill Lanigan, great grandson and Mick Fitzsimons, great, great grandson of John and Mary were determined that this book should be written. Mick, great grandson of Matthew had been involved in genealogy for many years and over that time was compiling a family tree.
Bill Lanigan, grandson of John Henry had similar interests and decided at a family re-union in 2009 at Hotel Shopping Town that it was time to write a Fitzsimons history. Previous reunions had been held in 1983 on the Fitzsimons property and 2002 at Westerfolds Park which is opposite the Fitzsimons land.
This has been a labour of love for Bill, as the co-ordinator and Mick, as genealogist, involving hundreds of hours of very hard work. Eventually a committee was organised to oversee the project. Family members were co-opted to write about their families and many others were canvassed for details and photographs. Hun-
m
rs
»S
i
£
Family reunion 1983-Catherine, Tony and Nell Fitzsimons cutting the cake
dreds of emails and telephone calls have enabled this book to be written and many wonderful memories have surfaced.
Subsequently the book was edited by Bill and Maureen O’Neill (nee Fitzsimons) also a great granddaughter of John and Mary.
To all those who have made contributions to the story we are very grateful. Our children, grandchildren and in some cases great-grand children will now know the history of the Fitzsimons family in Australia and we hope that they appreciate the stories of their ancestors and more importantly value their heritage. It is interesting to note that there are over 400 descendants of our John and Mary Fitzsimons.
So let us all celebrate the 170th anniversary of the Fitzsimons family in Australia and be justly proud of this heritage.
The task of continuing this history will fall to future generations who we hope will do so with the same spirit and courage with which John and Mary embarked on their journey so long ago.
SCHEDULE A. . irths in the District ofVictoria JdeidefBerg In the Colony of Victoria. Registered by (EdwardMote';
No i). Pare
When and where born. Name and whether or not present Sex, Father Mother
Name and rank or profession of father. (2) Age (3) BN , - (1} When and where married, (2) issue, living and deceased (1) Name and maiden surname of mother. (2) Age. Birth-
i 6 9 1859 8th November 'IlddelBerg John Henry (Present Boy Jodn (Fitzsimmons gardener 40 Meats Co. Meath Ireland ' E I (M.eath Ireland 6 Living 2 <'Dead Mary (Doga-fly 39 Meats Meath Ireland
WrE W GW
WRlvt WITNESS REGISTRAR. Name if added after Registration of birth.
Signature, Description and Residence of Informant. (1) Accouche. (2) Nurse by whom certified. And (3) Signature of Occupiers, flier Witnesses. When Registered and where. Signature of Deputy Registrar.
Mary (Fitzsimmons Jfer mar^ X Motfier B. Buiier MJ11 {Present Mrs. Sullivan 1860 14tft <Fe6 fleidelBerg (Edward Morey
ROMAN CATHOLIC BAPTISMS SOLEMNIZED AT St. FRANCIS CHURCH MELBOURNE Page 3 New South Wales Roman Catholic Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of St. Francis Church, Me [Bourne in the County of (Bourse. in the year of 1843
When Baptised. When Bom Child's Christian Marne Farcin'* s Names Abode Sponsors By whom the ceremony was performed.
Christian Surname
IFebruary 27th (FeBrmry 7tfl Matthew John Mary Fitzsimons Meaty Mefhourne 36783 Ftfwanf Fitzsimons Lucy Mewsteacf Fr. (Patrick Bonaventure Qeoghegan OFM
St. Francis Church, Mefhourne in the County of (Bourse. in the year of 1845
When Baptised. When. Bean Child’ Christian Marne Parent's Names Abode Sponsors By whom the ceremony was performed.
Christian Surname
JuCy 14th July 2nd Mary John Mary Fitzsimons <Doherty MefBourne 38835 Fhomas (Bryan Mary Bryan ? Fr. Patrick Bonaventure (Jeoghegan OFM
ROMAN CATHOLIC BAPTISMS SOLEMN _ i ' _ .' . ‘ "J'A 7 L’.A- '•i.-LlOURNE Page I fw- .'>■ith Wales Roman Catholic Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of St. ‘Frauds Church, MdSoume ??? In the County of <Bourse in the year cl ! A,9
When Baptised. When. Born Child’s Christian Name Parent’s Flames Abode Sponsors By whom the ceremony was formed.
Christian Surname
August 19 1849 Jufy 16 {Mjpsc jfofm Maty ‘Fitzsimons <Doderty iKeideCherg w-y- georye Fitzsimons Mary Fitzsimons Jofin ‘Rjtvanagfi
mwzitrc 14 1897 Deaths in the District of Templestowe In lie- of Victors: "■ a,-rstered by Thomas O’Brien
DESCRIPTION (1) Cause of Death, (2) .Duration oi last Illness (3) Medical Attendant; fey when.* eTriioed and (4) When he last saw Deceased Name and Surname of Father .And Mother (maiden name), If known, with Rank, or Profession, Signature, fPescripiion and Residence of infonuant.
When and where died. Maine and Surname, Rank or Profession, Sex and Age
107 27th January 1897 At Bulleeii Shire of Templestowe County of Bourke John f ITZSIMONS Senior Fanner Male 74 years ' * - -mile Athrophy Athenia. (2) 10 Days (3) Dr. Phillips unary 1897 John f ITZSIMONS Farmer .Rose Fitzsimons Formerly CLOYNE John Fitzsimons Son. Bulleen
18409
DEATHS In the District of 0O1tCaSfef
Victoria, Registered hr A 2/ 7':f
1. w
Description. - 2 (1) When and where Died /A 1949 CkmpkstQwe, Shire of (Doncaster, County of <Bonrk§>
(2) Usual Place of Residence J4.s above.
3 Name and Surname. Occupation John JCmiry Fitzsimom Farmer
4 Sex and Age Made. 89 years.
5 (I) Cause of Death (2) Duration of last Illness (3) Legally qualified medical practitioner by whom certified and Jlamcukr WiSriffati&n with congestive cardiacfaifure* (Philip Cj, Comments
(4) When he last saw Deceased 2Ph March 1949
6. Name and surname of Father and Mother (maiden name if known), - 1th Occupaiic i John Titzsimmts, Parmer Mary Titzsimom, formerly (Doherty,
7 Signature, Description and Residence ..informant. <PJ(Doherty, JluthorizedJigent (Doncaster
8 (1) Signature of Register. (2) Date and (3) Where Registered 25th May 1949 Doncaster
If burial registered -9 When and where Buried JSprd1949, Ettham Cemetery,
Undertaker by whom certified 10 Name and Religion of Minister, or name of Witnesses of burial. yilfied JULison (Darnel Mayes, JlMCNemy, J£jl,Cohder
11. Where born and how long m the Australian States, stating which. Jieideffmy . ''
If deceased was married -12 (1) Where.... arid JMdewerg
(2) At what age... and 51 years
(3) To whom..,. (4) Conjugal condition, at Date of .Death. Catherine Mary Walsh Married
1.3 Issue in order of Birth, the Names and Ages,.... John Deo 57yearns Margaret ) twins Mary J 53 yearn Catherine 51 yearns ' .7 r 48 years (Bernard 42 years JbMimy 39 years Cyrif 34 ymrs


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