well done megsy 
erfect: :Y:
erfect: :Y:
Who was Patrick Dunlea?
- Thread starter MegsyB007
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Still a ripping yary Megsy.
You mentioned John Forrest.
There's also a large park in WA (West of Perth) by that name. A coincidence?
You mentioned John Forrest.
There's also a large park in WA (West of Perth) by that name. A coincidence?
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Hi Big Wave.
That John Forrest was an Aussie explorer and the first Premier of Western Australia.
His wife was Margaret Hamersley, born in France.
Not our Margaret Dunlea, born in Ballynageehy, County Cork.
Would have been cool if it was though, to add to the story of the Dunleas.
Cheers,
Megsy
That John Forrest was an Aussie explorer and the first Premier of Western Australia.
His wife was Margaret Hamersley, born in France.
Not our Margaret Dunlea, born in Ballynageehy, County Cork.
Would have been cool if it was though, to add to the story of the Dunleas.
Cheers,
Megsy
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Hi Megsy I have a gut feeling that your story hasnt ended yet i for one will be very interested in the outcome, happy hunting.
Pagan P
Pagan P
cheers for the great story Megsy
you must be cross-eyed now from all the research/reading
you must be cross-eyed now from all the research/reading
A truly great investigative story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pleased to see you are going back with a weed whacker to clean the grave, again our sincere thanks.
Kind Regards
Mackka :flowers: :flowers: :flowers:
Kind Regards
Mackka :flowers: :flowers: :flowers:
Before this story is over - there's going to be a twist - I can feel it!
BTW, Megsy mentioned a Florence who had a son Reg.
My grandmother was a Florence - and her son Reg was my dad - different era however!
BTW, Megsy mentioned a Florence who had a son Reg.
My grandmother was a Florence - and her son Reg was my dad - different era however!
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Thanks Megsy. What a great read and a fascinating story. Hardships aside you also get a sense of the opportunities that were present back then and hence the allure that drew thousands from across the globe to the goldfields of Victoria.
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Oh POO I thought Megsy was giving us another snippet of her search and eagerly jumped on this thread again but no BUGGA
Pagan P 8.( {)
Pagan P 8.( {)
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Thanks Diggit - and yes, you're right. A big difference between the lives of the gold miner brothers and the city merchant, wasn't there?
And sorry PP, I am still working on it, and think I might have found something that may add to the story. I'm just trying to confirm the possible connection with only some vague information to go on, so far. Still searching for more to confirm it.
Will get back to you.
Cheers,
Megsy
And sorry PP, I am still working on it, and think I might have found something that may add to the story. I'm just trying to confirm the possible connection with only some vague information to go on, so far. Still searching for more to confirm it.
Will get back to you.
Cheers,
Megsy
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I finally went to visit John Dunleas grave in Scarsdale last Wednesday, and seeing the cemetery had several graves that looked like Johns one, I initially thought, Oh hell, this is going to take ages to find his one! But I drove slowly around the roads that go around the outside and through the middle of the cemetery, and had counted several of the same type of grave with the iron fence around them, but then suddenly stopped and looked back at one Id just passed and knew (somehow) that that was Johns grave. I almost passed it, as you can see by the ute parked behind it, but I pulled over and walked through the boggy ground over to the grave, and there he was! It kind of freaked me out a bit, how I knew that would be his one among the many others that looked the same, but I was glad I didnt have to look at all the others first to find it.
I discovered that someone had tried to clean it since that old photo was taken thats on the Australian Cemeteries website.
Unfortunately, whoever tried to clean it, didnt know how to clean marble, because whatever they used on it, has damaged the marble surface quite badly, and its almost like pumice stone now, badly pitted and worn away. I suspect they might have used bleach, which is not good at all to use on marble, and its made a mess of it, to the point that it will never look at as white and new looking as it did originally; as his brother Patricks headstone still appears today. It was very disappointing to see, and looking at others around the cemetery, it looks like theyve done it to quite a lot of others too. You can see the one to the left of Johns grave has the same staining and pitted damage on it. Good intention badly executed
It also had some of those nasty prickle bushes in it. You know the ones with the 5cm long thorns on them that stab you like a needle? Yes, I learnt that a few times as I was getting them out (and dont think the swearing and cursing that followed, was really appropriate for a cemetery, in retrospect). But boy, they hurt!
Anyway, I removed them, and the other ones around the grave (after one had stabbed me in the calf that earned a few more curses), I then chopped back the long-ish clumps of grass in the grave, while I told John about his brothers lives, and wasnt sure that hed wanted to know that Patrick went insane and drowned himself, after Id told him that story, but maybe he already knew he was a bit of a lunatic (I hoped).
When that was done, I decided to see if I could improve on the headstone and got some water and a soft plastic scrubbing brush, and worked over it carefully, trying not to damage it any more. A lot of black washed off it, so I guess it improved it a bit. Unfortunately it was getting late by then, and I still had to drive to Creswick and set up camp before it got dark, so I couldnt wait around for it to dry before I took the final photos of it, and its still wet in these photo, but Im hopeful that it will look better (not as dark) when it dries. It was absorbing the water like concrete not at all like marble!
The most important thing was accomplished though you can now clearly read his name on it which is what I wanted to achieve. It could probably do with another scrubbing, but I didnt want to wear it away and just kept it light this time. It is so fragile and needs to be treated carefully now, not to damage it further. The text is engraved very thinly, so its not as easy to read as Patricks one, that has thicker text thats painted black. Johns is quite fine text and not painted black, so its not easy to read unless youre up close to it.
The phrases are exactly the same as on Patricks grave, Sacred to the memory of John Dunlea. Native of County Cork Ireland, who departed this life Oct 8th 1864, aged 35 years. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.
But thing is, he died on the 9th October - and he was 31 years old not 35 years old! That would have made him older than James, and James had said that he was Johns older brother! So what was he thinking, to say he was 35 on his headstone?! I assume James arranged it, but if he did, he got his brothers age wrong! Whats with that?! I asked John that question, but he wasnt answering, so the question will remain unanswered, I guess.
I finally left some yellow roses for him, and palmed a kiss to the headstone and said I had to go prospecting for gold now, and smiled as I thought, Thats one thing that hasnt changed since his time!, and wondered what he would think about that a good or bad thing - as I drove away.
I discovered that someone had tried to clean it since that old photo was taken thats on the Australian Cemeteries website.
Unfortunately, whoever tried to clean it, didnt know how to clean marble, because whatever they used on it, has damaged the marble surface quite badly, and its almost like pumice stone now, badly pitted and worn away. I suspect they might have used bleach, which is not good at all to use on marble, and its made a mess of it, to the point that it will never look at as white and new looking as it did originally; as his brother Patricks headstone still appears today. It was very disappointing to see, and looking at others around the cemetery, it looks like theyve done it to quite a lot of others too. You can see the one to the left of Johns grave has the same staining and pitted damage on it. Good intention badly executed
It also had some of those nasty prickle bushes in it. You know the ones with the 5cm long thorns on them that stab you like a needle? Yes, I learnt that a few times as I was getting them out (and dont think the swearing and cursing that followed, was really appropriate for a cemetery, in retrospect). But boy, they hurt!
Anyway, I removed them, and the other ones around the grave (after one had stabbed me in the calf that earned a few more curses), I then chopped back the long-ish clumps of grass in the grave, while I told John about his brothers lives, and wasnt sure that hed wanted to know that Patrick went insane and drowned himself, after Id told him that story, but maybe he already knew he was a bit of a lunatic (I hoped).
When that was done, I decided to see if I could improve on the headstone and got some water and a soft plastic scrubbing brush, and worked over it carefully, trying not to damage it any more. A lot of black washed off it, so I guess it improved it a bit. Unfortunately it was getting late by then, and I still had to drive to Creswick and set up camp before it got dark, so I couldnt wait around for it to dry before I took the final photos of it, and its still wet in these photo, but Im hopeful that it will look better (not as dark) when it dries. It was absorbing the water like concrete not at all like marble!
The most important thing was accomplished though you can now clearly read his name on it which is what I wanted to achieve. It could probably do with another scrubbing, but I didnt want to wear it away and just kept it light this time. It is so fragile and needs to be treated carefully now, not to damage it further. The text is engraved very thinly, so its not as easy to read as Patricks one, that has thicker text thats painted black. Johns is quite fine text and not painted black, so its not easy to read unless youre up close to it.
The phrases are exactly the same as on Patricks grave, Sacred to the memory of John Dunlea. Native of County Cork Ireland, who departed this life Oct 8th 1864, aged 35 years. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.
But thing is, he died on the 9th October - and he was 31 years old not 35 years old! That would have made him older than James, and James had said that he was Johns older brother! So what was he thinking, to say he was 35 on his headstone?! I assume James arranged it, but if he did, he got his brothers age wrong! Whats with that?! I asked John that question, but he wasnt answering, so the question will remain unanswered, I guess.
I finally left some yellow roses for him, and palmed a kiss to the headstone and said I had to go prospecting for gold now, and smiled as I thought, Thats one thing that hasnt changed since his time!, and wondered what he would think about that a good or bad thing - as I drove away.
