TROVE TUESDAY MAY 2ND, 2017 - IRISH IN AUSTRALIA- GOLDFIELDS INCLUDED

Ireland and Australian have long been involved in each other's history, whether it was with some of the earliest settlers in Australia having been given free passage, like it or not, or free migration over many years. Many Australians have Irish ancestors ... some who remained in Ireland, some who came to Australia to live and work. Over the years, one of the big attractions was the lure of the goldfields, particularly in Western Australia.

TROVE brings us many reports of earlier times...please click to enlarge.. The Hon. E.O. McDevitt wrote fondly and in detail about Irish in Australia in 1876, as published in the Telegraph, Brisbane..

Mr. W. O'Donnell, who was described as a celebrated explorer in the Freeman's Journal of 1886, travelled over much of western Australia.

I was interested to read of the Technological Museum in 1894, in Ultimo, Sydney...  as detailed in the Australian Star, published on April 27... I wonder what they would think of today's technology, sone 123 years later...

I was also intrigued by the School of Arts lecture "A Trip to Ould Ireland" illustrated by means of lantern views no less, not to forget Miss O'Shannessy who was to sing Irish songs.

J.F. Hogan, M.P., was lauded as something of an authority of the Irish in Australia... he goes into great detail about the problems faced, the positions held and the adventures that the Irish were involved in over many years. He had a number of articles published, this was in the Southern Cross newspaper, Adelaide, published on 8 January 1897. He covers so many fields, from those in the clergy, mining, army and of course, politics..

In 1906, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, celebrated St. Patrick's Day with great enthusiasm as detailed in the W.A. Record Goldfields Notes published on Saturday 24 March. The Hibernian ladies even got a mention, as did the Kalgoorlie Model Band .. there was a parade of course, and morning and evening church services...

Do take note of the wise words often used as fillers at the end of a column...

W.A. Record was quite a popular paper in Western Australia, from 1888- 1922, so it seemed the best place to acknowledge the generous donations to the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1912. 

"We were all delighted at the near approach of Home Rule for poor old Ireland, ..."

Though living in Australia, the ties to their Irish homeland were still very strong... History tells us that all wasn't to be as it appeared at that time, but hope was there...