Family History of the Children of Bridget Boland (nee Cregan)

Paul Askin Boland

Paul Askin Boland was born in Mackay, Qld, on 25/06/1886. His earliest memories, though, might have been of living at the Railway Hotel, Oxenford, during years 1888-1892, when his parents had the license there. Most of Paul's growing up was in Murwillumbah, however. He lived there from the age of about 6.

Paul's first employment seems to have been as a saddler, presumably in his father's Murwillumbah saddlery: Paul, in his early twenties, was listed as a saddler in the electoral rolls of 1908 and 1909.

The 1913 Electoral Roll indicates that Paul Boland was then a farmer living at Mooball Street, Murwillumbah, with his parents. This address is not a farm, though. We think that Paul was, in fact, farming in the upper Tweed valley, around Mt Burrell. The Sands Directories of 1919 and 1920 list him at Midginbil, which is in that region.

Of course, these were the years around the First World War, and Paul enlisted in the AIF in 1916. He returned home to the Tweed in August 1919. It seems he was given a warm post-war welcome by his friends in the upper Tweed. Paul is pictured opposite in uniform.

Paul Boland is listed as a farmer also in his army enlistment form. He was one of the original purchasers of portions of land in the Gooninbar Parish of Rous County (in the upper Tweed valley) when the Land Board released them for sale in July/August 1910. This property - Portion 54 - he advertised for sale, years later, in November 1927. Portion 54 can be seen on the 1963 map of Gooninbar Parish.

Just months before his father, William, died in March 1920, Paul Boland took over the running of the Boland saddlery in Main Street, Murwillumbah. Having worked as a saddler before the war, Paul was well placed to manage the business. After running the saddlery for about six years, Paul sold it in about October 1926 to Patrick Joseph McKenny.

During this time, through the 1920s, Paul Boland's farm near Mt Burrell was leased to an Archie Lloyd Betteridge, who was using it as a dairy farm. Presumably, Paul also used it for dairying when he was working it.

Apparently, Paul Boland left the Tweed between November 1927 and March 1928. At this latter time, he was at the "Mount Lake" farming property of his aunt and uncle, Annie and Timothy O'Rourke, in Pilton, near Toowoomba, when Timothy O'Rourke died.

Paul Boland married Myrtle Patricia Palmer on 08/09/1928 in the Brisbane area (Qld marriage reg. 1928/B/4334). The following month they moved to Bundaberg (in School Lane), where Paul worked as a farmer, according to the 1928 Electoral Roll.

Paul and Myrtle had, we think, three children (one boy and two girls):

• Reginald Paul, born 02/06/1934
• Pauline, born 27/06/1936
• Mary Catherine

Paul and Myrtle Boland moved from Bundaberg to Mackay around 1933. Firstly, they lived at 63 Carlyle Street, then moved to 1 Peterson Street around 1938. In his years in Mackay, Paul worked as a labourer and as a caretaker.

Around 1960, they moved to 54 Herbert Street, Camp Hill, in Brisbane, and stayed there for about ten years. However, Paul is also listed in 1963 as living in Tweed Street, Tweed Heads. Then, through the 1970s, Paul and Myrtle lived in other suburbs of Brisbane: 25 Donaldson Street, Greenslopes (early 1970s), and 10 Bee Street, Ormiston (late 1970s). Around 1981, Paul and Myrtle moved to 5 Edzell Place, Carindale.

Paul Boland died on 27/06/1985 at the age of 99 and was buried in the Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Myrtle Boland died on 30/06/1989 and was buried alongside Paul. Their shared burial plaque is shown opposite.

Catherine Ann Boland

Catherine Boland was born on 16/12/1887 in Mackay. She grew up, however, from the age of about 5, in Murwillumbah. Catherine married Reginald Charles Bryant at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Murwillumbah, on 18/11/1913 (NSW marriage reg. 14885/1913).

Catherine and Reginald had eight children (all girls):

• Eileen Mary, born 12/11/1914 (NSW birth reg. 52727/1914)
• Pauline Veronica, born 25/11/1916 (NSW birth reg. 51844/1916)
• Bridget Agnes, born 10/06/1918 (NSW birth reg. 20118/1918)
• Patricia Kathleen, born 16/12/1920 (NSW birth reg. 12288/1921)
• Joan Theresa, born 07/11/1922
• Jean Catherine, born c.1925
• Barbara Noel, born 25/12/1926
• Margaret Anne, born 20/11/1928

Up until perhaps the early 1920s, Reginald and Catherine Bryant had a dairy farm on Tyalgum Road, Eungella (about 10 kms west of Murwillumbah). In the 1913 Electoral Roll, Reginald was listed as a farmer in Eungella, as were his parents, Charles and Mary Ann Bryant, so it is likely that this dairy farm was in Bryant hands before the marriage.

By 1925, Reginald and Catherine had moved to Currumbin, Qld, with Reginald working as a timber-getter. Around 1927, they moved to nearby Palm Beach.

On 05/10/1929, Reginald Bryant died of pneumonia and pleurisy. He was buried in the Southport General Cemetery.

Soon afterwards, Catherine and her daughters moved to Norman Park, Brisbane (Kingsbury Street). Catherine lived in a number of Brisbane suburbs through the rest of her life: Chatsworth Road, Greenslopes (mid 1930s), 114 Pembroke Road, Coorparoo (late 1930s), 17 Favesham Street, Buranda (early 1940s), Rathdonnell Street, Auchenflower (late 1940s), 14 Barnes Avenue, Coorparoo (early 1950s), 1040 Ipswich Road, Moorooka (late 1950s), 86 Dodds Street, Woody Point (1960s), 51 Landsborough Avenue, Scarborough, (1970 - 1971). Finally, she lived at 563 Cavendish Street, Coorparoo, in the 1970s. It seem that daughters Pauline and Joan remained single and lived with Catherine through most of those years. In Scarborough, however, Catherine was living with another daughter, Barbara.

Catherine Bryant died on 19/02/1980. She was buried at Nudgee Cemetery. Her tombstone is pictured opposite. Buried with Catherine are three of her daughters: Eileen Mary Bryant, Pauline Veronica Bryant, and Joan Theresa Bryant.

William John Boland

William Boland was born on 06/12/1889 in Oxenford / Coomera. He became a carpenter and followed that trade his whole working life.

William married Edith Cecil Frisby in Murwillumbah on 17/11/1915. Edith, like William, was a Murwillumbah local. According to electoral rolls, in 1913 she was living in Byangum Road (with her mother, Julia) and worked as a milliner. In fact, we think that Edith owned a millinery store in Main Street, Murwillumbah, which she was selling some months before her marriage. Also just before marrying, Edith bought two adjacent lots in South Murwillumbah from Catherine Gill. These were lots 5 and 6 in Railway Street, which together make up the property at address 8 Railway Street.

William and Edith were still living in Murwillumbah in March 1920, when William's father died. In 1921, they sold their Railway Street home and moved to 184 Park Road, Buranda (or Woolloongabba), in Brisbane. They lived there for many years.

Edith Boland died on 31/07/1946 and was buried in Nudgee Cemetery. William continued living in Park Road until about 1967, when he moved to 53 Waratah Avenue, Graceville.

William John Boland died on 09/08/1977 and was buried alongside Edith in Nudgee Cemetery. Their tombstone is shown opposite; it includes the names of two of their children.

William and Edith had six children (three boys and three girls):

• Norah Ellen, born 14/09/1916 (NSW birth reg. 32467/1916)
• Marie Therese, born 14/05/1918 (NSW birth reg. 20056/1918)
• William Samuel, born 19/02/1920 (NSW birth reg. 11387/1920)
• Samuel Joseph, born 10/02/1922 (Qld birth reg. 1922/B/70990)
• Edith Margaret (Peg), born 17/10/1924
• Thomas Patrick, born 28/02/1929

The first three children were born in Murwillumbah, while the last three were born in Brisbane. The family was a strongly religious one. The eldest daughter, Norah Ellen Boland, became a Catholic nun with the Sisters of Mercy, working initially as a teacher at the All Hallows school in Brisbane, then as a nurse at the South Brisbane Mater Misericordiae Hospital. Sons Samuel Joseph Boland and Thomas Patrick Boland both became Catholic priests.

Thomas Henry Boland

Thomas Boland was born on 01/03/1892 in Oxenford / Coomera. He enlisted in the AIF in July 1915 to fight in WWI. Thomas was living in Murwillumbah at that time, working as a labourer. He is pictured opposite.

Thomas Boland married Edith Florence Alcock on 27/08/1921 in Casino. Edith had given birth to their first child, Louis William, just three days before the wedding! Around 1925, Thomas and Edith moved from Murwillumbah to Reynold's Road, Casino, where Thomas took on a job as a stock inspector. He would continue that line of work into the 1970s.

Thomas and Edith Boland lived in Reynold's Road, Casino, until about 1932, when they moved south to Urunga. However, they only stayed a few years there before moving to Bottle Creek, Bonalbo, in the upper Clarence valley in 1936. Around 1938, they moved to Cedar Point, near Kyogle. They moved once again to 41 Esyth Street, Lismore, around 1947, and they lived there for the rest of their lives. They had purchased this property in October 1947 for a price of £1000.

Thomas and Edith Boland had five children (two boys and three girls):

• Louis William, born 24/08/1921 (NSW birth reg. 38384/1921)
• Thomas James, born 11/09/1923
• Moya Jean, born 19/04/1925
• Patricia Clare, born c.1927
• William, born c.1932
• Margaret Mary, born c.1934

The last son William died in infancy in the Bellingen district on 01/06/1932 and was buried in the Bellingen General Cemetery.

Edith Boland died on 18/08/1960 in St Vincent's Hospital, Lismore. An obituary for Edith appeared in Lismore's Northern Star. Thomas Boland died on 18/05/1976 in Casino Memorial Hospital. They were each buried in East Lismore Cemetery. Their respective tombstones are shown opposite. We have death certificates for both Edith and Thomas.

Ellen Mary (Nellie) Boland

Ellen Boland was born on 28/12/1893 in Murwillumbah. She was the first of the Boland children to leave this town, though we do not know when exactly that occurred. Ellen married Francis William Thompson in Queensland on 28/04/1917. Ellen and Francis had, at least, six children (four boys and two girls):

• Joan, born 08/08/1917
• Harold Douglas, born 16/05/1919
• Eric Boland, born 11/04/1921
• Gwendoline, born 02/11/1924
• Francis John
• Peter A.
• David Barry

The two eldest boys, Harold and Eric, served in the army in WWII, and we know from their service records that they were both born in Hughenden in northern Queensland.

In Hughenden, Francis was a bailiff. He and Ellen lived there, in Uhr Street, at least from 1919 to 1922. By 1925, they had moved to Blackett Street, Annerley, in Brisbane. They were there for about two years before moving across town to Wynnum: firstly to Edith Street (1928 - 1935), then Chestnut Street (1935 - 1942), then to 72 Coreen Street (1942 - 1960). During their years in Brisbane, Francis worked as a salesman.

Francis Thompson died on 29/08/1959 and was buried in Hemmant Cemetery. Subsequently, Ellen moved to the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Donald Piper, at 99 Moreton Ave, Wynnum Heights, but about two years later moved again to a house in Waterview Avenue in Wynnum.

Ellen Mary Thompson (nee Boland) died on 09/09/1986. She, too, was buried in Hemmant Cemetery.

Alice Elizabeth Boland

Alice Boland was born in Murwillumbah on 18/11/1895. She married Patrick Francis Quan on 18/02/1922 in Murwillumbah. Patrick Quan was a Murwillumbah local. His parents, William and Mary Quan, both of Irish decent, had lived in the Tweed district for several decades. They lived in Tygalgah, a small farming district a few kms north of Murwillumbah. They were cane and dairy farmers. There is, in fact, a Quans Lane in Tygalgah, presumably named after this Quan family. NB: It seems that Patrick Francis Quan was also known as Patrick Joseph Quan.

After marrying, Alice and Patrick lived on a farm in Tygalgah. Patrick's father, William Quan, died in 1915, so it seems likely that Patrick, the only surviving son, took over the running of the farm. His mother, Mary, remained there until she died in 1931. Patrick and his sisters then inherited the farm. An article from the Tweed Daily in 1933 describes the Quans' 295-acre farm, on which they grew sugar cane and had a dairy herd among other things. We think that this property has its northern boundary as the Rous River and lies on both sides of Quans Lane, Tygalgah. Its title deed provides further information.

Alice and Patrick Quan had seven children (three boys and four girls):

• William Patrick, born 28/10/1922
• Audrey Mary, born 1925
• (Mary) Patricia, born 28/06/1928
• Denise Bridget, born c.1930
• Margaret Ita, born 21/09/1932
• John Peter, born 12/04/1934
• Patrick Francis (Jnr), born 26/06/1935

Patrick Francis Quan died on 03/11/1974. We have a copy of the death certificate. Patrick was killed in a car accident on Cane Road on his way home from a horse race meeting. He had been chairman of the Tweed River Jockey Club up to that point. An article from the Australian's Womens Weekly, 24/09/1952, covering a race carnival at the Murwillumbah racecourse, has a photo of Patrick and Alice Quan with one of the winning horse owners on the day. The article also has a photo of two of the Quan daughters: Denise and Margaret.

Apparently, it was no rare event for the Quan daughters to be photographed by the press. Denise and Margaret appeared in the Courier-Mail in September 1953, pictured at a race meeting in Murwillumbah (in the second photo on the page). A few years earlier, in January 1949, another photo of Denise Quan appeared in the Brisbane Telegraph - top-right photo, the girl on the left.

Patrick Quan was buried in the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Patrick had been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1974 for services to the community. An article in the local Daily News on Patrick's death includes a photo of him and relates his good community work throughout his life. That newspaper also published a report on Patrick's funeral in Murwillumbah.

Alice Elizabeth Quan (nee Boland) died on 31/10/1980 and was buried alongside Patrick. Their tombstone appears opposite.

Brief notes on some of the children of Alice and Patrick follow. William Patrick Quan was a pilot (LAC) in the RAAF and died in WWII in Europe. John Quan and Patrick Quan Jnr each married, remained in Murwillumbah, and became farmers, with Patrick Jnr living in Tygalgah, presumably taking over the family farm. Patrick Jnr has since died, however (on 28/12/2002). John and his wife Sylvia remain, we think, in Murwillumbah. We do not know if the Quans still own the Tygalgah farm.

Robert James Boland

Robert Boland was born on 23/10/1897 in Murwillumbah. He enlisted in the army in February 1916 for the First World War. He came home about five months later, due to heart-related health problems. Upon return, he gained employment manning the tick gate at Cudgera. A few years later, in the early 1920s, Robert moved to Bilambil in the Tweed valley and worked as a farm hand.

By 1930, Robert had moved to Casino, working there as a labourer, according to electoral rolls. His brother Thomas was living in Casino at the time, so perhaps that drew Robert there. Around 1935, when Thomas Boland and his wife left Casino for Urunga, Robert Boland left Casino for Morningside, in Brisbane. Robert's sister Vera was then living in Morningside, so he might have been staying with her and her husband. However, about a year later, around 1937, Robert moved to 59 St Pauls Terrace, Brisbane, working as a pipe layer. In 1939, he was staying in the "Coltness" boarding house at 8 Maryborough Street, Bundaberg, again doing pipe-laying work.

As WWII began, Robert returned to Brisbane and enlisted once again for the army. Having had to return home so soon in his WWI service, he might have felt, some 20 years later, that there was "unfinished business" for him personally.

On 26/10/1940, Robert Boland married Beatrice Alice Maud O'Rourke (nee McMahon) in St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane. Beatrice was the widow of Robert's cousin Timothy Peter O'Rourke (son of James and Elizabeth O'Rourke (nee Cregan)). Timothy had died in Murwillumbah on 03/08/1924.

After her first husband, Timothy Peter O'Rourke, died, in August 1924, Beatrice O'Rourke was widowed with three young children. For a short time afterwards, they were living in Duranbah. We think this was at the farm of Beatrice's mother, Alice Maud Crouch. Beatrice and the children soon left Duranbah for Lismore, however. Around April 1925, Beatrice opened a grocery store on Conway Street (we think it was on the north-west corner of Dawson Street). She and Timothy had some shopkeeping experience from their short stay in Alstonville, so the new venture, while a courageous move, was not completely new to Beatrice. Opposite is an early advertisement for the store from the Lismore Northern Star.

Around 1930, Beatrice and the children left Lismore and moved to Bangalow. There Beatrice opened a cafe in Byron Street, the main street in that town. She stayed there for about five years before moving to Brisbane, around January 1935. She lived in George Street in the city area and worked as a caterer. By then the children were nearing adulthood, so perhaps Beatrice thought they might have more work opportunities in the city. In fact, the eldest child, Alice Elizabeth O'Rourke went into nursing in the late 1930s, doing her training at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in South Brisbane.

The following year, 1936, Beatrice moved to nearby 30 Tank Street in Brisbane, working as a residential keeper. She was still there when she married Robert Boland in 1940, and they lived there after their marriage for another two years.

After that initial time together in Tank Street, Robert and Beatrice lived in various suburbs of Brisbane: Spring Hill, Coorparoo, and New Farm. In Coorparoo, Robert was living at 14 Barnes Street, in the same house as his sister Catherine Bryant (nee Boland) and four of her daughters: Pauline, Joan, Jean, and Margaret. This was in 1954, at which time Beatrice was living at 26 Rogers Street, Spring Hill, according to the electoral roll of that year.

Meanwhile, through the years 1942 to 1945, each of Beatrice's three children was married in Brisbane and, for the most part, continued their life in that city.

Beatrice Boland died on 31/10/1960 and was buried in Lutwyche Cemetery.

As a widower, Robert Boland moved to 51 Landsborough Avenue, Scarborough, in the north Brisbane area, in the early 1960s. His niece Barbara Noel Egan (nee Bryant) was living with him at this time. Barbara was another daughter of Robert's older sister Catherine Bryant (nee Boland), and we think Barbara was the owner of this house.

In about 1964, Robert moved to Tweed Heads, firstly to Florence Street, then, soon after, in 1966, to 22 Boyd Street. Robert Boland died on 10/01/1970 and was buried in Lutwyche Cemetery. The shared tombstone of Beatrice and Robert is shown opposite.

Veronica Bridget (Vera) Boland

Vera Boland was born on 06/04/1901 in Murwillumbah. After her school years, she worked at the R. F. Jay and Sons drapery store in Murwillumbah, next to the Court House Hotel. She left there for a job in Brisbane in 1924. She lived in the suburb of Annerley. We think that she was living in Blacket Street with Ellen and Francis Thompson, her sister and brother-in-law, who had just moved there from Hughenden. Around 1927, Vera moved to Kent Street, Teneriffe, also in Brisbane. About two years later, she moved to an address in Kingsbury Street, Norman Park. This, we think, was the home of Vera's eldest sister, Catherine Ann Bryant, who was then recently widowed and had just moved to Brisbane from the Gold Coast. Also living with Catherine were her eight daughters, aged 1 to 15.

Vera married Michael Pedrazzini at St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane, on 01/10/1932.

Michael and Vera Pedrazzini lived for many years in Norman Park / Morningside in Brisbane, at 33 Foxton Street, with Michael working as a commercial traveller.

Michael Pedrazzini died on 20/03/1953 and was buried at Balmoral Cemetery, Morningside. Vera remained at Foxton Street until about 1963, when she moved to 14 Fairway Avenue, Mount Waverley, Vic, to live with her daughter and son-in-law Carmel Ann and Cecil James Lowe. Eventually, around 1972, Vera moved back to Queensland, to 5/51 Gresham Street, East Brisbane.

Vera Pedrazzini (nee Boland) died on 21/03/1988 and was buried at Balmoral Cemetery, Morningside, alongside her husband, Michael.

Vera and Michael Pedrazzini had four children that we know of (two boys and two girls):

• Carmel Ann
• Michael Boland, born 08/11/1938
• Judith Mary, born c.1940
• John

The youngest daughter, Judith Pedrazzini, died at the age of just 2 years on 17/07/1942.