Kelleen Lillian Mary Cullinan (also known as Queen or Queenie) is my paternal Grandmother. She was born on 10 February 1899.
Here’s some of the key places and events in her life:
1899 Lived at Kelleen Station, Pooncarie, New South Wales, Australia
Attended Connorgie State School (no longer exists, building moved to Pomona). Kelleen had to cross the Murray River and walk a mile to attend this school near Lethno. She went to school till the age of 12.
Kelleen’s chores at home included bringing in the goats, having to search miles in the scrub for them. Also milking the cow.
She learnt to row the flat bottom boat across the Murray River (to collect mail) – by herself.
With no elder sisters at home, Kelleen began running the home at 12 years of age.
Annual Events
St Patrick’s Day Races at Wentworth
- 2 day trip in a double seater buggy pulled by two horses. At night a communal camp bed was prepared.
Pooncarie Boxing Day Races and Pooncarie Hall Dance
- Kelleen met her future husband, Herbert Curran, at the dance.
New Year’s Day Picnic – Lethero
- Events: Athletics, Dances at night
1919 – She married Herbert Curran at 20 years of age on 4 June 1919 at Mullingar, Pooncarie. See Herbert Curran page for photos of places below.
1919 Lived at Curlwaa (fruit block), New South Wales
End of 1920 – Mullingar Station, Pooncarie, New South Wales
1921 – Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie, New South Wales
- Kelleen and her husband were licensees of the hotel. Kelleen didn’t like the life here (and was a teetotaler her whole life) so they moved not long after.
1922 – Benetook Avenue (fruit block), Mildura, Victoria, Australia
- Kelleen took on Blockie Wife duties including assisting in picking, spreading, shaking pulling out, rolling on, and pitting apricots for drying.
- Times were tough due the depression so they sold the block in 1925.
1925 Cowra Avenue (rented house), Mildura
1926 – 1939 66 Eighth Street, Mildura
1939 – 1993. Thirteenth Street (fruit block alongside the railway line), Mildura
Kelleen was an avid Mildura football club supporter, often attending games, right up until 6 weeks before she died.
Valda Curran (Kerr), Herb Curran
Kelleen died in 1993. She was 94 years old.
Information sourced from Doug Curran’s, The Family History of James Cullinan 1816-1990.