Curran Wright History

Category: Avoca Station

  • Stations

    Our ancestors, the Curran and Cullinan families, lived and worked on Pastoral Stations for many years of their lives.

    Curran Families

    • 1910-1945 Mullingar Station, Pooncarie, New South Wales, Australia
      • 14, 700 acre property leased by Patrick Curran in 1910
      • After the second world war, Patrick left the running of the property to his son, Dan Curran.

    Cullinan Families

    • 1874 – Beltana Station, South Australia, Australia
      • Michael Cullinan worked here upon arrival in Australia
    • 1870s – Avoca Station, Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia
      • Michael Cullinan worked here.
    • 1888 – 1921 Kelleen Station, Pooncarie, New South Wales, Australia
      • Michael Cullinan successfully applied for this then 10, 000 acre block.
      • He lived and worked on it, till he sold it to his son , Frank in 1921.
    • 1921 – 1924 Burungie Station, Broken Hill, New South Wales
      • Michael Cullinan bought this station.

    Further Information on these stations, is available on the relevant pages. See categories above.

  • Avoca Station – Michael Cullinan

    Image Source

    https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=5062573

    Avoca Homestead

    Avoca Station, on the River Darling in NSW, was established in the 1870s. At its height it covered 1,100 square miles.

    In the 1870’s, Michael Cullinan works here for Mr Daniel Henry Cudmore. The Cudmore family owned properties in South Australia and New South Wales. Avoca Station remained in the Cudmore family from 1871 to 1915.

    Daniel H Cudmore
    Daniel H Cudmore, Source: http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/cudmore-daniel-henry-dan-270

    Initially Michael travels to Wentworth and takes back a pack of 16 kangaroo dogs, a type of dog specifically bred for hunting kangaroos (see: Wikipedia and Outback Family History). They hunt in the Milkingay country near Traveller’s Lake.

    Michael is paid a salary and what he could get for the kangaroo skins. He has one man working as a cook for him.

    He does not work here long though as the dogs aren’t good hunters. He takes them back and moves onto another job (Source: Doug Curran: The Family History of James Cullinan).

    Next, Michael does rabbiting with Tom Wakefield (his future brother in law) for 1 schilling a scalp on the east side of the Darling River. Tom had a dray and 3 horses carting water and food out to the Michael and his men. Between them they had 100 traps of which Michael worked 100 for himself. He averaged 100 rabbits per day 7 days a week. He made his first 1000 pounds through this job. Eventually the price for rabbits dropped to 1 penny and they stopped rabbiting (Source: Letter to Cherry and Don, from Andrew Edward Cullinan, Glenora, Box 16 Birchip, 1980).

    During his rabbiting period, he is courting Betsy Wakefield from the Hackham, Noarlunga, South Australia.

    Further Information: Avoca Station – Wikipedia

    Avoca Homestead restored

    Image Source

    https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/the-murray/wentworth/accommodation/avoca-darling-hospitality

  • Michael Cullinan

    Michael Cullinan is my Great Grandfather (father to Kelleen Lillian Cullinan, my paternal Grandmother). He was born in 1852 (2 August) and died in 1924 (20 August) at the age of 72 years. He is buried in Broken Hill cemetery in New South Wales, Australia.

    Here is where Michael Cullinan lived: