Curran Wright History

Category: Australia

Ellen Dhann & Michael Cullinan – Wentworth
Ellen Dhann married Michael Cullinan, in the Roman Catholic Presbytery, Wentworth NSW, Australia (NSW Registration Number 1905/5580).
- The minister was William Barry Tobin. The witnesses were John Leary and Mary Kinnane.
This was Michael’s 2rd marriage (first to Betsy Wakefield).
- Ellen, a Domestic was 38 years old and Michael, a Grazier was 40 years old.
They lived at Kelleen, River Darling, Pooncarie, NSW, Australia till Ellen drowned in the River Darling in 1907.
November 13, 2016
Ellen Dhann

1867 Born Limerick, Ireland

May 4, 1905 Married Michael Cullinan, Wentworth, New South Wales
1905-1907 Lived and died at Kelleen, Pooncarie, New South Wales

November 13, 2016
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:
- 1852 Corofin, County Clare, Ireland
- 1874 (31 March) Emigrates to Australia aboard The Glenlyon ship
- 1874 (3 July) Arrives Outer Harbour, South Australia with his sister, Bridget.
- 1874 Beltana Station, South Australia
- Port Augusta, South Australia
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Avoca Station, River Darling
- Wentworth, New South Wales
- 1886 Kapunda, South Australia (Marriage #1 – Betsy Wakefield)
- 1888 Kelleen Station, New South Wales
  - He bought this land
- 1907 Wentworth (Marriage #2, Ellen Dhann)
- 1914 Wentworth (Marriage #3, Mary Ann Cuff)
- 1920 or 1923 Bought Glenora Station (near Birchip, Victoria, Australia) for his son, Andy Cullinan
- 1921 Burungie Station, Broken Hill, New South Wales
  - He bought this station
- 1924 (August 20)- His vehicle became bogged in a creek and he got wet through. Following a chill, he became very ill and died of double lobar pneumonia, cardiac failure (G Henry Dobbyn – Medical Attendant) at Lourdes Private Hospital – Death Certificate 1924/012902
- 1924 Buried Roman Catholic Cemetery, Broken Hill cemetery
November 13, 2016
Betsy Wakefield
Betsy Wakefield is my Great Grandmother. She was mother to Kelleen Lillian Cullinan, my paternal Grandmother and 6 other children.

Betsy was born on 12 April, 1861, in Hackham, South Australia and died on 2 June, 1904.

Betsy’s death was a little over a year after her 2 year old daughter, Catherine drowned in the Darling River at Kelleen Station, near Pooncarie in NSW.

Betsy’s parents, Thomas Wakefield (from Haslingford, England) and Tamar Speed (from Balsham, England) immigrated to Australia (Port Jackson, Sydney), on the ship Una in 1849. They arrived in South Australia in 1854.

Betsy met Michael Cullinan, her future husband, through her brother, Tom (who worked alongside Michael). They married on 2 June, 1886 in Kapunda, South Australia. She was 25 years old.

Here are the places where Betsy lived:
- 1861 Hackham, Noarlunga, South Australia
- 1886 Kapunda, South Australia
- 1888-1904 Kelleen Station, New South Wales
Further Information on Betsy’s family (the Wakefields) can be found in High on the Hill, (p.231) a history of Onkaparinga City in South Australia.
November 13, 2016
Kelleen Cullinan – Curran
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.

Herbert Curran and Kelleen Cullinan’s Wedding Day

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.

(L-R) Doug Curran, Kelleen Curran, Kevin Curran,
Valda Curran (Kerr), Herb Curran

Kevin Curran and Kelleen (son and mother) at 13th Street house.

Kelleen died in 1993. She was 94 years old.

Information sourced from Doug Curran’s, The Family History of James Cullinan 1816-1990.
November 13, 2016