Curran Wright History

Category: Pooncarie

  • Mullingar Station

    Mullingar Station is situated 15 minutes from the town of Pooncarie in NSW, Australia. The Darling River runs through the station.

    Patrick Curran (my paternal great grandfather) was granted the lease of the land that he called Mullingar on 7 December, 1910. He paid a deposit of four pounds, ten schillings. His assets at that time were 670 pounds, 5 horses, and 2 cows.

    Patrick and his wife, Isabella Herbert, their family and belongings were moved here by paddle steamer. They camped in a clump of trees by the river till they could build a house there. 

    Their house was constructed from timber and corrugated iron. It consisted of a living room and bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room. 

    Source: Gordon Curran, in The Family History of Michael Curran 1836-1997.

    Photo: Greg Curran 2009

    Photo: Greg Curran 2009
    Out front of house – Mullingar. Photo: Greg Curran 2009

    Original buildings at Mullingar Station (2009)

    Grandma Kelleen Curran had her wedding reception here - Mulingar
    Grandma Kelleen Curran (nee Cullinan) had her wedding reception here. Photo: Greg Curran 2009
    Photo: Greg Curran, 2009
    Photo: Greg Curran, 2009

    Family photos at Mullingar Station

  • Pooncarie

    Pooncarie, or Pooncaira as it was originally gazetted, (meaning large sandhill in the Barkindji language) is a very small town in south west, New South Wales, Australia.

    The Barkindji people lived in the area for around 40 000 years, prior to the arrival of white people.

    Established in 1840 through illegal grazing runs, Pooncarie gained prominence as a paddle steamer port to take workers and provisions to sheep stations, and wool bales to markets in the south It came to be known as ‘The Port’ by locals.

    Explorers Burke and Wills passed through the area in 1860 in their south to north expedition across Australia.

    There are a number of sheep properties in the Pooncarie region.

    Sources:

    Dunn, J. https://www.outbackmag.com.au/pooncarie-nsw-2648/.

    visitnsw.com/destinations.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pooncarie

    https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/pooncarie-nsw

    Curran and Cullinan Families in Pooncarie

    Two stations in Pooncarie are linked to the Curran and Cullinan families: Mullingar (Curran Family) and Kelleen (Cullinan Family).

    Mullingar was established in 1910 by Patrick Curran.

    Kelleen was established in February 1888 by Michael Cullinan.

    See the Michael Cullinan and Patrick Curran posts for further details of their lives in Pooncarie.

    Curran Family

    Entrance to Mullingar Station

    Cullinan Family

    1915: Michael Cullinan is fined and given good behaviour bond for 6 months for using “threatening language in a public place” at a landsale at Endfield near Pooncarie. His appeal on the basis that it wasn’t a public place was dismissed with costs of 10 pounds, 10 schillings costs.

    Threatening Language Charge
    Source: Richmond River Herald – Northern District Advertiser, 10 December 1915

  • Herbert Curran and Kelleen Cullinan

    My paternal grandparents, Herbert Curran and Kelleen (also known as Queenie) Cullinan met in 1918 at the Pooncarie Ball (in New South Wales, Australia).

    Herb and Queenie wedding day

    They married on June 4, 1919 at Mullingar Station (New South Wales), in a dual wedding with Herb’s mate, Ernie Page who married Herb’s sister, Annie Herbert. Herb was 22 years old, Kelleen was 20 years old.

    Herbert and Kelleen lived at the following places during their life together:

    • 1919 Curlwaa (corner of Channel and Poplar roads, lot 5, section 2), Victoria. This was a dried fruit and citrus block.
    • 1920 Mullingar Station, Pooncarie, New South Wales
    • 1921 – Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie, New South Wales
      • Herb and Kelleen lived in the original slab hotel building (erected 1875 – demolished 1925) which had an iron iron roof, and was located on McKinley and Mallara Street. 
      • The existing Telegraph Hotel (see image below) began life in 1922, the year Herb and Kelleen moved to Benetook Avenue. This hotel was completed in 1925.Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie

    1925 Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie (Photo by Greg Curran 2009)

    • 1922 – Benetook Avenue, Mildura, Victoria
      • Mud brick or adobe house, destroyed in Murray River floods in 1956 (Curran, D. The Family History of Michael Curran1836-1997)
    Benetook Avenue, Mildura, 2011
    Benetook Avenue, 2011
    • 1925 – Cowra Avenue, Mildura
    • 1926 – 1939 66 Eighth Street, Mildura
    • 1939 – 1972 Thirteenth Street, Mildura (Herbert and Kelleen)
      • This was a fruit block (grapes and citrus)
    13st Mildura (next to rail-line) in 2011
    • 1972 (1st November) Herb dies of a heart attack
      • He is buried at Mildura Lawn Cemetery
    • 1972 – 1993 Thirteenth Street, Mildura (Kelleen)
    • 1993 Kelleen dies.
      • She is buried at Mildura Lawn Cemetery
    At their 13th Street. Mildura property

    See Herbert Curran page for additional photos.

  • Isabella Herbert

    Isabella (also known as Bella) Herbert is my paternal great grandmother, mother of my grandfather, Herbert Curran. She was born on 17 November, 1866 to Margaret James and John Herbert in Wallaroo, South Australia.

    She met Patrick Curran, her husband in Menindee, New South Wales. They married on 5th April, 1896. She was 30 years old. For further information on their life together, see Patrick and Isabella’s page.

    Isabella died on 1 August, 1937 and is buried in Pooncarie cemetery in the Anglican section, row A, plot number 23.

    Patrick_Isabella_Curran1896
    Patrick_IsabellaCurran2
    Isabella, labelled as ‘Granny Curran’, Kelleen Curran (my paternal grandmother), Gordon Curran (baby of Kelleen). Around 1920.
    Isabella Herbert’s birth certificate
    Isabella Herbert’s death certificate
    Isabella’s grave in Pooncarie Cemetery. Photo: Greg Curran, 2009.
    Original photo of Isabella Herbert grave.

  • Patrick Curran and Isabella Herbert

    My great grandparents, Patrick Curran (1865-1954) and Isabella Herbert (1866-1937) met and married in Menindee, NSW, Australia on 5 April, 1896.

    My grandfather, Herbert Curran (1896-1972) was born at Netley Station where Patrick worked (as a gardener) and they all lived. 

    In 1901 they moved to the Victoria Hotel in Tolarna as licensees. 

    In 1910 they leased the station Patrick named Mullingar. They camped there till their house was built. 

    Patrick and Isabella lived at Mullingar Station till 1937 when Isabella died at the age of 70.

    Patrick moved to Mildura, Victoria, Australia in 1945. He died in 1954 at the age of 89.

    Source: Gordon Curran, The Family History of Michael Curran, 1836-1997.

    Patrick_Isabella_Curran1896
    Patrick_IsabellaCurran2
    Patrick Curran, labelled as ‘Grandfather’ and Isabella Curran, labelled as ‘granny’ (nee Herbert), 1912.