Michael Francis ("Mick") Cleary
Son of Michael Anthony Cleary and Elizabeth Nash. Born 6 October 1884 in Goulburn, New South Wales. According to his birth certificate, he was born in Clinton Street. That street still exists in Goulburn. (For many years, until the mid 1990s, the main Hume Highway from Melbourne to Sydney ran through Goulburn city centre and did something of a "dogleg" sharp right turn then two blocks later, a sharp left turn; that two blocks was part of Clinton Street, although the street is longer than that two blocks.)Later the family lived in other places, eventually settling in Hoxton Park, near Liverpool.
A school exercise book containing Michael's school work while a pupil of Hoxton Park Public School, in 1895 and 1896, is in the possession of his grand-daughter, Margaret Kelly. It includes arithmetic, geography , history and English grammar. It appears that a regular exercise was to draft a letter in school for later re-writing and posting. The following draft letters are interesting for a number of reasons. They reveal important issues in daily life, including rainfall, carting water, feed for animals, the need for Anthony (the eldest brother) to leave school as he was needed at home (Michael himself left school soon after). See Letters of a school boy, Hoxton Park, 1894-1896. The first letter also includes the address of a cousin, also named Michael Cleary, in Dunedin, New Zealand. The address in Dunedin was Castle Street, Dunedin.
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Certificate of Proficiency. First in the Lower Fourth Class in Arithmetic. Hoxton Park Public School, December 1896.
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"Certificate of a Child Being Sufficiently Educated" as required under the Public Instruction Act 1880. Issued May 1897.
At one time Michael Francis Cleary worked as delivery boy, and possibly as an apprentice,
for a butcher in Picton, NSW. Also worked in other country towns and sent money home to
his mother to assist in raising younger members of family.
Attendants (male nurses), Hospital for the Insane, Parramatta, 1907.
Michael Francis Cleary is 2nd from right in back row.
Michael Francis ("Mick") Cleary worked as an attendant (male nurse) at the Hospital for the Insane, Parramatta. He commenced employment there on 1 December 1906, working until he commenced extended leave on 15 August 1947, officially retiring 14 August 1948. His salary during the one year of extended leave was 431 pounds, 11 shillings and 5 pence.
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Certificate of Nursing Education at Hospital for the Insane, Parramatta.
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Certificate of Registration as a Mental Nurse.
Although Michael Francis Cleary completed training as a nurse in 1909,
legislation requiring registration of nurses was not introduced until the 1920s.
In recognition of his long service (more than 40 years) in government employment, he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal. See his recognition on the Australian Honours website.
While employed at the hospital, he met Catherine Bergin. They married in St Patrick's Church, Parramatta, on 19 April 1911. The Sands Directory of Sydney and suburbs did not list M.F.Cleary in 1911 as it is thought he lived-in at the hospital until he married. In the 1912 edition, he is listed as residing in Short Street, Parramatta, and in 1913 listed as residing in Mary Street, Parramatta. Apparently he rented accommodation immediately after his marriage and while the house in Mary Street was being built.
The children of the marriage are listed with information about Michael's wife.
Michael Francis Cleary died in his sleep on 1 December 1965.
