Peter Cleary
Son of Anthony Cleary and Bridget McMahon. Baptised 28 March 1838 and therefore born shortly before that in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland.
According to the Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists (Immigration to Victoria) (see http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=23), Peter Cleary age 22 and Elizabeth Cleary age 17 arrived in Victoria in January 1864 on the ship Great Australia. It appears that these were the children of Anthony and Bridget. Also on the same ship were three other persons named Cleary : Denis age 24, John age 24 and Ellen age 18. It had been thought that John was the brother of Peter and Elizabeth, but this is not correct. John was from the family of prominent Victorian identity and former parliamentarian Phil Cleary (see http://www.philcleary.com.au/history_garibaldi_pope_dinny.htm).
On 11 February 1872, Peter Cleary, reported to be age 31, a miner of Osborne's Flat, Yackandandah, married Mary Connell, aged 23, a servant, in Beechworth, Victoria. Peter's signature is found on his marriage certificate; one of the witnesses to the ceremony was his brother John Cleary.
from left : brothers Peter, John and Michael Cleary.
Photograph from Denise Ritter, grand-daughter of Michael.
Peter and Mary were parents of six children :
- Bridget Mary Cleary, born approx 1872 in Yackandandah, Victoria. In 1907, she married Alexander James Kendell in either Yackandandah or Wodonga, Victoria. They later resided in Double Gully, Tallangatta. They were parents to three children:
- Mary (born and died in 1908);
- Catherine Carmel Kendell (born 1911 and still living at time of mother's death); and
- Alexander James Kendell (born 1913, died 1955). In approx 1940, he married Gwendoline Lucy Craig in Wodonga. Their children (Bridget's grandchildren & Peter Cleary's ` great grandchildren) are thought to be Robert James Kendell (born approx. 1943), Eileen Margaret Kendell (born approx. 1945) and Colin John Kendell (born approx. 1950).
- John Thomas Cleary, born approx. 1877 in Gundowring, Victoria. Never married. Occupation was farmer at Gundowring. At the time of his death, his usual residence was at Double Gully, Victoria (presumed to be Double Guly, at Tallangatta). John died on 4 December 1954, aged 77 years, in Mont Park Hospital, Melbourne. Buried near parents in Springvale Cemetery (Kiewa).
- Anthony Cleary, born in approx. 1880 in Gundowring, Victoria. Never married. Occupation farmer. After retirement, resided in Tallangatta and died in Tallangatta Hospital on 12 May 1948, aged 68 years.
- Catherine Anne Cleary, born in approx. 1882 in Upper Gundowring. Birth registered as Kate Cleary (birth registration 1882/6346). At the age of 42, she married Joseph Ford ,a widower aged 60, on 5 May 1925 in Wodonga. There were no children. Her death certificate states that she lived all her life in Victoria, except for a few months in New South Wales. Catherine, a widow aged 61 years, died at Upper Gundowring on 22 May 1943. Buried at Springvale (Kiewa) Cemetery
- Peter Cleary, born 1885 at Yackandandah (birth registration 1885/14611). Reported to have left Australia with his younger brother and moved to New Zealand where he was a publican in Napier. It is believed that he never married and had no children.
- Francis (Frank) Cleary, born 23 August 1887 at Yackandandah (birth registration 1887/25125). As the family farm could not support them, Frank and his brother Peter left the farm and emigrated to New Zealand. On 11 April 1917 he married Hilda May Tracey in Sacred Heart Church in Ponsonby, Auckland. Frank died on 11 June 1974 while his wife Hilda May Tracey who had been born on 21 January 1896 died on 3 February 1979. They were parents to two children:
- John Peter Cleary (born 27 January 1918 and died 13 June 2004) married Joan Ward (born 18 January 1921 and died 13 August 2001). They lived in Auckland, New Zealand, and were parents to nine children :
- Peter Francis Cleary
- Pauline Cleary (twin)
- Margaret Cleary (twin)
- Fr Anthony Cleary C.P. (born 2 December 1946 in New Zealand; Catholic priest in the Passionist order; died of bowel cancer in Sydney, Australia, on 15 April 1988)
- Gerard Cleary
- Jenny Cleary
- Christopher Cleary
- Ann-Marie Cleary
- Jon Cleary
- Hilda May Cleary, born 1919; married Leicester Gribble (born 1915) in 1939. They had four children: Leicester born 1940, Raymond born 1942, Patricia born 1952, and Paul born 1955.
- John Peter Cleary (born 27 January 1918 and died 13 June 2004) married Joan Ward (born 18 January 1921 and died 13 August 2001). They lived in Auckland, New Zealand, and were parents to nine children :
St Mary's Catholic Church at Osbornes Flat
would have been regularly visited by the Cleary family
Peter died on 23 April 1913 at Gundowring where his son John resided; it is located in the vicinity of Yackandandah, about 25 km south of Wodonga and not far from Beechworth. At the time of his death he was described as a farmer aged 74 years, having lived 49 years in Victoria after coming from County Clare in Ireland. Peter's widow, Mary, died just months later on 8 September 1913, aged 64 years.
Peter and Mary and three of their children are buried at Kiewa Cemetery (formerly known as Springvale Cemetery) which is located on the Gundowring Road, a few kilometres out of Tangambalanga, near Kiewa, and a few kilometres more from Yackandandah in Victoria.
Thanks to Peter Francis Cleary of Melbourne (grandson of Frank and great grandson
of Peter Cleary and Mary Connell) for providing some of the above information.
Any further information about any of the above people would be appreciated.
