Laura Mary Dunne
Laura Mary Dunne, the daughter of Peter Augustus Dunne and Adelaide Mary Price, was born in Deniliquin NSW on 10 December 1877. At this time, it is thought that Deniliquin had a population of approximately 2500 people and was one of the larger towns in the Riverina district.
Laura was raised in Tocumwal NSW where her father was postmaster
According to an article on page 2 of the Tocumwal Times published on 7 June 1894, Laura and her sister Sylvia were awarded certificates that they were educated to the standard required in New South Wales and that this was the first year in which such certificates were issued.
click to enlarge
Laura became a school teacher and is reported to have been the first teacher at Lankey's Creek, Vic. in 1901. At about the same time, her family relocated to Moruya on the south coast of New South Wales to which her father was transferred as postmaster. On 5 August 1903 she married Hugh Patrick McKenzie-McHarg in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Moruya, NSW.
They lived first in a cottage built for them at the Sandy Creek Cheese Factory where Hugh was manager. In 1907 they moved to a property called "Old Croyland" and in 1924 moved to an adjoining property called "Croyland".
Hugh and Laura were parents to eight sons and one daughter :
- Langton Hugh McKenzie-McHarg (b. 31 May 1904; d. 31 July 1982);
- John Clarence Bernard McKenzie-McHarg (b. 12 August 1905; d. 12 Jan 1996);
- Hugh Francis McKenzie-McHarg (b. 30 April 1907; d. 20 Nov 1996);
- Raymond Peter McKenzie-McHarg (b. 13 February 1909; d. 18 August 1915);
- Andrew Vincent McKenzie-McHarg (b. 22 January 1911; d. 12 July 1951);
- Allan Damian McKenzie-McHarg (b. 27 September 1913; d. 2 June 1993);
- Keir Gregory McKenzie-McHarg (b. 11 March 1916);
- David Aloysius McKenzie-McHarg (b. 20 June 1918; d. 6 June 1992);
- Doreen Mary McKenzie-McHarg (b. 6 July 1920).
Christmas at Croyland, 1926
The cheese factory closed during World War II and was completely destroyed by bush fires in 1951. Laura and Hugh were very involved in their community; Laura was very active in working for the establishment of the Bush Nursing Hospital at Walwa and to achieve the opening of the Catholic Church in Walwa in April 1933. Laura was a catechist and church organist in Walwa, Vic.
Just as her father had been a keen newspaper correspondent, Laura was correspondent to the Albury Border Mail newspaper for many years.
Laura and her sister, Flavia,
in the early 1950s
Laura died on 16 December 1956, age 79, at Walwa. Her husband Hugh lived until 17 July 1964. Both are buried in Walwa Cemetery.
Photographs provided by David McKenzie-McHarg
Newspaper clipping from holdings of the State Library of NSW
