Patrick I (the eldest) married Catherine Killalea Moore in 1856 at Westbury just out of Launceston. John I married Bridget ‘Anne’ Maloney in 1861, and Thomas I married Ellen Esther Ryan in 1864. Catherine Killalea had traveled with her mother and sister to Melbourne, and then on to Westbury where her brothers Patrick and John were farming.
In the early records their surname was given as O’Berne, and Thomas and Ellen were registered in this name, but there does not seem to be little doubt that the current spelling of O’Byrne goes back to their heritage in Ireland.
Westbury was founded in1828. The military pensioners were granted 5 acres, a well and a supply of wood. By 1850 there was a population of 544, and the town had 7 hotels, flour mills, stores, churches and military barracks. In the early 1850s thousands left Tasmania for Victorian gold fields, which meant those who stayed behind could ask for generous rates for their labor.
Not long after moving to Launceston they moved, some 20km to the small farming town of Westbury where there was plenty of work, and excellent farming land. Some of the records show the Quamby Bend-Westbury O’Byrne Farms was near Rydal Park where John and Patrick owned land, and in 1865 John and Patrick owned 200 acres near Quamby Brook. In 1875 Patrick leased 339acres at Selbourne. Full details of and:-
O’BYRNE FARM LAND
AT
QUAMBY BEND, WESTBURY, TASMANIA
1858
The three O’Byrne brothers were living on land at Meander River.
300 acres owned by W.T.Ashburner of Sillwood.
1866
John O’Berne living at Looseleigh
Patrick O’Byrne on 150 acres at Selbourne
Owned by Mrs Ashburner of England.
1875 & 1876
Patrick O’Byrne on 339 acres rated at 65pd at Selbourne.
Owned by Mrs Ashburner of Europe.
9 John O’Berne at Looseleigh.
Owned by Ex of the late Mrs?
Thomas O’Byrne 40 acres rated at 13 pd.
Thomas O’Berne 100 acres near Cluan.
Owned by James Keen of Springbanks
180
Thomas O’Byrne, Pine Road, Penguin
Owner T.J. Brown
1895
Thomas O’Berne on 2 acres at King Street, Westbury.
Owned by Mary Griffin
John & Patrick O’Byrne owned 200 acres at Quamby Bend.
Bridget O’Byrne, widow of John, owned 166 acres at Quamby Bend.
1896
Ellen Esther O’Byrne, Pine Road, Penguin.
Owner T.J. Brown
1915
Bridget O’Byrne, widow, owned 199 acres at Quamby Bend
John & Patrick O’Byrne owned 149.5 acres at Quamby Bend.
1923
John O’Byrne owned 149 acres at Quamby Bend.
Patrick was residing on Mrs Bridget O’Byrnes 199 acres.
The above information was provided by Mrs Thelma Grunnell of the Launceston
Genealogical Society. 21 July 2000. grunnell@hotmail.com
The O’Byrnes fitted well into the Westbury community, and there are many headstones in the Catholic portion of the cemetery, alongside those of their good friends the Killaleas.
It would seem that almost all the children of the three families lived in the general area of Westbury and its surrounds. In addition to farming and timber as well as roading, there was extensive mining especially in tin.
There were eleven surviving children of PATRICK and CATHERINE , five of whom married, and four couples who had issue.
There were eleven surviving children of THOMAS and ELLEN, ten of whom married, and seven couples who had issue.
There were eight surviving children of JOHN and BRIDGET (ANNE), eight of whom married, and five couples had issue.
Towards the end of the century Patrick took over the hotel, in ,and remained there virtually to his death in 1903. Catherine died in 1909, like her husband in Westbury.
Thomas and his wife continued to farm around Westbury, but moved to Penguin in retirement. Thomas died in 1895, and Ellen in 1908. They are buried together in the Ulverstone Cemetery
John continued farming in the Westbury area until his death in 1888. He is believed to have been killed in a cart accident when his horse bolted in Launceston.
Engraved on his head stone is:- John O’Byrne, died 31 Dec 1888, age 53, Of County
Galway, Ireland.
Westbury was and still is a tranquil area of green rolling pastures, surrounded by hills. The brothers first housing was either canvas, or smallish houses made with mud bricks, or split timber. The rooves would be thatched, with the chimneys built on the outside to avoid setting the roof alight.
The climate in winter could be very cold, and frequent falls of snow. The stock still had to be tended to and fed even in the worst weather. Clothing was as heavy as possible, with old sacks used for extra protection. The house cow was a must, and gave great supplies of fresh milk and cream, and butter.
When family members started going to school, their attendance was often irregular, as the first priority was to the home, and up until the 1880s many finished their studies between 10 and 12 years of age. As soon as possible the children obtained work in the area to help the home, and it wasn’t long before they ventured further, working in tin or coal mines.
Whilst the winters could be hard the summers generally made up for it, with warm cloudless days, and the large variety of native birds and flowers.
Some of the lads became hoteliers, which has carried down to modern days.
P.A. O’Beirne had the Club Tavern in Hobart; Thomas James O’Byrne had the Crown and also the Criterion hotels in Launceston; Michael J. O’Byrne had the Maine in Hobart; Thomas J O’Byrne also had the City Hotel at Launceston
At least one, Thomas Francis O’Byrne (son of Thomas I), decided to chance his arm further afield, when work became scarce in the late 1800s. He set sail for New Zealand, and arrived in Southland in 1893. He worked on farms, and then leased a small property at Wooded, and married Johanna O’Brien in 1894.
Having learned to drive bullocks on his fathers farm, he did well at the sawmill as a driver,earning a steady income. Concerned for his fellows who often had poor pay and conditions, he became a founding member of the Southland Timber Works’ Union in 1900. He was President from 1903-05. In 1906 he was appointed the paid secretary of the Union, and began a life of travelling around mills, often having to walk to remote areas.
It was his pride that he was able to avoid strikes by arbitration and negotiation. His “touch of blarney” made him a tactful and skilled negotiator. In 1911 he also became secretary of the Otago and Southland Cheese Factory Managers Union, and later the Dairy Assistants Union. In 1923 he travelled over 7,000 miles campaigning to improve safety in the bush tramways.
He was a member of the Invercargill City Council through the years 1912-17; 1927-31 and 1933-35. He was appointed to the Legislative Council (Senate) from 1933 to 1950.
Tall and immensely strong Tom’s commanding appearance helped earn the respect of the bushmen. An accomplished axeman, he helped organise the annual axemens and also the Athletics Ass carnivals.
After 44 years-continuous service as Secretary of the Southland Timber Workers Union Tom retired from the job, in 1950. His wife Johanna had predeceased him in 1942, and Tom passed on in 1952.
Being a foundation member of the Labor Party, Tom provided an open house to all politicians in the first NZ Labor Government. Figures like Premier Savage; Fin Min
Walter Nash, and international Leaders such as Keir-Hardy were made welcome.
