WEDDING ALBUM |
|
 |
James McNamara - Mary Ann Fuller married in a civil ceremony at the Nanango Court House (Qld) on Wednesday 13 February 1867 before South Burnett District Registrar William Cradock Nowell Bussell. The eldest daughter of Fred and Bridget Fuller was six months short of her seventeenth birthday when she exchanged vows with 25 years old James. The couple first met at the Jondaryan Wool Shed in 1864 when both families worked at the property. Oscar Kosa a local auctioneer and Fred Fuller, father of the bride acted as witnesses to the ceremony. The marriage produced 12 children including two sets of twins. (*Click on any photo to enlarge) |
 |
|
 |
Sabina McNamara - August James Fontaine married at the presbytery of St. Joseph's Church Dalby, Queensland on 4 April 1892. Sabina had turned nineteen just one month before the wedding. The couple left Jandowae after a family feud and headed for North Queensland where Gus eked out a living as a kangaroo shooter and part time prospector. After a decade of wandering Gus gave up the nomadic life, settled his growing family at Kelsey Creek near Proserpine and turned his hand to sugar cane farming. Barely five feet tall, the diminutive Sabina bore 16 children of whom 14 survived. |
|
|
 |
James Joseph McNamara - Mary Anne O'Brien married by Father Daniel Walsh at St. Joseph's Catholic Church Helidon on 25 April 1900. The original church and nearby convent, the first branch house of Sisters of Mercy community in Queensland, no longer stand. The church was destroyed in a hail storm that hit Helidon in 1914. James and Mary Anne began married life at "Glenrock" farm near Jandowae. The expert horseman and drover moved to Hawkwood Station on the Auburn River as overseer for Charlie Persse from 1911 to 1918. He resigned on 24 April 1918, changed his mind and continued his long association with Hawkwood. |
|
|
 |
Mary Ann² McNamara - Edward Cherry married at St. Joseph's Church Dalby, 24 December 1907. Mary Ann's youngest sister, seventeen year old Minnie May and brother William acted a bridesmaid and best man for the couple. For well over a decade lack of money forced them to live at "Rosebank" while Ted struggled to make the couple's property at Iron Pot Creek habitable for the family. Their four children Agnes (1908), Muriel (1910), Edward (1912), Norman (1915) were all born at Rosebank before the family finally moved to their selection "Bellbrook" around 1920. Ted died in 1930 leaving Mary Ann and family to run the dairy farm. |
|
|
 |
William McNamara - Hannah Kenafacke married at St Patrick's Catholic Church Toowoomba 20 April 1908. Hannah was the the second youngest daughter of Jondaryan farmer Daniel Kenafacke and Mary Maloney. A son William Francis was born the day before his father's thirty-first birthday on 23 March 1909. The double celebration was short lived as Hannah developed post natal complications and died from blood poisoning a week later. Hannah's dying wish was that best friend Mary Lee care for her husband and child. Tragically William Francis died sixty eight days later at Rosebank, Jandowae. Will married Mary Lee in Brisbane on 11 June 1911. |
|
|
 |
Edward Patrick McNamara - Annabella Catherine Fletcher married at "Strathgyle" the Fletcher family residence near Bell (Qld) on Wednesday 28 December 1910. The bride's younger sister Helen and the groom's brother Jack acted as bridesmaid and best man. Ted was the first McNamara to marry into the Fletcher family cementing both families long tradition with the land. Seven years later, almost to the day, older brother Frank married Helen Fletcher in a similar ceremony in the same setting in 1917. Edward's first marriage produced two children Neil (1912) and Mary(1916). Tragically, Ted lost Bella to cancer in 1939. |
|
|
 |
William McNamara - Mary Lee married at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane on 11 June 1911 just over two years after the death of his first wife Hannah Kenafacke. It was Hannah's dying wish that her best friend Mary Lee care for Will and new born son. Although the child died at three months, Mary kept her promise, married Will and cared for him for almost fifty years until she died in 1956. The marriage produced two children Sylvester William (1913) and Anthony (1924). William outlive all his brothers reaching 101 years of age. He was the first member of the family to choose a city lifestyle over country life. |
|
|
 |
Frank McNamara - Helen "Nellie" Fletcher married at "Strathgyle" Bell (Qld), 10 December 1917. The Dalby Herald reported at the time, " ... a very quite but pretty wedding took place at the residence of Mr & Mrs E. P. McNamara, when Helen youngest daughter of late Mr & Mrs Neil Fletcher married Frank, son of Mr & Mrs McNamara of 'Rosebank,' Jandowae by Rev T G Allen of Bell. Mr Archie Fletcher acted as best man, and Miss Ella Fletcher, niece of bride was bridesmaid. The bride was given away by her brother Andrew." The couple moved from "Strathgyle" to work their selection "Redlands" in Jandowae. Frank and Nellie had no children. |
|
|
 |
Charles Paris McNamara - Jane Horrobin married at St Michael and All Angels Church Kingaroy, 20 December 1939. The "Burrandowan Cyclone", a confirmed bachelor, decided at fifty-two it was time to take a wife. The small weatherboard church was packed to overflowing with family and well wishers as he and the popular Matron of the Kingaroy Hospital exchanged vows. The affable, slightly built man with a stutter and the big raw-boned, outgoing nurse were a most unlikely match. Charlie left his job as stockman at nearby Coven Station and took up a job as wardsman at the Kingaroy Hospital in 1940. Jane and Charlie had no children. |
|
|
 |
Edward Patrick McNamara - Elsie Large married at the Methodist Church Nudgee, Brisbane by pastor Lex Robertson, 28 April 1948. Close friends Doris and Walter Krosch acted as best man and matron of honour at the ceremony held in the small suburban church not far from Ted and Elsie's Banyo home. It was the second marriage for sixty-seven year old Ted after losing his first wife Annabella to cancer in 1939. Elsie, the Yorkshire born school teacher had known Ted for many years, boarding at the "Strathgyle" property while teaching local children in the Bell district. The marriage produced one child, Clifford Noel. |
|
|
Copyright © 2009 John A McNamara.
All rights reserved.