Richard O'Leary

Life story

Relationship to me:- Great Grandfather. (Paternal) My Paternal Great Grandfather and namesake and yet I know very little about his life.  Thanks to some anonymous person (the writing looks suspiciously like my mothers) a single page with some details was found among family papers. (See The O'Leary Family) Richard was apparently born at Bantry Bay in County Cork to mother Johanna Lyons and father Richard.  This is the only information I can find on his parents. The family emigrated to Mansfield, Victoria sometime around 1865/6 and in keeping with his (suspected) background Richard continued working with sheep as a boundary rider for a Mr. Chenery of Delatite Station until his death on 24th. May 1875.  According to his Death Certificate, Richard died of a broken neck by "coming into violent contact with a tree while kangaroo hunting? on horseback".  There is also a report of his passing in the North Eastern Ensign newspaper published on Friday 28th. May 1875.

The hand scribed sections of this reproduction of Richards  Death Certificate are off the original.  I have cobbled this together to better display the entries.

A reproduction of Richard's Death Certificate.

Of the ten children, the four eldest were all born at Bantry Bay and emigrated to Mansfield with the family.  The birth records for these children are not obtainable.  The remaining children were born at Mansfield. John was born in 1860 Richard in 1863 Timothy in 1865 Anne in 1867 Mary Ann in 1869 at Mansfield. As was, Margaret in 1871 and, Cornelius (1874-1961) appears to have lived his entire life in Victoria. There is some indication that he may have married an Elizabeth? and had a son, Richard H. The younger Catherine was born at Mansfield in 1875 after the death of her father. Her birth was recorded with the Victorian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and then........nothing.