Arcadia - Haven of Happiness A History of the Kennedy, Danaher, O’Donnell and Boschetti families by Eileen Kennedy This edition first published for Eileen Kennedy in 2013 by Memoirs Foundation Inc. (Australia) www.memoirsfoundation.org.au Copyright © 2013 Eileen Kennedy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the copyright owner. The author may be contacted through the Memoirs Foundation. National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication Data ISBN No 978-0-9874229-1-0 Typeset in 13pt Adobe Garamond Pro by Synergy Publishing Publishing Editor: Arnold Bonnet Project Manager: Ernest Rigby Design and Layout: Mark Bonett Administration: Cristina Alford Printed in Australia The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. ii CONTENTS Photo listing vi Foreword vii KENNEDY ix 1 Kennedy Family 1 2 Bernard 1861-1918 5 3 Michael 1862-1934 7 4 William 1866-1943 9 5 Mary Thérèse 1868-1947 11 6 Ellen 1870-1963 and Catherine 1875-1959 15 7 Amelia 1871-1938 17 8 Patrick 1873-1961 19 9 Honora 1877-1962 21 10 Thomas 1879-1951 23 11 Philip 1881-1956 25 12 John 1864-1940 27 DANAHER 41 13 Danaher Family 43 14 Oliver 1823-1886 47 15 William 1827-1869 49 16 Timothy 1829 and Dennis 1831 51 17 John 1833-1912 53 18 Ellen 1835-1927 55 19 Bridget 1837-1916 57 20 Mary 1840-1875 59 21 Michael 1844-? 63 22 Dennis 1847-1876 65 iii Eileen Kennedy 23 Edmund 1830-1898 67 24 Michael 1862-??? 71 25 Bridget 1863-1950 73 26 Ellen 1867-1948 75 27 John 1869-1954 77 28 Mary 1871-1953 79 29 Catherine 1872-1945 81 30 Dennis 1874-1910 87 O’DONNELL 91 31 O’Donnell Family 93 32 Thomas 1892 - 1916 99 33 Patrick 1894 - 1942 103 34 Michael 1896 - 1961 107 35 Mary 1898 - 1981 111 36 Peter 1900 - 1978 117 37 Margaret 1903 - 1907 121 38 Jack 1905 - 1976 123 39 Sheila 1911 - 1986 127 BOSCHETTI 143 40 Boschetti Family 145 41 David 1891-1965 153 42 Louis 1893-1984 157 43 Dulcie 1896-1987 163 44 Basil 1898-1948 165 45 Albert 1902-1985 169 46 John 1904-1994 173 47 Rose 1905-1964 175 iv Arcadia - Haven of Happiness EILEEN KENNEDY’S STORY 183 48 The Beginning 185 49 The Neighbourhood 189 50 Childhood Trivia 193 51 Some Diversions 197 52 Enjoying Happy Hours 201 53 The Art of Mushrooming 205 54 The Front Road 209 55 A Few Changes 213 56 Wild Life Along the Creek 217 57 Food A-Plenty 221 58 Reminiscent Memories 225 59 Education 229 60 Shearing Time 233 61 Various Duties 237 62 Farm Animals 241 63 Keeping the Pot Boiling 245 64 Outside Activities 249 65 Everyday Items 253 66 Great Entertainment 257 67 Some Unforgettable Pleasures 261 68 Goodbye and Hello 265 69 Early Days 267 70 School Work 269 71 The Boarders 273 72 The Sisters 277 73 Excursions 281 74 Moving Forward 297 Postscript 305 v Eileen Kennedy Photo Listing ‘Clearview’ at Arcadia Cover image Joe Kennedy (author’s husband) aged 7 years (approx.) 37 Sister Magdelene – Amelia Kennedy 38 Arcadia Tennis Team won the championship. Joe was President; officials are on the left – 1952 39 Father John Kennedy CSSR 40 R.S.L. held a special ceremony in 2000 40 Brencok Park – Michael Brenock 88 Edmond Danaher Jr, when John, Kate and family went to Johnny’s ordination, as Kate was a Danaher 89 Pat and Kate O’Donnell came to Australia from Galway in 1910 138 Tom O’Donnell (author’s uncle) K.I.A. World War 1 138 Sheila O’Donnell (author’s aunt) 139 Patrick O’Donnell (author’s uncle) 139 Mary O’Donnell (author’s mother) 140 O’Donnell reunion at Seymour, circa 2002 141 Boschetti family at Nagambie sports, circa 1910. (It has been suggested that Dulcie was confirmed that day) 177 Louis Boschetti – 1921 178 Louis Boschetti with the Duke of Gloucester – 1934 179 House built by Louis Boschetti – 1951-52 179 Louis and Mary Boschetti with Princess Alexandra at Euroa. Louis was the Shire President at the time – 1959 180 Jack Boschetti with Louis. Jack came from Christchurch, New Zealand in 1976 to visit the family 180 55th wedding anniversary of Louis and Mary – 1971 181 Eileen – Associate London College of Music. Obtained marks in the high 90s –1939 299 The happy couple: Eileen and Joe Kennedy on their wedding day – May 20,1957 300-301 Eileen on her treasured autobike 302 Eileen playing saxophone 302 Eileen and her siblings: L to R - Norah, Eileen, Tom, Mary and Kathleen 303 Eileen with her sister and mother: L to R Back Row: Mary Boschetti, Mary Boschetti (snr), Eileen Kennedy; L to R Front Row: Mary Kennedy and Julie Kennedy (Eileen’s daughters) 303 Eileen at the piano: Nominee for Victorian Senior of the Year – 2007 305 vi Arcadia - Haven of Happiness Foreword ileen Kennedy’s capacity for recollection is seldom questioned by those who know her well. She has earned the admiration of family and friends for her Euncanny ability to describe past events with remarkable clarity and recall names, dates and telephone numbers effortlessly. Beyond her immediate circle, Eileen’s gift for narrative has captivated young and old; from the countless children who have passed through her classroom in a stellar teaching career spanning over 40 years, to the many amateur historians who have worn a path to her door as they try to piece together fragments of their own ancestral journey. “Ask Eileen” they say, “She’ll remember”. Eileen, the second daughter of Irish and Italian migrants who ventured to Australia at the turn of last century, carried with her all the hopes, dreams and Christian values held dear by her parents. Their strong work ethic was reflected in Eileen’s approach to her studies and later to her profession and family life. Blessed with an abiding sense of community, Eileen has spent a lifetime in service to others, and continues to share her love of music with those around her. In the close knit community of Arcadia in central Victoria where Eileen grew up, the Boschetti and Kennedy families were known to each other through Church, school, sport and of course, the Fire Brigade. In time, these two families were united by the marriage of Eileen to our father, Joe Kennedy. For as long as we can remember, Eileen has taken an avid interest in her heritage and Dad’s; regaling us with descriptive and vii Eileen Kennedy often comical anecdotes of days gone by and of characters brought into sharp relief through the telling. “Why don’t you write down your recollections?” we said, “for we’ll never remember them all!” And so she did! This book is the culmination of Eileen’s quest to research all four branches of our family tree. A quest that traces the lineage of her mother’s family, the O’Donnells, and on her father’s side, the Boschettis. It acknowledges the extended family into which she married, via an extensive profile of the Kennedys and Danahers, as she remembers them. Coupled with this wonderful legacy is an insight into the life of Eileen herself, up to the time she married and moved into her own home in Skene Street Shepparton. Born between two world wars, hers is story of a happy and idyllic childhood, lived for the most part during the Depression. Reminiscences of her years at boarding school are sprinkled with tales of mischief, but upheld by a deep respect and admiration for the Sisters of Mercy. Those years prepared her well for a teaching career that took her to locations across the length and breadth of central and northern Victoria, all the while making lifelong friends. Eileen has derived great enjoyment and satisfaction from recording our family’s history and we’re delighted to receive this extraordinary gift of love, to treasure and pass on to future generations. Julie (Kennedy) Wright and Mary (Kennedy) Hughes viii KENNEDY Michael and Catherine Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland Victoria Kyneton and Pastoria Karramomus North Kennedy, Part 1 ix Eileen Kennedy Michael and Catherine Ireland – Nenagh Tipperary x Arcadia - Haven of Happiness 1 Kennedy Family “ old! Gold! Gold has been found in Victoria Australia!” GFollowing years of depression and famine in Ireland during the 1840s, these words would have been an enticement to many young men in that country, one of those being Michael Kennedy of Tipperary. He was the second son of Bryan and Ellen Kennedy of Knockwilliam, which is near Nenagh in County Tipperary. Michael Kennedy travelled to Cork, caught the ferry to Liverpool where he embarked on the. ‘Invincible’, June 2nd 1854, and arrived in Melbourne August 24th 1854. For a short while, he found employment at Geelong before heading to Ballarat to seek that elusive gold, later moving to Bendigo, Stawell and Pleasant Creek. He was wont to recount scenes of the Eureka riot, and he was one of the men who helped the leader, Peter Lalor, make his escape to Geelong. Eventually, Michael settled at Pastoria, near Kyneton, and married Catherine Ryan in 1859. He had been reared on a farm in Ireland, and was keen to follow farming pursuits in this land of Australia. First priority for these settlers was to build accommodation for the family, so Michael built a log cabin, with wooden shingles for the roof. Mud with a mixture of clay was used to fill the cracks then the walls were white-washed.