Sheehan Family

THE SHEEHAN FAMILY


James and Hanorah Sheehan (née Sheehan) arrived in Australia from Mallow, Cork, Ireland, in 1863 aboard the "Great Britain".

They brought their first two children, Margaret and Thomas, with them.






Associated names

Battersby
Bourke
Calvert
Doogue
Hamilton
Hammet
Heenan
O'Connell
Percy
Slade
Spellman
Tiarks
Warner

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The Great Britain


The "Great Britain", designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel 1806-1875, was the first ocean-going liner to be screw-driven by a propeller with six blades and built entirely of iron. She was launced in 1843 by the Prince Consort and at 3270 tons she was twice the tonnage of previous ships - the largest ship in the world at the time. Although built for the Atlantic trade route, she sailed the Australian route over thirty times between 1852 and 1875. She was also used as a troop ship during the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. She was badly damaged off Cape Horn in 1886 but managed to make her way to the Falkland Islands, where she became a hulk. In 1970 HRH Prince Philip, on board the "Great Britain", saw her returned to Bristol, exactly 127 years, to the day, after she had been launched from the same Great Western Dock. Since her return she has been painstakingly restored and is today a Museum Ship, visited by people from all over the world, many of whom would be descendents of the original passengers.



James Sheehan, aged 25, of Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland and his wife Hanorah (née Sheehan), aged 23, sailed (with their two infant children Thomas and Margaret) from Liverpool (un-assisted) on the "Great Britain" on 15th October 1863. They arrived in Melbourne 63 days later on 17th December 1863, a very fast voyage for those times, due no doubt, to the famous "Great Britain" being both sailing ship and steamer.

The family spent the early years at Lancefield Junction where Daniel was born in 1864 and Hanorah in 1866. The family then moved to Corop, a flourishing little town between Elmore and Shepparton.

Settlers wishing to be farmers were allowed to select half a square mile of land on undertaking to develop it. James Sheehan, being rather a poetic sort of character, took a fancy to Corop on account of its pleasing landscape, situated between a hill and a lake - Lake Cooper. (James wrote many poems, some of which were published in local papers.) The home here was named "Emerald Hill", and this is where the remaining members of the family were born, Daniel (1864), Hanorah (1866), Michael (1869), Justin (1871), Mary Ellen (1873), John (1876), Cornelius (1878), Mary Josephine (1880), and Ellen (1885).

Hanorah Sheehan died at Corop in December 1889 aged 49, leaving James with nine children, ranging in age from 28 to 4, (Thomas and Mary Ellen having both died previously). James was devastated by his wife's death and a few years later was prevailed upon by a neighbour to sell the property. The family then dispersed, Margaret to Melbourne, Daniel to Queensland, Hanorah to Melbourne, Michael to New South Wales, Justin to Western Australia, John to Western Australia, Cornelius (my grandfather) went to Western Australia for a short time before returning to Victoria, Mary to Melbourne and Ellen died five years after her mother at the age of ten.

Cornelius married Edith Thirza Calvert in 1908 and in 1917, when Edith's mother died, they went to Yarragon in Gippsland, Victoria to take over the running of the Calvert property called "Wilderslea".

In 1938 their daughter, Constance Calvert Sheehan married Geoffrey Seymour Hammet and they, in turn, took over the running of "Wilderslea". This property was sold in 1978 and has since been broken up. The house has been renovated, large parts of the garden removed and stands on only 2 acres.

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