Arthur Moriarty

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ARTHUR MORIARTY

Arthur Moriarty was born on August 9th, 1865 the second eldest son of John Moriarty and Mary Ann (nee Kessey). His father was a farmer at the time of his birth, at 'Burnt Flat' Duramana, near Bathurst. Proclaimed as a city in 1815, Bathurst developed slowly as a main supply centre for the surrounding agricultural region but flourished in the 1850s and 1860s after gold was discovered at Ophir and the Turon River.

John prospered during those times and established himself as a hard worker. He went on to work on many farms in the district and built an orchard somewhere near Blackdowns, Bathurst. Family stories always asserted that John owned his land, but it was more likely leased. Regardless, one can be certain that Arthur worked long and tireless days beside his father and his older brother Patrick (Jack).

Arthur met Elizabeth Ann (Lizzie) Bonham, whose family lived at Duramana, sometime prior to 1890. His children recall their father's tales of how he loved their mother for several years before marrying her. He was ten years her senior, when they finally married in 1893.

Lizzie was the eldest of eight children of John Bonham and Fanny (nee Pateman) of Bathurst. Lizzie was very close to her family, but moved to Narromine with Arthur shortly after their marriage. There was probably some excitement as the railway arrived in Narromine in 1882, and this and other small towns were growing, offering hope for a bright future farming. Arthur was offered a job working on a farm near the small village, and set out to make a life for himself and his wife.

He established himself in the district with the reputation of being a hard and reliable worker. Two years later in 1895 his eldest son Arthur John was born. Named for his father and grandfather, Arthur was proud of his little 'Tom'. 18 months later, Lizzie gave him his second son, Edgar.

The family moved into town, and their first daughter , Emma Jane, was born in 1898. Two years later she was to die due to scalding her face and head. Lizzie was bathing one of her brothers when little Emma pulled the boiling water down onto herself. Lizzie was devastated, four days before Christmas, and her precious little one died.

In 1901, Lizzie had another son, Edward Clarence. He was to be called 'Tooty', I'm sure another nickname his father bestowed upon him.

Lizzie's prayers for daughters were answered, with Thelma (Cissy) born in 1903, Ena in 1905, Dulcie in 1907, Edna (Ginnie) in 1909, Mona in 1912 and Lily in 1916.

With her nine surviving children to care for, Lizzie found it more and more difficult to visit her family in Bathurst. She managed to get there once a year. They would travel for nearly a week to visit her family, camping on the side of the road. Once she was there, it was like she had never left. She had maintained contact with them by mail, and at times had visits from her sister Dinah and occasionally her brother Dalla.

Arthur and Lizzie’s children thrived, and were educated by the Sister’s of Mercy. On the 18th January, 1904, the Sisters of Mercy came to Narromine, into a weatherboard cottage on Dandaloo Street and 1st Avenue. About 100 primary and infant school children were taught in the original wooden church. Included in this number were the older Moriarty children. In 1916 the Sisters moved into a new, two storied Convent, which is still standing today. My grandmother, Thelma (Cissie) recalled the excitement of the move. She and her family were among the many towns people who helped to pack up the Sisters and move them to their new home. She recalled with a smile, the new school rooms, and the smell of the fresh timber on the floor. She continued to attend the school, at least part time until she was 16.

On February 29th, 1916 Tom enlisted in the Army. He served overseas, and was wounded and spent eight months in a military hospital in England from March to November 1917. Tom rejoined his regiment, and served faithfully until his discharge. His return to Australian soil on September 8th, 1919 was a relief to his family. His grandmother, Mary Ann was very ill, but said that she would live until she saw her “dear Tom” home safely. He was finally able to see her a year later, and she died several months later.

Around that time, in 1918 the Rev. Joseph Brahman arrived from Broken Hill to become the first resident Parish Priest at St. Augustines. He was met at the railway by a large crowd and dined at the Federal Hotel. Cissy recalled the night, as one of excitement and anticipation. Prior to this, they had only had temporary Priests who covered a large area and many small towns. His catholic faith was very important to Arthur, and it had been instilled in him since he was a child. He wanted these opportunities for his own children, and the arrival of the first Parish Priest was significant to him.

In June 1931, Lizzie was diagnosed with diabetes. The treatment was limited and for Lizzie, it meant watching her diet and reducing her sugar intake.

On the 1st of February, 1932 a cyclone hit Narromine. Cissie had been to visit Lizzie with the children several weeks before. She recalls her mother told her that the day had been very hot. The storm began about 5:30 in the afternoon. Storm clouds gathered and then almost without warning the wind started and the rain poured down. Cissie had tears in her eyes when she recalled her mother’s account of feeling intense fear as trees crashed to the ground and fences were flattened. The wind was so strong that the telephone poles were pulled out of the ground. She recalled that her mother told her that the storm was over as quickly as it started, within minutes the town was devastated. Their home suffered damage too, the roof was in need of repair, a tree the children played in, missed the house by inches. Cissie said that Lizzie cried for days, wanting to go home to her beloved family. Arthur sent her and the children to stay with Cissie, in the hope that she would be able to recover from the traumatic event.

Around May or June of that year, Lizzie developed a carbuncle on her neck. Due to the severity of her diabetes, the lesion didn’t heal, and became septic. She was admitted to the Dubbo Hospital, but died on August 5th 1932. Lizzie had often said that she didn’t want to be buried in Narromine, her wish was to return to Kelso, and be buried with her family. Arthur, now receiving the aged pension, didn’t have the money to fulfill her wish, and decided to bury her in Dubbo. She was laid to rest in the Church of England section of the Dubbo Cemetery.

Arthur was at a loss without his Lizzie. Edna Cecilia, (Ginnie) had two children, Dick and Ray and was still unmarried. Lily was only 16, and he was alone. He moved to the Beemunel Hotel, near Warren, the home of his daughter Cissie and her family.

Ginnie had another son, Jimmy in 1934 to Cissie’s brother in law Frank Gall. They finally married in 1936 when she found out she was pregnant again. For Arthur, there was sense of relief with Ginnie’s marriage and the hope that her change of status would settle her down.

Arthur found himself droving with Herb Gall, Cissie’s husband, as Cissie agreed to “take care of the girls”. This gave Arthur some relief from the antics of Ginnie and the demands of single parenting.

Arthur went to Conniston, Wollongong to his daughter Dulcie’s home in 1941. It was an extended visit, and he wasn’t sure when or if he would be returning to Warren. It was there that he heard of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Dulcie said he was sitting quietly in the loungeroom listening to the radio with news of the war, when she went to call him for lunch, and he was dead in his chair.

Arthur was described as a quiet man, who was very polite, loved by his children and grandchildren, and while I have yet to find a photo of him, I am told that he was short in stature and looked just like his daughter Dulcie.

He was laid to rest at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Wollongong.