John HORAN : Short Biography

John Horan was born c1828, son of John Horan and Margaret Lonergan of Demone, Clonoulty, Tipperary.  In Griffiths VAluation Margaret Horan is listed as leasing a house, offices and six acres of land at Demone, Clonoulty, from Landlord - John Greene, Esquire.

1862 Nov 26: John Horan married Mary Tuite at Clonoulty.  Witnesses to the marriage were William Harney and Alice Cleary (Mid-west Archives, Limerick).  Mary Tuite was born on 4 March 1833 at Curraghduff reg. Nenagh Parish, Tipperary, Ireland daughter of Timothy Tuite (Farmer of Ballinahinch-Killoscully, Nth. Tipperary) and Judy "Johanna" Ryan .

John and Mary Horan emigrated to Australia, on the Queen of the Colonies, under the sponsorship of the Queensland Immigration Society.    (Ref: Declaration of Queensland Immigration Society, Land Orders: Certificate Number 1375, dated 8 May 1863, for passage of John Horan and Mary Horan, value 18 pounds each).   The QIS was set up by the first Catholic Archibishop Quinn of the Queensland Archdiocese, who endeavoured to bring more Catholics out to Queensland to balance out the numbers of Protestants -v- Catholics - and to assist the poor and hungry Irish “Irish Famine” victims to migrate to Australia.    This 1863 voyage was one of the last QIS ships to arrive in Moreton Bay, Qld.  The QIS sponsored the passages up front with the proviso that the immigrant/s assigned their land allocation back to the QIS, which in turn help pay for the next lot of Irish Immigrants.  The land allotments were equivalent in value to 18 English pounds per passenger.  

The “Queen” arrived on 8th April 1863 under the command of Captain Cairncross.  In Mary’s obituary in the Albury Banner at the time of her death,  it was reported that when she and her husband John Horan emigrated *two of their shipmates were William Morrissey and Patrick Quirk.  On the Saturday after their arrival in port, it was reported that the steamer “The Brisbane” brought up the immigrants from the Queen of the Colonies to Kangaroo Point depot - on arrival several police boarded the boat and arrested eight men who were stowaways.

After their arrival they travelled to the Ipswich area south west of Brisbane where first son was born. They probably went by steamer such as the “Kate” on the river, which was the main means for conveying goods from Ipswich to Brisbane.  The steamer “The Brisbane”also travelled this route almost daily.

Children of John & Mary Horan:

1. John Horan 1864–1936 – Dairy Farmer and Milk Vendor - born Ipswich Qld died Albury NSW

2. Margaret Mary Josephine Horan 1867–1922 born Jimbour Qld married Joseph Harrington.  Magaret died Petersham NSW - no issue.

3. Thomas Patrick Horan 1869–1924 – born Tootgarook, Wannaue, Victoria.  Customs Officer married Minnie Caroline Spehrs. Died Sydney NSW

4. Timothy Augustus Horan 1870–1946 – born Tootgarook, Victoria.  Furniture Importer, Arcade Proprietor married three times. Died Albury NSW

5. Michael Joseph Horan 1872–1938 born Tootgarook Victoria.  Customs Officer married Charlotte Victoria Waite. Died Newcastle NSW after serving Cusoms Dept 37 years.

6. James Matthew Horan 1873–1898 born Tootgarook Vic. Clerk at Mates Department Store, died unmarried age 24 of Typhoid  inAlbury NSW

7. Patrick William Horan 1876–1919 born Tootgarook Victoria.  Horse Trainer and thoroughbred horse owner married Beatrice Kuhn.  Died of pneumonia during Spanish Flu Pandemic ain 1919 at his home in Kensington (Randwick) Sydney NSW

1871 Jun 21: The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Wed p 1 Advertising – John Horan, Farmer at the Swamp, one mile below Rosbud (Rye) on the Mornington Peninsular, Victoria.

1878 Dec 31: The last Will and Testament of Thomas Lonergan Horan bequeaths his estate solely to his brother John Horan.

1883: Murray River rail bridge completed; Melbourne line extended to Albury linking rail systems of NSW and Victoria; Passengers changed at Albury and goods transhipped. 

1884: Probate Granted for Thomas Horan’s Will. 

1885: John Horan and Family move to Albury and reside in the house left to John in Olive St, Albury.

1895: John Horan resided at 306 Olive Street, Albury and after retiring from active farming was listed on the electoral roll (1895) as “gentleman”

1899-1900 Yewen’s Directory – John Horan listed as Dairy Farmer & Landholder

1900 Oct 11: John Horan died at Albury from General Debility after three and a half months’ illness.  He was survived by his wife and six children. His age on the death certificate is shown as 82’, but his age calculated from prior certificates was probably 72 years.