Ireland

Dr Pescod examines the lives of some of Irish born immigrants who established Victorian companies manufacturing a very wide range of products. They were part of the growth of manufacturing industries that saw Victoria outstrip the other colonies and become the industrial powerhouse driving the Australian economy during much of the 20th century.

The presentation discusses the Scots-Irish, the people descended from Scots who migrated to Ireland, principally Ulster, from the 1600s under the scheme known as the Plantation of Ireland. The processes and available resources for tracing Scots-Irish ancestors are also examined.

The presentation examines the famines that occurred in Ireland and the various reports and Poor Law Acts instituted in an endeavour to alleviate poverty during the 19th century. The handout lists the reports and provides a guide to the resources available to research your ancestors during this period of Irish history.

Kevin Molloy speaks about the State Library Victoria’s collections of Irish and Irish-Australian materials which includes personal papers, book collections, manuscripts, records of clubs and societies, newspapers and journals. The SLV is looking to expand its collections with correspondence, diaries, photographs, and oral histories.

Peter Gavin provides a history of the Celtic Club in Melbourne which was established in 1887 as an organisation for those who supported an independent Ireland.

Carmel McEvey’s presentation details the study of a diary written by an Irishwoman from County Tipperary during the 1860s. Her diary offers a significant insight into the role of women during the mid-Victorian era and it illustrates the importance and context of place for family historians when undertaking research.

Val Noone tells the story of immigration of families from Limerick to Victoria during the gold rush era and afterwards through the lens of Michael O'Donnell and Johanna Barry.

In this presentation Margaret Vines examines the migration of people from Ireland to Australia. She considers the choices, the push and pull factors and other reasons for their decision through the eyes of her family ancestors.

Carmel McEvey introduces the topic before Claire Dunlop's talk on ship newspapers. Graham Thorley gives an account of the voyage of the Golden Empire in 1863. Paul Harris speaks about the journey the California in 1853.

Handouts:

Critically analysing a diary 

Ship Diaries & Journals of voyages to Australia: Golden Empire 1863, Diary of Daniel Baldwin (from Graham Thorley talk)

Ship diaries

Dr Mollenhauer describes her researches into the history of Irish Step Dancing in Australia