James Breen
Contents
Background
Born in Ireland, James Breen married Margaret Barrett. Throughout most of his life he was a coach driver for Cobb and Co. in the Bathurst district of New South Wales. Breen joined Cobb and Co., at Bathurst shortly after the Eureka riots. Breen became associated with coach drivers such as John Fagan who was driving the coach when it was bailed-up, at the Eugowra Rocks by Ben Hall’s gang of Bushrangers. He died in early April 1917 in Victoria.[1]
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
Breen is said to have been a young man at the time of the Eureka Stockade where he was “much in evidence.” He was one of those early Colonials who gathered about themselves a series of colourful stories. Reputedly James Breen sheltered Peter Lalor after the storming of the Eureka Stockade.[2]
Post 1854 Experiences
In later years he held a property one mile out from Orange in New South Wales. He died at Orange on Saturday 7th April 1917 aged 84 years. He was a respected and popular citizen of the district.[3]
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
