Michael O'Dea
Contents
Background
Michael O'Dea was born in 1824 at Kilteely, Co. Limerick, Ireland, the son of John o'Dea and Penelope Meagher. He arrived in Ballarat after experiencing the goldfields at California. Michael O'Dea married Mary Purtill in 1848 at Bowning New South Wales. Their daughter Mary was an early birth on the Ballarat goldfield.
In 1852 Michael and Mary acquired the property 'Cloverfield', Crossley, Tower Hill and is thought to have supplied the Ballarat goldfield, prospecting for gold while he was there.
Michael O'Dea died in 13 July 1876 at Kirkstall, and was buried at Tower Hill Cemetery. Michael O’Dea left his property to his daughter, Mary Lenehan, and her children. This included ‘Cloverfield’ later known as ‘Clover Hill’.
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
Michael O'Dea was thought to have some involvement in the Eureka Stockade. He was friends with Patrick Sheedy.
Post 1854 Experiences
Michael O'Dea served on the Belfast District Road Board from 1858 to 1861. He sold his stock and farming equipment in 1861 and purchased the Carleton Inn, Killarney.
Michael had initially arrived at Sydney, from there he went to California as a '49 miner but from there he returned to Yass in New South Wales before coming overland to the Tower Hill region. Here at Killarney he was initially a tenant farmer on Rutledge's 'Farnham Survey' at Look Out Hill. He built the Carleton Inn, Killarney and went gold mining at Ballarat before settling down to farm at 'Cloverfield' (north east of the Killarney hotel). Michael O'Dea's sister was Bridget O'Dea who married John Lynch. (Lynch was also from Limerick and his mother was an O'Connell.) [1]
Obituary
"Another of the early settlers at this district has gone to his “long home”. We allude to Mr Michael O’Dea whose death took place on Thursday last. For some time previously Mr O’Dea had been suffering from a complication of disorders arriving principally from consumption. The deceased was a very old resident of the district although, in reality, not a very old man. He came to the Western district from California many years ago, and was one time proprieter of the Carleton Hotel, Killarney, which building was erected by him, but afterwards partially destroyed by fire. After the fire Mr O’Dea devoted his attention to farming pursuits in which he was very successful. In the days of the Old Belfast District Road Board, Mr O’Dea for several years was a member of the body, but beyond this he took no very active part in public affairs.
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
References
- ↑ http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/patrick1.htm, viewed 29 March 2013.
External links
http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/patrick1.htm, viewed 29 March 2013.