Most viewed - Carrucan and Sweeney Picture Galleries

Most viewed

Agnes Hayes (nee Carrucan), died 24/6/1917, aged 35 years169 viewsAgnes Mary Carrucan (1881-1917), the youngest child of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods, marked Thomas Albert HAYES (1876-1952) in 1900 at Heidelberg. They had 6 children as follows
Francis Vincent (1901-)
John Joseph (1905-1985)
Thomas Albert (1907-1954)
Percival (1909-)
Selwyn James (1912-1986)
Mary Agnes (Molly) (1915-1991).
Agnes died 24/6/1917, aged 35 years, and is buried in the Eltham Cemetery in the same plot as her husband Thomas who died in 1952.

1935 - Leo and Mary Carrucan wedding party169 viewsLeo Carrucan, the fourth child of Margaret and Michael Carrucan of Kew, was born on 23rd December 1901. He met Mary Ellen Angus from Hawthorn in 1927 and they married in January 1935 at Immaculate Conception Church, Hawthorn. This photo shows Mary and Leo on their wedding day.
Mary and Leo had one daughter, Mary Therese, in April 1938 but, ten days after giving birth, Mary died of cancer. In 1940, Leo married Dorothy Hopper and Leo and Dorothy brought up his young daughter Mary.
Leo died suddenly on 27th March 1958 from a heart attack while sitting in his truck at the Alphington Quarries. He was only 57 years of age. He was buried in the Kew Cemetery.
His daughter Mary married Thomas Joseph Holden and they in turn have 3 children Andrew (b 1966), Janet (b 1968) and Meaghan (b 1972).

1910 approx - Patrick Sweeney169 viewsPatrick Sweeney, the eldest of six children born to Thomas Sweeney and Margaret Sweeney nee Meehan, was born in 1838 in Melbourne and grew up at Culla Hill, the family property in Eltham. He died in 1919. His address at the time of his death was 577 Rae St, North Fitzroy, where he lived with his daughter Ellen (Nessie).

1940-02 Culla Hill Home Beautiful - Front Parlour169 viewsThis photo, taken from The Home Beautiful magazine issue of 1st February 1940, shows the front parlour of Culla Hill at that time. By then the property had passed out of Sweeney hands.

The parlor, entrance passage and bedroom were transformed by the then owners into one long living room across the front of the house. The landscape window was previously the site of an open fireplace. Eastern rugs and early Victorian and early colonial furniture made for appropriate furnishings.

Plot 274 - Patrick Carrucan168 viewsPatrick Carrucan, born in 1831 in Ireland,migrated to Australia with his wife Mary in 1956 to join his sister Bridget who had migrated in 1853. He died on 6 October 1894 at age 63 and is buried in a family plot in the Catholic section of the Eltham Cemetery. His gravestone was in such disrepair that Betty Erickson (nee Carrucan) paid to have a new one erected in the late 1970s. Unfortunately, this gravestone, like the original, only honours Patrick and does not record the other family members buried here.

1996 - Wildflowers of the Burren168 viewsThe cracks and crevices of the limestone pavements in the Burren nurture a host of beautiful and unusual wildflowers. In spring, a mass of colours dots the landscape to delight the discerning walker. Varieties include Thrift or Sea Pink, Kidney Vetch, Mountain Avens, Orchid, Speedwell and Bloody Cranesbill.
Postcard bought by Jim and Helen Martin when touring Ireland in 1996.

2008 - Aloha Surf School in Fanore168 viewsWhen Frank Carrucan of Ballarat (Patrick line) visited Fanore in 2008, he found the Aloha Surfing Club and went for a swim in the Atlantic - brrr..I feel cold already.

2008 Anne James and Patsy Carrucan168 views2008 Anne James and Patsy Carrucan

St Benedicts Church Newton Auckland168 viewsTypical of the beautiful churches in Auckland. Photo from Matthew Carrucan.

The Church at Motat168 viewsThis is a photo of the Anglican Chapel at Motat. It is very similar to the Catholic one where so many Carrucans were married.
It is a very typical example of a simple wooded New Zealand parish chapel/church.

Photo from Matthew Carrucan

1917 - Ivan and Con Carrucan, children of John Francis and Margaret Carrucan168 viewsTaken in 1917, this photo shows Ivan Francis and Cornelius Patrick (Con) Carrucan, the eldest children of John Francis (Jack) and Margaret (Maggie) Carrucan of Cheswick. Ivan and Con were great grandsons of Patrick Carrucan who migrated from Co. Clare to Eltham in the 1850s. Ivan was born 30.11.1913, married Ellen Kiniry in 1969 in Melbourne and died on 15.5.1994, aged 81 years. Con was born 14.3.1915, married Clare McArdle in 1945 and died in a drowning accident 1.3.1949.

1904 - Kew Wood Yard Invoice168 viewsMichael and Margaret Carrucan (Michael was the fourth child of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods) settled in Kew and started a small business called ' M Carrucan Fuel & Produce Merchant. This grew into a large enterprise supplying wood, coal, coke, sawn timber, chaff and grain, sand, gravel, etc. The business thrived in the expanding Melbourne of the early twentieth century and finally closed its doors in the late 1950's, a victim of the changing face of Melbourne's fuel economy. This invoice, from 1904, shows the letterhead in the early days of the business.

1912- Michael and Hannah O'Bryan with Mary Veronica (Mollie)168 views1912 - Michael O'Bryan with his wife Hannah (nee Sloan) with their eldest daughter Mary Veronica (Mollie). Michael O'Bryan was an accountant and the family lived in Fitzroy.
Their 3 children were
Mary Veronica (Mollie) - born 15-11-1911 - Mollie subsequently joined the Little Sisters of the Poor as Sr Veronica Mary
Agnes (Sr Michelle) - born 31-03-1915 - Agnes also became a nun and became known as Sr Michelle
Kevin - born 25-12-1919

1935 - Kathleen Carrucan wedding168 viewsKathleen Carrucan was the sixth child of Margaret and Michael Carrucan of Kew. She was born 23/10/1906 and died 19/08/1992, aged 85 years. She married William (Bill) Clements on 3rd June 1935 at Sacred Church Church Kew. She was aged 29 and Bill 30 Years. This photo was taken in the lounge room of the Carrucan home and business in High Street Kew. This home has since been replaced.
Kathleen was a great grand child of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods.

2005 - Peter Carrucan house, Napoleon St, Eltham 1168 viewsPeter Carrucan's block was adjacent to the Dalton Street farm. His house stood on the corner of Bible St and Napoleon Street and is still there today. My brother Terry thinks it passed out of family hands a long time ago as he remembers mum saying that it was not in family hands when she was a girl (1920's). Basically from the corner of Bible and Dalton St, go up the Bible Street hill. At the top of the hill is Napoleon St. Discussion continued in next photo....

1920s - Arduli in Johns Street Eltham168 viewsAlan Sheehan has forwarded this photo of the house 'Arduli' in John St, Eltham, where Fanny Carrucan (1900-1929) and her husband Jim Jenkins lived. Fanny was a grand daughter of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods.

The photo is from a scrapbook with photo's from the 1920's to mid 1930's. The album was given to the Eltham historical society a number of years ago by an elderly lady named Heather Jenkins.

1924 - Frank, Bern and Dave West as teenagers167 viewsJohn (b 1914), Bernard (b 1916), David (b 1918), Frank (b 1918), Ron (b 1920) and Beatrice (b 1921) were the children of John West (1880-1948) and Ada Dobbins (1877-1936). They were all great grandchildren of Bridget Carrucan and John Coleman.
This photo, taken around 1924, shows Bern with his younger twin brothers Frank and Dave.
This photo was passed onto us by Bern's daughter Cheryl.

1934 - Bern West in his late 20s in Perth167 viewsBernard West (1916-2007) was a great grandchild of Bridget Carrucan and John Coleman. This photo shows him in Perth in his later 20s, probably around 1934.
This photo was passed onto us by his daughter Cheryl.

Plot 364 - Jim and Mary Murray167 viewsJim and his wife Mary Murray are buried in this simple plot - Jim was the last of the relatives living in Eltham and died in 1993.

Doolin Co. Clare167 viewsDoolin is famous for its wealth of Irish music and in recent years has attracted large crowds to festivals of fleadhanna of Irish and international music. Nearby is Doonagore Castle, an unusual structure consisting of a circular tower in a small bawn or walled enclosure.

1907 - Michael and Margaret Carrucan with children Thomas, Francis, Monica, Leo and Kathleen167 views

1921 - Betty Carrucan and Nellie Sweeney - Eltham Elementary School Grades 1 & 2167 viewsThe Eltham Elementary School in Dalton Street (School Number 209) had been started in the 1850s and was just a stone's throw from the Carrucan farms. All the Carrucan children attended and this photo of the 1921 Grade 1 and 2 class shows some 39 children ranging in ages from about 6 to 10. Betty Carrucan is fourth from the left in the second row from the front. Her aunt Nellie Sweeney is the teacher on the right.

1916 approx - Mary Jane Carrucan nee Bregazzi Manly, born 1868, married John Carrucan167 viewsMary Jane (Manly) Bregazzi (1868-1926) married John Carrucan (1864-1943), the second child of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods, at Fitzroy in Melbourne in 1888. They had 6 children

Agnes Georgia CARRUCAN (1888-1890)
Charles Reginald CARRUCAN (1890-1952)
Gladys Mary CARRUCAN (1892-1893)
Kathleen CARRUCAN (1894-1970)
Ellen (Nell) CARRUCAN (1896-1986)
John (Jack) Alyousius CARRUCAN (1906-1978)

1922 - Charles Reginald Carrucan born 1890, and his brother John Alyousios Carrucan born 1906167 viewsThis photo of Charles Reginald (Reg) Carrucan born 1890 and his brother John Alyousios (Jack) Carrucan born 1906, was probably taken on the day of Reg's wedding to Lottie THOMAS (1897-1971) in 1922.

They were two of the children of Mary Jane (Manly) Bregazzi (1868-1926) and John Carrucan (1864-1943), the second child of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods. The full list of the 6 children reads as follows

Agnes Georgia CARRUCAN (1888-1890)
Charles Reginald CARRUCAN (1890-1952)
Gladys Mary CARRUCAN (1892-1893)
Kathleen CARRUCAN (1894-1970)
Ellen (Nell) CARRUCAN (1896-1986)
John (Jack) Alyousius CARRUCAN (1906-1978)

1935 - Mary Carrucan nee Angus wedding167 viewsLeo Carrucan, the fourth child of Margaret and Michael Carrucan of Kew, was born on 23rd December 1901. He met Mary Ellen Angus from Hawthorn in 1927 and they married in January 1935 at Immaculate Conception Church, Hawthorn. This photo shows Mary on her wedding day.
Mary and Leo had one daughter, Mary Therese, in April 1938 but, ten days after giving birth, Mary died of cancer. In 1940, Leo married Dorothy Hopper and Leo and Dorothy brought up his young daughter Mary.
Leo died suddenly on 27th March 1958 from a heart attack while sitting in his truck at the Alphington Quarries. He was only 57 years of age. He was buried in the Kew Cemetery.
His daughter Mary married Thomas Joseph Holden and they in turn have 3 children Andrew (b 1966), Janet (b 1968) and Meaghan (b 1972).

2000 - Bradley Daron Benjamin and Peter Hayes167 viewsFour of the men of the Hayes family - Bradley (1974), Daron (1963), Benjamin (1987) and Peter (1972). They are all descendants of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods. The Hayes family are direct descendants of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods. This photo, passed on by Pam Hayes, was taken around the year 2000.

1900s Culla Hill167 viewsThis photo shows the side of the Culla Hill homestead sometime in the early 1900s. This is a southern elevation photo of the 1850s house.

Note the underground cistern or well, with an iron pump.

2008 Michael Carrucan visit - Gillian with Fr Peter Carrucan at Tullarmarine Airport167 views

1915 Faunarooska Castle167 viewsFaunarooska Castle is a name that comes up every now and then in the Peter Carrucan - Hannah Woods line. What was the connection?
At some time in the past, the farming property which included the Faunarooska Castle had passed into the hands of the Woods family. John Woods, Hannah""s father, is mentioned as residing in Faunarooska in the 1855 Griffith Valuation. It was there that Hannah was brought up, within sight of the historic keep on the family property. Presumably it was still in reasonable repair when she emigrated to Australia in 1857 and, in her last years, she remembered it like that and expressed a desire to return to Ireland and lay claim to it.
Alas, by then, it was a derelict structure that was no longer capable of habitation.
This photo, taken in 1915, shows the keep still more or less in its entirety although missing its roof. A collapse in 1985 left it as a ruinous pile of rocks.

1990 Richard Zeita Ken David and Judith Waller166 viewsKen Waller is the son of Ernest Arthur Waller (1905 - 1965) and Rebecca (Rita) Winifred Martin (1905 - 1989) who is the granddaughter of Bridget Carrucan.
In 1954 Ken married Zeita Lillian Coleman. The photo shows Ken and Zeita with their sons Richard and David and David's wife Judith.

1938 - Augusta and Harry Doube166 viewsHarry (Henry) Doube (1879 - 1939) was the eldest of 5 children born to John Doube and Bridget Mary Doube nee Carrucan in Adelaide. He married Augusta Mary Ziesing (1882-1966) in 1911 and they had 4 children
Charles Michael (Chas) - b 1912
Henry Joseph (Harry) - b 1913
Mary Eileen (Molly) - b 1915
Brian Ignatius (Barney) - b 1917
This photo shows Harry and Augusta in 1938, a year before Harry died.

Cemetery Plot 271 - Thomas Sweeney Family Plot166 viewsThomas Sweeney (1803 - 1867) has long been honoured as the pioneer settler of Eltham. Sweeney had in fact been transported to Australia as a convict. After a conditional pardon, he moved from Sydney to Melbourne and, in April 1842, wrote to Superintendent LaTrobe to purchase land on the south bank of the Yarra. he settled in Eltham at a property he called "Culla Hill" and lived the rest of his life there.
He died in 1867 at age 64 and is buried with his wife Margaret and various children a family plot.

1891 - Michael Carrucan on his wedding day in 1891166 viewsMichael Martin CARRUCAN (1866-1954), the son of Peter Carrucan, married Margaret Lynch (1868-) in 1891. This photo was taken on his wedding day.
Michael and Margaret went on to have 6 children

Thomas Michael CARRUCAN (1892-1951)
Francis William CARRUCAN (1895-1967)
Monica CARRUCAN (1896-1976)
Leo CARRUCAN (1901-1958)
Marguerite (Madge) CARRUCAN (1903 - 1969)
Kathleen CARRUCAN (1906-1992)

1910 approx - Hannah Carrucan - 4 generations of Carrucan women166 viewsThis photo, passed on by Mary Tippet, shows 4 generations of Carrucan women. They are
Hannah Carrucan (nee Woods) who emigrated to Australia from 'Fanarooska'Ã‚Â Castle in Ireland at 17 years of age and subsequently married Peter Carrucan
Her eldest daughter Hannah Sloan (nee Carrucan)
Her eldest daughter Hannah O'Bryan (nee Sloan)
Her eldest daughter Mary O'Bryan (Sister Veronica Mary of the Little Sisters of the Poor)

1997 - Culla Hill homestead166 viewsCulla Hill was the farm of Thomas Sweeney, established in 1842 and a central point of local Eltham life. Mass was regularly held in the front parlour and many marriages were held in its grounds, amongst them that of Bridget Carrucan and John Coleman in 1854.
Culla Hill still stands in Sweeneys Lane in Eltham, along a winding and hilly dirt road. It is easy to imagine the old drays negotiating these rough tracks some 150 years ago. Some of the original 110 acres still exists in its farm form.

2016-04-06 Fanore Trip - family gathering 4166 viewsTaken in Fanore when Mary Conheady and Sr. Maureen Kelly were on a trip there in June 2016. From left to right around the table:

Mary Conheady (Australia), Nancy Carrucan, Noela Carrucan, Mary Carrucan (nee Minniter), Sr. Maureen Kelly (Australia), Daniel Ryan (one of Anna's children), Breada and Anna Carrucan, along with Noela's mother in law Mrs Toher. Anna, Breada and Noela are Nancy's daughters.

Photo from Mary Conheady

1999 - Enid May Carrucan (1919-1999) with her sons Tim, Rob and Geoff166 viewsEnid May Kemp nee Carrucan (1919-1999) was the grand daughter of Peter Carrucan and Hannah Woods. She is shown her in 1999 with her sons Tim (Roger Timothy), Rob (Robert) and Geoff (Geoffrey), shown from left to right. The photo is from her son Tim who commented: "The photo was taken around the time we attended the funeral of my cousin Patti (Patricia Phelan)."

1868-11-10 John Francis Sweeney and Ellen Mary Kenney marriage at St John's Church in Heidelberg166 viewsThis historic photo captures the wedding of John Francis Sweeney and Ellen Mary Kenney on the 10th of November 1868 at St John’s Church in Heidelberg. Investigation of the original photo showed writing under a glued over backing sheet. Some of the text is indecipherable but it does include ‘To Dear Nellie with fondest love from E..DE..NE Culla Hill Eltham Victoria.’

The original is in the collection of the Eltham Historical Society and a copy has been purchased for our Sweeney archive.

1925 approx - Rita Connie Martin165 viewsConstance Mary (Connie) Martin (1902 - 1938) was Gerald and Bertha Martin's second daughter and Rebecca Winifred (Rita) Martin (1905 - 1989) was their third daughter. They were granddaughters of Bridget Carrucan.
Rita who married Ernest Waller had 2 children, Ken and Thelma, who continue the Martin line.

1950 - Early days of Doube Married Life165 viewsThis photo shows Brian Doube (B 1917), Mary Doube (b 1915), Charles Doube (b 1912) and Henry Doube (B 1913) with their mother Augusta (b 1882). They are each holding a baby, five in total, and the photo is captioned 'Early day of Doube married life' for obvious reasons!
Brian, Mary, Charles and Henry were all grandchildren of Bridget Mary Carrucan and John Doube.

Willsmere165 viewsThe Kew Lunatic Asylum was a place where many Carrucans worked, either as nurses, farmers, gardeners, warders or as general hands. As you can see from the photo, it was a huge establishment and was found in Kew on the southern banks of the Yarra River.
Operational from 1871 to 1988, Kew was one of the largest asylums ever built in Australia. Later known as Willsmere, the complex of buildings were constructed between 1864 and 1872 to the design of architects G.W. Vivian and Frederick Kawerau of the Victorian Public Works Office to house the growing number of 'lunatics, inebriates and idiots' in the Colony of Victoria.
Kew continued to operate throughout the 20th century as a 'Hospital for the Insane', 'Mental Hospital' or 'Psychiatric Hospital', treating acute, long-term and geriatric patients until it closed in December 1988. The main building and surrounding grounds were sold by the State Government in the 1980s and were redeveloped as residential properties.

Home / General Eltham / 165 viewsThis early postcard of Eltham was passed onto me by Peter Cuffley.

1900 approx Lower Plenty Hotel Ned Kent on horse, Susan Kent nee Carrucan probably sitting on steps165 viewsSusan Carrucan (1862 - 1943), the third eldest child of Patrick Carrucan and Mary O'Brien, married Edward Shae (Ned) Kent (1858 - 1907) in 1881. Ned Kent owned the Plenty Pub and pubs in Diamond Creek, Christmas Hills and Bulleen and an orchard in Eltham. He is shown seated on a horse outside the Plenty Pub at Lower Plenty while we think it is Susan seated on the steps with a group of others. As he died in 1907, aged 49, this photo must predate that date.

1905 approx - 4 generations of Carrucan women - Mary Carrucan (nee O'Brien), her daughter Bridget Lane, her daughter Bridget McMahon and her daughter Mary Chidlow165 viewsHistoric photo showing 4 generations of Carrucan women
1. Mary Carrucan (nee O'Brien), the wife of the original Patrick Carrucan 1838-1927
2. Her eldest daughter Bridget Lane (nee Carrucan) 1958-1949
3. Her fifth child Bridget (Dolly) McMahon (nee Lane) 1883-1968
4. Her eldest child Mary Honoria (Bonny) McMahon who eventually married Barry Chidlow.

This photo must date from around 1905. I don't have an actual birth date for Bonny. If this was known, it would tie the date down.

1986 - Kathleen (Kitty) Bourke lette165 viewsKathleen (Kitty) Bourke (1914-1995) was a grand daughter of Patrick Carrucan and Mary O'Brien.
This letter, written to her nephew Bernard Bourke in 1986 showcases her fine copperplate handwriting.

1995 - Agnes Josephine OBryan - Sister Michelle165 viewsAgnes Josephine O'Bryan (1915-2007), the second daughter of Hannah Sloan and Michael O'Bryan, was born in 1911.
She decided to enter the Mercy Sisters after her 21st birthday, trained as a teacher at Ascot Vale and taught in Mercy secondary schools for 60 years. Initially known as Sister Michael, she changed her religious name to Sr. Michelle after the Second Vatican Council.
She celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1997 and retired again to Rice Village retirement Village where her books were not far away. She died in 2007.
She was a great grand child of Peter and Hannah Carrucan.

1943 Faunarooska Castle165 viewsFaunarooska Castle is a name that comes up every now and then in the Peter Carrucan - Hannah Woods line. What was the connection?
At some time in the past, the farming property which included the Faunarooska Castle had passed into the hands of the Woods family. John Woods, Hannah""s father, is mentioned as residing in Faunarooska in the 1855 Griffith Valuation. It was there that Hannah was brought up, within sight of the historic keep on the family property. Presumably it was still in reasonable repair when she emigrated to Australia in 1857 and, in her last years, she remembered it like that and expressed a desire to return to Ireland and lay claim to it.
Alas, by then, it was a derelict structure that was no longer capable of habitation.
This photo, taken in 1943, shows the keep in a state of disrepair. A collapse in 1985 left it as a ruinous pile of rocks.

1920s - Martha West nee Coleman164 viewsBridget and John Coleman's second child Martha was born on 1st January 1858. In 1878, aged 19, she married local Eltham boy William West (born 25th March 1856). William became the proprietor of the Research Hotel in 1889 and they moved into residence there. Martha died in 1924, aged 66, and William died in 1935, aged 79. They are both buried in the Eltham Cemetery.
I suspect this photo was taken at Research some time in the early 1920s.
This photo was passed onto us by Martha's great granddaughter Cheryl Laumer nee West.

677 files on 15 page(s)