Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?

Subject: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 18 Aug 01 - 03:33 AM

This is a long shot but I'm looking for a wee favour. A photograph of the grave of a transported Fenian, John Golden, who's buried there, 80 miles south of Sydney. (It's in Keneally's book "The Great Shame", 1998, but I'd like my own photo if possible and its 12 thousand miles away!)

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 18 Aug 01 - 08:36 AM

G'day Big Tim,

I am a distance from Gerringong (somewhat less than 12,000 miles!), although I get to a few very nice festivals run in the Illawarra region by the Illawarra Folk Club or the Wongawilli Colonial Dancers (in either case, directed by Dave De Santi of Wongawill Bush Band). One festival has been at Kiama, just a little north of Gerringong ... but the Kiama Council has just decided to pull down the venue, so this year the event moved north and west to Albion Park.

I will sound out a few contacts down that way, with Illawarra Folk Club, and see if we can you a photograph of John Golden's grave. Kiama is the burial site of a Marine who came out on the first fleet and I have a photograph of that grave ... but that's the other side, isn't it? If I knew that I would be down that way, I could easily get a pic for you, but I will only get down to Jamberoo in mid September for the Illawarra Folk Festival. What do you need ... a print or a reasonably high res. digital image (jpeg or similar?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 18 Aug 01 - 11:23 AM

Top of the morning, Bob!

Thanks for responding. Just the best quality pic that anyone could do, a decent print would be more than adequate. I WOULD HAVE TO ABSOLUTELY INSIST ON PAYING ALL ADMIN COSTS, FILM, POSTAGE, ETC. OR ELSE NO DEAL.

Cheers, Miate (!)

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Aug 01 - 09:33 AM

G'day Big Tim,

I will check out the Illawarra Folk Club stalwarts - we might be able to find one living just round the corner (in country terms) who can help you out. Failing that, Gerringong is only 20 kilometres away from Jamberoo, an dI will be spending a few days at Jamberoo for the festival - Mid-September.

I have one contact in Gerringong - a lovely lady, Gem Buck, who wandered into the Bush Music Club tent at Jamberoo, a few years back and sang a rather nice children's song "The Possum Song" (possibly posted by me to the DT recently in response to a request for Australian animal songs). I usually see her at the Kiama festivals, but she wasn't at the Albion park relocated one this June.

Some of the local folklore collectors might have active contacts in the area and be able to pop round and get a good pic for you. Failing that, it is my field ... I am a professional photographer ... and do a close coverage of a group af festivals, including the Illawarra ones, which are among my favorites. Don't worry about being stuck with a "professional" bill ... I usually take my holidays around September, so I may be combining a south coast holiday with Jamberoo in its new September slot.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 19 Aug 01 - 02:17 PM

Thanks again Bob, will appreciate anything you can do. Probably shouldn't say this but cost is no object!!

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: GUEST,Valda
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 10:21 AM

Not sure if you are interested in this Tim, but there's a book on him. Gerringong, NSW A Gerringong Fenian, by John GRAHAM, is the story of John O'Neil GOULDING and his role in the 1867 Fenian uprising in Co. Kerry, Ireland. He was subsequently transported to WA on the Hougemont and eventually found his way to Gerringong-Berry area of NSW, where his descendants still live (he married Ellen FEEHAN) A4, paperback, 21pp, $A12.50 (incl p+h in Aus)

available from J Graham 63 Luculia Avenue Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 Australia [e-mail]

he has his own website

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 01:38 PM

Thanks a million Valda, I most certainly am interested. According to Keneally, the widow Ellen Feehan died in 1938 but it would be great to read the full story. Will email Mr Graham right now, thanks you again.

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 11:54 PM

G'day Big Tim,

That is a good link, provided by Valda, who hosts the Folk Australia site at Folk Australia. (Even includes an assortment of pictures of past and recent folk events under the dubious title The Bolton Files ... even if it is a bt short on the last year or so due to assorted computer deficiencies at both ends. I shall have to see if Valda has time to load all the 200-/2001 images - the backlog of which I have just cleared.)

It may well be the John Graham has already got a good photograph of John Goulding/Golden's grave, so you can go directly to the expert - and get the accompanying research.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 01:31 PM

Thanks again Bob, have emailed John Graham, heard nothing yet. The family of the transportee in Kerry now use the name "Golden", nothing to do with precious metal, but according to the expert on irish surnames Edward Maclysacht, derived from the Irish O'Gullion. Goulding is another English variant and of course a man of this name, Cathal Goulding, was allegedly head of the Official[socialist] IRA in the 1960s.

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 09:38 AM

G'day Big Tim,

Of course, when you change countries, your name depends on the last clerk that wrote it down (and that's still true today!)... and they were British Army administrators then ... often less educated that the Irish convicts they oversaw.

There is a story(which I must admit I have have never confirmed) that the free settler registering the first farm in the new colony of New South Wales was obviously of a classical bent and wished to call his small land grant "Alpha Farm". When he received his deeds, he found that he was now the proprietor of "'Alf a Farm"! The clerk thought he was being sarcastic about the size of his small grant.

Anyway, I will keep posted on your success or otherwise with John Graham, as I will be down in the Illawarra in another 3 weeks for the Illawarra Folk Festival at Jamberoo ... and Gerringong is only another 20 km, or so, to the south east.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: GUEST,Jane Sheehan
Date: 13 Apr 06 - 12:58 PM

Hi there

I have been very interested to read your exchange of e-mail, though it was some time ago.

My husband Michael is the great nephew of John Golden and on his behalf I'm trying to find out anything I can about him. I was pleased to see that a book has been written about him and as I have a cousin who deals in second hand books will ask him if he is able to get it for me.

I would be interested to see a photo of the grave of John Golden and any other info you might have on it.

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Jane

Subject: RE: Help: Any Catters in Gerringong, NSW?
From: Big Tim
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 03:30 AM

Has it really been 5 years?

Jane, if you join Mudcat and send me a personal message, or choose to post your email address, I will send you Bob Bolton's photo of the grave. The name on the gravestone is John O'Neil Goulding. I included a little bit about him in a book that I wrote in 2003.
Since then, I've also discovered a song about him by Sigerson Clifford, a native of the same part of Kerry: Cahersiveen. If you manage to contact me, I can can give you details of a very fine recording of the song.