Dear Tony
Hi my name is Amanda and I have information on one of your parkhurst boys i think, i have information that my great great grandfather Thomas Matthews was a parkhurst boy. Although I don't have any information on him before he came to Australia on the Joseph Soames, I have extensive info on his life here in Australia. Here is what i know and if you have any info to give me on him before he got here ie parents and birthplace would greatly appreciate it.
Thomas Matthews was born in 1830 in Bath England and was convicted of stealing ? and was transported to Australia on the Joseph Soames and sailed from Spithead, Portsmouth, on 09/06/1847 for the Port Phillip District of New South Wales, finally disembarking at Point Henry, Geelong, Victoria on 24/09/1847. Thomas met an Irish girl named Mary O’Boyle who also appears to have been an
orphan born in Newry, Ireland, and came to Australia in 1844 when she was ten
years old with an Aunt, living in Melbourne. Thomas and Mary were married in St.
Francis Church, Melbourne, on the 10th July 1852. This was 20 months after Ned Kelly’s parents were
married there and with whom they were friends. Thomas and Mary’s son, John
Henry, rode with Ned Kelly until Ned found himself in trouble.
Thomas and Mary left Melbourne in a horse and wagon for the Tallangatta
Station, owned by James Wilson, in 1855. Prior to this they had lived on
Welergang Run. Their first child Charles was born on the Greg Greg Station and
Mary Ann their daughter at Colac Colac Station. They settled at a waterfall in Tallangatta
Valley and built their first home, where there is a creek named the Matthews
Creek. In 1868 Thomas, Mary and family (now 9 children) moved to a spot on
the Mitta River. There was no township of Tallangatta at that time, only very
thick bush. Their nearest neighbours were the Moore family of the Wagra Run.
They opened a public house, the first in the district, on Tallangatta Flat…….in
those days there was a punt on the Mitta River nearly in front of the hotel, making
it a good position for business, but flood waters forced them to move to higher
ground. Their son Joseph was born there with flood waters lapping around the
hotel. Later, the Victoria Hotel was built on that spot. About 1873 they sold the
hotel and shifted to Bullioh where he selected land and opened a hotel on the
Corryong Road. Later this hotel was shifted about ½ a mile away to the fork of
the Tallangatta Valley Road and Corryong Road, so as to get more trade. He
named it ‘The Travellers Rest’. In later years it became known as ‘The Rest’.
Ned Kelly was a customer at the hotel one night. Alice Matthews waitressed at
the table, his horse was fed and watered before he journeyed on. He was
described as a perfect gentleman.
Thomas and Mary owned 26 miles of land in 3 areas, 13 miles of Tallangatta
Run and the rest divided between Corryong and near Tumbarumba. They had 13
children. Mary was pregnant with Gideon her 13th child when Thomas was
drowned in the flooded Tallangatta Creek at the age of 45 years. He undertook to
pilot a traveller across the flooded creek into the township. There was no bridge
and they were able to ford the creek at the Cascade. After obtaining some
supplies, Thomas impatient to reach home, decided on a shortcut and crossed the
creek further up, but the current was too strong and horse and rider were swept
away. Next day searchers found his injured horse in James Wilson’s paddock but
it was two days before Thomas’s body was found in the reeds in Toal’s Swamp,
200 yards from where he attempted to cross. This was on 1 Sept 1875 he died in leaving his wife with 12 children and 1 on the way. She managed to raise the kids by herself and also run a hotel as well until her death in 1900. Here is a list of Thomas and Mary's 13 Children
Joseph Matthews b1871-1958
John Henry Matthews b1860-1949
Charles Matthews b1853-1921
Thomas Matthews b1856-?
William Matthews b1858-?
George Matthews b1865-?
Gideon Simon Matthews b1875-? She was pregnant with him when thomas died.
Mary Ann Matthews b1854-1933
Alice Matthews b1862-?
Emily Matthews b1864-?
Elizabeth Matthews b1867-?
Catherine Matthews b1869-?
Matilda Matthews b1873-1955
Hope that helps and if you have any more questions you can contact me.
