I am trying to trace what happened to my relative. Her parents were Elizabeth Kennedy (b.1870, daughter of Elizabeth Campbell and Angus Kennedy) and Robert Sharkey (son of John Sharkey and Bridget Bury), and Winnie would have been born around 1900 or late 1890s in probably Victoria, Australia. Her siblings were George Rupert Sharkey (b. around 1895 and sometimes down as Rupert George Sharkey instead), and Jessie Sharkey (b.1893) and possibly another brother who was maybe called Robert.
On George Rupert/Rupert George's enlistment papers in 1914, his sister Winnie Sharkey was put down as his next of kin, and her address was 23 St Helier's Street, Abbotsford, Victoria. This seems to have been part of Abbotsford Convent, but I don't know yet in what capacity Winnie was there - her mother was alive, so she wasn't an orphan. From Jessie's daughter's stories it seems Jessie was not brought up by her mother, so it wouldn't surprise me that Winnie was not living with her mother either.
From family stories I know Winnie died in a fire as an adult, and I found a very short mention in the 3rd March 1933 in the Melbourne Argus of Winnie Sharkey aged 30 (NB. Can't quite make out the text, this may not be her age) who died from burns sustained two days ago, and that she is 'of the Salvation Army Rescue Home, Brunswick'. Winnie's mother lived in Brunswick, as did Rupert when he came back from war until he died there in a tragic horse accident in 1930. In the obituaries at the time Winnie seems to have been living with her mother - her sister Jessie had already emigrated to Scotland. Winnie's father apparently did a runner at some point.
Again, why Winnie is living there I don't know, but if she was in the convent as a teenager/child as some sort of 'person in need' then it would make sense that she was living in a Rescue Home as an adult I guess.
I've been in touch with Abbotsford Convent to start trying to find why Winnie was there, but they ask for some more details like her date of birth. However, I can't seem to track down a birth certificate for Winnie anywhere.
I'd be really grateful if anyone can help me out here. I'm descended from Jessie, and when she left Australia in 1919 she never went back or saw her family again, so we know very little of our Australian history and I am keen to find it all out!
