The Tallangatta Valley Mullins descendents

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Patrick Mullins (1825-1922) migrated from Co. Clare, Ireland, about 1845. He m. Anne Liddy, taking up land near Yackandandah. Four chn. were born before they moved in 1880 to Tallangatta Creek (Cascade) and seven more afterwards.

These included:

Michael, (1873-1957, m. Elizabeth Curley Albury, two chn. William and Anne);
Bridget, (1862-1916 m. Thomas Carr, dau. Mary);
James, (Jim, 1876-1928 m. 1. Catherine Kirk, dau of Edward and Mary Ann Kirk, one ch. Mollie; Catherine d. 1905; James then m. 2. the governess Nellie Kelly, 8 further chn: Mona 1911-1933, Ellen 'Girlie' 1913-1981, John 1914, Thomas 1916, Margaret 1919, Josephine d. young, Patricia 1921 and Matthew 1923-1969.
Fr William Mullins (1879-1922), spend  his boyhood in the Valley, became a priest in charge of Tamworth parish for 8 years; d. aged 42;
Margaret, (d. 1925) m. James O'Connor; daughters Eileen and Molly;

The Mullins were the fourth family to settle in the Valley, after the Matthews, Campbells and Rapseys. Paddy survived his wife by 24 years, until 1922. We now follow the families of Michael and James who stayed in the district:

Michael lived in the Valley most of his life, but retired in 1930, taking his family to live in Mosman, Sydney. Strong district links, however, brought them back in 1935; they purchased Killara [correction Kallara] at Bandiana, a property later subdivided for housing and for (Bandiana) military use. Michael d. in 1957 aged 84; his son Bill (1911 [correction 1910]-1979) m. Genevieve Duggan (Ballarat); 3 chn: Michael, A.B.C. Radio, Sydney; Elizabeth (m. Richard Marsh, 2 chn. U.K.), James, (Registrar, Western General Hospital, Melbourne) and dau. Anne (1910 [correction 1909]-1980 m. Roy Trewella (Bethanga); 3 chn. Patricia (severely disabled in a car accident), Noel, and Barry.

Jim purchased his own dairy farm when the Ormidale Station was subdivided in 1902, building the brick house Clare in 1912. Of Jim and Nellie's descendents:

Girlie was a well-known Tallangatta resident, operating the shop Janice-Faye. Jack m. Madge Westwood, Bullioh teacher, later moved to Stanhope (dau. Carmel, m. Clark, 3 sons). Tom m. Doreen McKenzie McHarg (Walwa); moved to Tangambalanga in 1956; 2 daughters, Kerrie (Mullins-Gunst, now m. Colin Allison) and Vivienne (m. David Jenkins, 4 chn. Tangambalanga). Margaret m. William Power, Moorabbin, 3 chn. Pat m. Leo Smith, Preston, 2 chn. Matt m. Irene Welch: 4 chn. Karen (m. Robert 'Barney' Brown, 3 chn., live and work in Tallangatta, work the Mullins' property part-time. Adrian (Albury), Peter (Tallangatta), and Maree (m. Peter Dower, 3 chn, Mitta). After serving in WW2, Matt farmed Jim's property, originallly with Tom. Rene still lives in a new house on the property.

[Endorsed by Genevieve (Duggan) Mullins, Wodonga, and Kerrie Mullins-Gunst, Nth. Balwyn.]

- Extracted from Malcolm Ronan Old Tallangatta: A Town to Remember (Macron Publishing, Balwyn North, 1995), page 243


Textile artist Cathie Edlington completes Killara work

In the early 1950s, Michael Mullins (1872-1957) subdivided a corner of his property on the Murray Valley Highway half way between Wodonga and Bonegilla, to provide house building blocks to give a start to migrants from the Bonegilla migrant reception centre who wished to settle in the local area.

The settlement took on the name of the nearby section and homestead of the farm - Kallara - although it was the misspelling Killara that subsequently caught on and was gazetted as an official place name. 

Early in 2015, his grandson Michael Mullins (1959-) commissioned Sydney textile artist Cathie Edlington to produce an artwork based on a map provided by Charles Sturt University historian Dr Bruce Pennay that had been drawn by Ukrainian migrant and former Killara resident Roman Kitt.

In October, Bruce mentioned the project in a presentation he gave to the annual conference of the Royal Australian Historical Society, which took the theme ‘Migration Matters’. He said that showing an image of the map alongside a photograph of the artwork reinforced a point he made about 'imaginative ways of remembering migrant pasts at the local level'. 

The other example he gave was the stained glass window representation of the Holy Family as refugees fleeing out of Israel towards the Southern Cross. The window was part of the original 1967 construction of the Sacred Heart Church, Wodonga, and intended to pay tribute to the role of migrants in the local community. The window received local media attention recently in connection with the Catholic parish's resolve to welcome Syrian refugees to the area.

On completion of the Killara work, Michael interviewed Cathie about the project, and plans to also include audio of an interview he has scheduled with Bruce Pennay.

When it rains - Mahalah Mullins

From ANZ Snowboarding Magazine: 
Mahalah Mullins is one of Australia's brightest young snowboarders... male or female. We talk snowboarding, TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’ and the time she showed up Marko Grilc and the rest of the Euro big dogs. Keep an eye out for Mahalah in the coming years on podiums, edits and gracing the pages on ANZ Snowboarding with her signature style. Not to mention her back 3 Method!

Jack Duggan's poem for Genevieve

Genevieve gently winding down

Always the Indian
left tied to a tree
uncomplaining
forgotten for hours
– a brave Indian.

At the Melbourne Public Library
happy among the knowledge
kept in its castles of books and
tiers of drawers
until the Patriarch ordained

commitment
to Nursing in Ballarat
but knowledge
rose triumphant
she won the Nursing Prizes

Occasional suitors but
along came Bill
a tough Border Riverina farmer
set in his ways but he loved his
Genevieve

Children came - she lost Margaret
but the others prospered
Michael the Jesuit editor
James the Radiologist, master of X-rays
Elizabeth tripped over an English Canon
then found a Canadian academic
and happiness

After Bill life was not so full
Genevieve stayed alert
read Quadrant and articles of depth
knew the strength and weakness of
politics and business

Despite arthritic carpals
she tended her tiny gardens
managed the family business
James gave her Purdy the foxie
to commune with and cherish

Mum often said: “You keep your daughters
but lose your sons.”
Oceans lured them
to carve careers
in PNG & Kiwi land.’  
Madeline, Cate & Gen
stayed  in Australia’s East

Always close to Genevieve
John stayed in touch
had honeymoon and holidays with
Genevieve and Bill and later
Gen and her kids

All must come to pass and
Gen is winding down – peacefully
Michael is there picking up the baton
from Jennette who spreads
a Veterinary career, motherhood & a lifestyle block
- in her busy life she makes  time for Gen.

So Genevieve lies silent
the ever uncomplaining ‘Indian’
her mind has gone ahead
she calmly contemplates the causeway
as her life spirit fades

A slowly flowing stream
that leads to Heaven
to Bill and Margaret, Dad and Mum
and Cate who have preceeded her -
she smiles and lies there waiting

Genevieve is winding down,
gracefully

RIP (6:45 am Australian time, 3 Aug 2012)

Her brother
Jack Duggan
‘The Stockade’,
4 Kio Road Hataitai
Wellington NZ

Read by William Mullins: