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25 year-old Michael, a gold-miner, was married to 22 year-old Honora March at the home of his parents, a tent on Moonlight Flat, Castlemaine, on 9th April 1860.
Honora was born in County Clare to parents Michael March, a farmer, and Ann March, nee Ann Stafford (sometimes shown as Strafford).
In 1861 Michael went to investigate the new gold fields in Otago, New Zealand, where he was issued Otago Miner’s Licence number 2965. After returning to Moonlight Flat in 1862 he then travelled back to Otago, arriving on 13 August 1863 on the ship ‘Lawrence Brown’.
Left to take care of
their two little lads, Honora had the job of making a home in Victoria while her
husband tried to make a living for them in New Zealand. Family history relates
that an epidemic swept through the Victorian gold fields, and Honora, fearing
for her babies’ lives packed up her belongings and fled across the Tasman to
eventually meet up again with her husband, and set up home in their tent in
Gabriels Gully.
Subsequently both Michael and his brother James moved their families over the hill to Wetherstons where two houses were built quite close together. Michael went on to be a professional miner, later becoming a contractor in his own right.
On 9 Oct 1906, Michael Whelan passed away in Wetherstones.
Michael’s obituary in the Tuapeka Times on the day after his death included : -
“We regret to record the death of Mr. M. Whelan which occurred at his residence, Wetherstones, yesterday, after an illness of about six weeks. The deceased was one of the earliest residents in the district, having arrived here from Victoria shortly after the outbreak of the Gabriel’s Gully rush. In the colony he spent some years at the grocery business, and had just settled down as a married man when news of the gold discoveries in New Zealand reached him, and he determined to try his luck in this colony, reaching Gabriel’s Gully sometime in 1861. After a year or two, in which he met the usual ups-and-downs of a miners life, he went to the West Coast, where he remained for a short time, returning to Tuapeka where he followed mining as a vocation till about 20 years ago when he went in for contracting. In that time he has carried out many large contract works, and at his death was the holder of several contracts from the County.
He was a man of integrity and was highly esteemed throughout the district, in the advancement of which he had ever taken a keen and intelligent interest”.
Honora moved to Waitahuna, where she lived for a further 12 years.
Honora died at the age of 81 years on 9th December 1918. Her obituary in the Tuapeka Times nine days later included the following : - "Mrs Whelan was also a woman of a strong personality. Strong in her convictions and fearless as an exponent of the things she believed to be right, she was also kind and sympathetic, and would have gladly sacrificed herself to help a neighbour when she had the bodily ability to do so.”
Michael and Honora Whelan had 9 children:-
Thomas Whelan born 7 Dec 1860, married Kate McGuire.
Stephen Whelan born 19 Oct 1862, married Elizabeth Jane Brown.
Ann Christina Whelan born c1865, died 13 August 1876 aged 11
Mary Whelan born 1868, became Mary O'Neill
Bridget Florence Whelan (Flossie Whelan) born c1869, became Flossie Ryan.
Michael William Whelan born 31 Aug 1871
John Whelan (Jack) born c1872, married Emily Margaret Ryan.
Francis Joseph Whelan (Frank) born 23 Jun 1873, married Catherine Evelyn Wall.
Honora Florence Whelan (Sissie) born c1874, became Sissie Weaver, then Sissie Williams.