Patrick Whelan (Henry) b.1841

Aged 9 on arrival in Australia, Patrick (known as Patt) lived in Melbourne and Moonlight Flat with his family. There is no record of him attending the local school at Chewton, so perhaps Patt had to became a ‘working man’ at an early age, even though he seems to have had a great love for books.

We know that he never married and had no children.  Sometime during his life Patt went to New Zealand, and spent 20 years there.  He spent a further 23 years in Australia, finally ending his years in the Shire of Shepparton, County of Moira, Victoria on 6 June 1893.

How long Patt had been there we do not know, but from his death certificate we know he was a labourer in 1893, aged about 52, and known then as Henry Patrick. He was working on a straw pressing machine (what we would probably call a hay baler) when it jerked, causing him to fall, and his neck was broken. Evidently he had kept in touch with his older sister, Mary (Brody), since she paid for his funeral.

Patrick Whelan was buried on 8 Jun 1893 in grave C39 at the Shepparton Cemetery.