On the 3rd of April, 1927, Mary Ann, the cherished wife of the late Peter Connelly, peacefully departed after a prolonged illness at her residence. She was 102 years old.

Mary Ann HYNES, daughter of Michael HYNES and Sarah LUCKNOW, was born in 1825 in Galway, Ireland, at a time when a Cholera epidemic was sweeping the country.

At 18 years old, Mary Ann, accompanied by her sister, ventured to America, arriving on the ship “Lady Lyons.” She settled in Boston. She married Mr. Peter Connelly, who passed away 39 years before her. They married in Richmond, America, and Mr. Connelly was known for running the first pilot engine over the Ohio railway.

Mary Ann and her husband, along with their 3.5-year-old son, decided to migrate to Australia. The 14-week voyage to Hobson’s Bay cost 200 dollars for adults and 30 dollars for the child. On arrival, they were welcomed by Mrs. Glyn, a cousin of Mrs. Connelly, who held the licence for the old Harp of Erin Hotel on White Horse Road, Kew, which was a farm area surrounded by forest at the time.

Fearing for her child’s safety in the bush, the Connellys moved to Melbourne, which was then a town of canvas tents with a crop of oats growing over what is now Flinders Street.

Amidst the gold rush, Mr and Mrs Connelly lived under canvas (which was what tents were made of in those days) at The Gap in Sunbury as many sought fortunes at the diggings. Mr Connelly, himself ventured to the gold rush in New Zealand and also to “the diggings”. They eventually became early settlers in the Woodend/ Macedon area.

Her daughter, also called Mary Ann, the 5th of her 10 children, married William James RYAN. Their son, Robert Michael RYAN, the 9th of 10 children, was Julie Ettery’s father.

At her 1927 death, Mary Ann Connelly left behind a son, three daughters, 19 grand-children and 11 great grandchildren.

The information was gathered from a local newspaper interview conducted on her 100th birthday.