Murnanes of Port Fairy, Tower Hill, Koroit and Stawell (Victoria)

Patrick Murnane married Ann Ryan in Oola, County Tipperary in February 1, 1855; the Murnane family apparently lived at Oola, a border town in the Parish of Solohead, Ann Ryan came from Lisnacullia, a few kilometers north of Oola, in County Tipperary. The couple travelled to England before emigrating from Plymouth to Australia on June 2, 1855 on the ship "Cairngorm", a clipper ship on the China tea run. They arrived at Portland, Victoria on September 5th, 1855 after a trip of 96 days. On the journey, Ann Murnane assisted the ship’s surgeon with the delivery of four babies, so beginning her skills as a midwife.

According to the Department of Immigration of the time, half the immigrants were to be transferred to Port Fairy, in Victoria, to facilitate their distribution in the district and assist in meeting the shortage of labour in the area. Thus Patrick and Ann transhipped from Portland to Port Fairy on 15 September 1855 and settled in Tower Hill. (For some summary background to the settling of Irish migrants at Belfast/Port Fairy area of Victoria, refer to Chapter 3 of "Fruitful Exile" – see Murnane Research Library section or contact Jim Flahavin – see previous contact details). Patrick was killed in a quarry accident at Allanford on April 10,1862, leaving Ann to bring up 5 children alone – Eliza (born 1856), Clement (1857), twins James and Owen (1860) and Patrick (1862).

Sarah Murnane married Patrick Joyce in 1855 at Oola and died at Crossley on November 9,1923. They had 7 children.

Thomas married Catherine Noonan in Port Fairy on July 10,1867 and died at Crossley on January 18, 1893. They had 5 children.

Hannah married Michael Walsh at Port Fairy in 1865 and had 6 children. She died on May 10, 1912.

Mary Murnane was born on April 6, 1839 and married John Kelly at Port Fairy on August 27, 1859. They had 11 children and she died on May 16, 1913 at Southern Cross.

John married Mary Josephine Joyce at Stawell on December 4, 1875 and died at Ouyen on August 12, 1919. They had 14 children.

With the exception of John, all the above children of Michael and Mary Murnane who emmigrated to Australia are buried at Tower Hill Cemetary.