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Bridget Kelly was the daughter of James Kelly, a gardener, and Anne Doyle born in County Kildare Ireland in 1837. She and Phillip were married by Father Patrick Madden in The Church of St Francis Melbourne on 24th January 1860. Phillip was a 27 year old plasterer and Bridget a 25 year old servant. The witnesses were Michael Dundon, Phillip's younger brother, and Margaret Kelly who made her mark.

They had six children and possibly a seventh (Rebecca) who will be discussed at the end of the paragraph. The first born was Patrick in Hotham Victoria in 1862, next was James Phillip born 1864 in Dunedin New Zealand and married to Alice Rosselloty in Western Australia 1899, Joseph Patrick also born in Dunedin 1867 married Zelia Rosselloty 1901 in Melbourne, Deborah c 1868 also born in Dunedin married to John Murphy 1894 in Melbourne, Teresa Bridget c1872 married John Thomas 1891 Melbourne, and John Joseph born 1874. The New Zealand microfiche also shows a Rebecca Dundon but no parents, she is the only other Dundon in that period so I have assumed she may be another daughter based on the theory that all the Dundon girls born in Dunedin returned home to Melbourne c 1881 and in 1891/93 married including Rebecca.

Her marriage is recorded in the Victorian Registrar General's microfiche for 1890 to Charles Champness and gives her birthplace as New Zealand and England for her husband. A further search shows the birth of her son Frederick at Port Melbourne in 1891 but no further records for their family in Victoria or New South Wales. I did search the death records up to 1980 but gained no further leads. The family may have gone to England, and I doubt if New Zealand became their home if Phillip and Bridget were still living in Melbourne.

James Phillip and Alice had a family of seven children, the eldest, Leslie Joseph married Eileen Phelan and they had a family of three. In 1938 a Melbourne paper ran an article accompanied by a photograph about Leslie's ability as a self- taught wood carver who quite skillfully carved his impression of Batman entering Port Phillip heads in the "Rebecca" in 1835. It is a reproduction in wood of the picture which formed the front page of The Herald Centenary issue. The picture has been copied with meticulous fidelity. The original carving hangs in the Central Coast home of his son Gene and wife Gwen. Like most Dundons, Gene was a plasterer. Fishing has been an enduring pastime for him and he has written more than 250 articles for national fishing magazines over the last 25 years. He wrote a fishing column for four years in "4 X 4 Australia" (four wheel drive magazine) and was a columnist in "Modern Fishing" magazine for many years. Gene is also the author of two fishing books, now out of print, called "NSW Central Coast Fishing" and "NSW Estuary Fishing" and is a life member of Gosford District Angling Club. He and his wife Gwen were foundation members of the Australian Outdoors Writers Association. Gwen has had several books published particularly relating to the Central Coast of New South Wales. She is a meticulous researcher who has an interest in family history and has been a gold mine of information for me in putting this story together. There is always something in the post or a phone call with what she calls snippets of information but as usual it always turns out to be gold. Leslie's other two children are Yvonne and Pauline. Kathleen, born in Western Australia, the third of Phillip's children married Thomas Mitchell in Victoria and had seven children.

Lawrence the fourth child was born two months after his grandfather Phillip died. He married Dorothy Pope and they too had seven children. A plasterer by trade, Lawrence worked on the 1956 Olympic Games site particularly on the velodrome and the swimming pools, and he along with five other tradesmen were awarded the British Empire Medal by the Queen for their services. Other prominent buildings that Lawrence worked on were:

The Moorabin and St Kilda town Halls, the clock at Essendon Airport, Coles complex in Frankston, and the Old Mint building. The northern stand at the M.C.G, and the Olympic swimming pool and Velodrome were also to receive the benefit of Lawrie's plastering skills. There were many others worth mentioning. St Johns College Dandenong, Sacred Heart Hospital Moreland, restoration to the Windsor Hotel. Lawrence worked on the original Regent Theatre and was later to work on the restoration after the theatre was burnt out. Space does not permit the inclusion of the full list of his achievements in the Plastering trade.

Lawrence was a very devoted man to his Church, he was a member of the Holy Name Society, a committee member for planning the new parish at Bluff Road East Hampton. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church commenced in 1956 in a huge "circus like" tent while the Church School was being built. The Church was officially opened in 1957 and Lawrence delivered a speech on the history of the project. As an eleven year old, his daughter Carmel remembers her Dad practicing this speech by reading it to her in his bedroom. The building was erected as a Church / School with Father Fred Nolan as Parish priest.

The desks, which doubled as pews were constructed by Lawrence and at the conclusion of Sunday Mass all would stay behind to convert the church back to a school ready for Monday classes. On Saturdays Lawrence would reverse the process ready for Sunday Mass. The new church on the same land was completed in 1973 and the new Parish Priest was Father Crenner. His right hand man was Lawrence, and as previously he ensured that all was ready for each Mass. Lawrence created most of the gardens at the new Church and was responsible for edging and other refinements. He also built a rock and plaster Grotto in the grounds of the church where a large statue of Immaculate Heart of Mary was erected. For thirty years he was President of St Vincents de Paul Society and spent many nights delivering food vouchers to needy families.

As a young apprentice to his father, his day started at 4.30 am. His first task of the day was to prepare the horse and jinker for the days work. They would return at 6.30 pm when the horse was tended to before Lawrence had his evening meal. An accomplished banjo mandolin player Lawrence played at the church socials and wherever else he was needed. His daughter Carmel now has the banjo and still plays it.