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Record #9257
Name :
: Michael HANNIGAN (1929 - )


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 1929 (approx.)

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
:
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland
Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 9 Aug 1938
Country
: Australia

Ship
: Strathaird

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
: Nazareth House (Stoke Bishop)

Agency
: Christian Brothers
NotesIn 1938, M. Hannigan, 9, along with 4 other boys from St. Joseph's Home, Enfield, England, in a combined group of 37 boys from various Catholic orphanages throughout England and under the auspices of Nazareth House, Stoke Bishop, England, arrived at Perth, Australia, en route to an Agricultural School run by the Christian Broth?ers at Tardun, Australia. (Appears on passenger list as Michael HANNAGAN, aged 10. From mollipops1 )

Michael wrote on the Blaisdon Hall Old Boys website:

"We were housed in one of the homes run by the Christian Brothers for a week awaiting the arrival of a second boat, RMS "ORTRANTO", carrying a further 31 boys which docked on 16th August 1938. These boys, also, had been accompanied by two Sisters of Nazareth.

"The contingent of 68 boys, mainly 7-11 years old, the four Nuns and several Brothers embarked on a steam train for a 300 mile journey north of Perth to the Agricultural School run by the Christian Brothers which was the basis of the "scheme" under which we had been sent to Australia. The governments of the UK and Australia had agreed with the Catholic Church to send young boys chosen from among it's orphanages to Western Australia into the care of the Christian Brothers. The boys were to be educated and trained in the hope that many would take up farming and settle on the land.

"On leaving Perth we were soon into the vast and sparsely populated bush land which got even more desolate with every mile. Eventually we arrived at a small railway siding called Tardun - just a small general store no platform or shelter - to be met by three trucks. We clambered aboard and travelled a further 10 miles into the bush, to suddenly come upon what was to be our home for the next six to ten years!

"Since departing England in July we were on a high - so much had happened. New sights and experiences, new friends made among the boys, we had been feted and fussed over on arrival at Fremantle and had a 300 mile train trip! Reality wasn't long in coming however.

...

"1941 was important not only because 10 of us successfully passed the end of year exams for grade 10, but we were to lose the Nuns who had accompanied us from England. They went to Geraldton - a seaport and rail terminal 100 miles west - to operate a brand new institution specially built for orphaned girls, who had also been sent out from England. Four Nuns from the Presentation Order from Geraldton replaced them.

"Another type of work we did was quarrying for granite stones that were used to build the outer walls of a beautiful two- storied Convent built during the first year. At times we had to use gelignite for blasting. The larger suitable stones were loaded onto horse drawn drays and carted to the site. The rest was put through a mechanical crusher and reduced to aggregate for concrete.

"Memories of the first summer bring back a funny incident. I was riding in a truck with a Brother inspecting a fence line - it was very hot. In the distance I could see a lake. After a while we stopped and the Brother handed me a can and told me to get some water for the radiator that had begun to steam. I set off willingly at a brisk pace and had been walking for some time but did not appear to be getting any closer to the lake. After about 20 minutes the truck pulled up beside me, and the grinning driver told me to hop back on board. When he had finished laughing he explained I had been chasing a mirage!

"1942 was an interesting year - our fourth. Four of the older and stronger of our special class commenced full-time work on farm duties. The Brothers were unsure what to do with the remaining six so for a full year we marked time, and although we continued school we had no formal syllabus and were not preparing for exams. I remember we had a lot of fun with chemical experiments and spent a lot of time away from our desks.

"1942 was also a year of some upheaval. Although we had experienced little evidence of the war, being so isolated, the first week of March an influx of 150 boys, five Brothers and six nuns arrived. Forty-six Australian boys, boarders from St Patrick's College Geraldton and 104 orphans from Clontarf, Perth, were evacuated to join us. So suddenly we had more than double the number of people to accommodate. It was a logistical nightmare, chaotic at times, but some how we managed!

"When I look back I see 1943 as the turning point of my life. Up to that time I had been one among many with no distinct identity, nor clear future. That was to change.

"The Brothers had finally decided what to do with we six. Four went to work full time on farm duties and the other two of us were chosen to undertake further education. We were to be sent, as boarders, to St Patrick's College, Geraldton, to study Grades 11 and 12. To this day I do not know why that decision was made, nor why we two were the lucky ones. I was the youngest of the ten to have passed Grade 10 and being the smallest - obviously not considered suitable farming stock! For each of the next three years I spent ten months away from Tardun being exposed to a totally new world and social structure.

"We were both successful in Grade 11 and then again in Grade 12 in 1944 - we had now reached the end of Sec?ondary School. But once again it was considered that I was too young at 15 to leave Tardun permanently, so I was sent back to College to repeat Grade 12 in 1945. I breezed through the year and passed Grade 12 for the second time. This second pass was good enough for me to win a scholarship to the University of WA at the tender age of 16.

"So in February 1946, fitted out in a good second-hand suit with a case of other clothes a letter to a boarding house near the University and five pounds I boarded a train at the rail siding where I had arrived some seven and a half years previously. With a pat on the back and an admonition to remember my prayers, attend Sunday Mass and make a regular Confession, I was off to the big City. I had no further contact with Tardun until 1958 when I took my bride of one year to see where I had spent my formative years.

"For seven and one half years I had lived a monastic life style in a male community of some 100 persons. The only female contact of any note was with the Nuns. Suddenly I was in a city of several hundred thousand - 50% of them female. There were other wonders too from trams to cinema theatres. To a totally unsophisticated lad of sixteen it was overwhelming - I had not been prepared for this. I had left a strict ordered discipline and now found myself completely on my own with no one to turn to for advice or guidance. I'm not sure I would have taken any notice anyhow! I was out of my depth and had no idea how to adapt to a study regime at University level. By the middle of the year it was obvious I was in trouble.

"Fortunately the standard of pass I had achieved in Grade 12 also qualified me for selection as a Public Servant and an invitation arrived just in time. I commenced as a clerk with the Taxation Department in September 1946 and was to remain in the public service for the next 45 years until my retirement.

"Although my first try at University was a disaster, years later I recommenced studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1975.

"Working as a public servant had several advantages -job security and good prospects for promotion - based on performance and length of service. In addition it gave access to a vast pool of jobs in a variety of Government Departments in all States of Australia and it's Territories. A gazette of vacancies was published each month inviting applications. In mid 1949 I applied and was promoted to the Government's Construction Authority and moved to a construction camp at the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia.

"The Construction Authority was responsible for the design, construction and subsequent maintenance of all the facilities of every other Government Department. It employed Architects, Engineers etc with Administrative and Financial Services support staff and a very large Day Labour Force. I spent my career in Financial Ser?vices working up steadily from Paymaster at Woomera, to retire in November 1992 as Executive Officer in charge of the Financial Services for the Western Australian Office.

"I spent three and a half years at Woomera and had my first birthday party ever, to that time, my 21st! One of my friends, unbeknown to me, had arranged for his mother in Adelaide to bake a cake and send it by plane. Also I purchased my first car - a Singer Tourer - which I eventually took to Alice Springs and then drove 1,000 miles to Darwin to a new Job.

"It was in Darwin that I met and married Thelma (we have just celebrated our 50th) and our son and daughter were born. After ten and a half years in Darwin I moved to Papua, New Guinea, for 18 months and finally returned to the Perth office to serve out my years until retirement.

...

"As I approach my 80th in good health, in a comfortable home with a lovely companion of 50 years and enjoy the thrill of seeing grandchildren grow up, I reflect on a fortunate life. The first nine years gave no promise of what was to be, but coming to Australia turned out to be a godsend. I don't know why I was chosen, nor why I was then given the opportunity for higher education rather than be placed in farm work, but I thank my lucky stars. I am convinced many other boys would have achieved just as well given the same chance.

"Speaking specifically of my group of ten boys who came out pre-war, I can say that most on reflection would agree that being sent to Australia exposed them to opportunities they would never otherwise have experienced and they are thankful. Most in their own way have been successful, but others, sadly, have lead lonely and un?happy lives.

"There were shortcomings on all sides in the administration of what was a well-intentioned idea. Committees set up by both the British and Australian Governments found many things had been badly mishandled and made strong recommendations to help rectify and repair the damage that had been done. The Congregation of Christian Brothers, admitted in 1993 that abuse had occurred and settled a multi-million dollar out of court action. Some lives were irreparably damaged.

"Do I personally have any specific criticisms? Yes. There was a total lack of any show of concern at the individ?ual level, never a consoling arm around the shoulder - "a stiff upper lip" and "men never cry" were the maxims. Another failing was the lack of preparation given to us for what we were about to encounter when we left Tardun for a strange unknown world out there. We had no training to fit us with "family" related skills. I have no doubt this lack resulted in many marriage failures

"Was the intended aim to settle boys on the land achieved? Not really. Of the pre-war group five did take up farms but three later sold up. Whilst other boys initially worked on farms they quickly drifted into other forms of employment. A few, Peter Grigson was one, did work in shearing teams for many years.

"Having said all that however, I have had a fortunate life! I still go to Mass every Sunday, Confessions are rare - at my age what is there to tell - and I did remember my prayers, after all I have a granddaughter named Grace!"

Courtesy of "The Australian Enigma" ({website}blaisdonbrotherhood.info/australian%20enigma.htm) 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-08-09 15:29:52 / From original database

Additional Contributions from : mollipops1 , alanmack

Last Updated : 2016-06-26 04:23:32 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 72 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
12326 ANSTRUTHER, James1930ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
12293 APPOLONIN, William1931ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
27309 BLACKWELL, Keith Michael1932ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27310 BLACKWELL, Maurice1927ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27311 BRIDGES, Betty Marion Russell1927ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27312 BRIDGES, Charles Alwyn Russell1929ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12312 BURT, Frederick William1930ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
25308 CLEMENTS, Ernest William1927ENG, LND, Woolwich Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
27313 COLLING, June1932ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27314 COLLING, Margaret1929ENG, DUR, Houghton le Spring Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12314 CONNORS, John1928ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
25309 COSTICK, Patrick James1927ENG, SOM, Williton, Luxborough Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
27315 DIXON, Sheila Margaret1926ENG, DUR, Chester-le-Street Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12294 DOWNING, Kenneth D1925ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
5510 ELLIMAN, Christopher1948ENG, YKS, Cleveland Dec 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5509 ELLIMAN, Michael1951ENG, YKS, Cleveland Dec 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27317 FOLEY, Patrick James1928ENG, HAM, Farnham, Aldershot Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27316 FOLEY, Victor1925IRL, ANT, Belfast Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12315 FRENCH, John J1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
9261 GRIGSON, Peter1927ENG, LND, Pancras Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
12295 HANDLEY, Richard1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
9257 HANNIGAN, Michael1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
12303 HAYDON, Raymond Thomas1926ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
12320 HEATON, Anthony1927ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
27332 HENDERSON, Margaret Rattray1929 Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27318 HENNIGHAN, Richard1929ENG,     Jun 1939 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12296 HIGHCOCK, Ivor1930ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
5415 HILL, David1946ENG,     May 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5417 HILL, Dudley1944ENG,     May 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12316 HILL, John Henry1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 72 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries