Gunning & District Historical Society

Barbara Moore and her sister Anne McGuiness at Gunning Catholic Cemetery By Leslie Bush with contributions from Barbara Moore Last September my fellow Graver, Cass and I were feeling like a bit of family tree investigating coming on, but the weather wasn't the best so we thought better not venture too far today. Cass was looking for McDevitts in the Catholic Cemetery and I thought I would photograph all the headstones to add to the collection for the District. So off we go, she's searching and I am clicking away. Bit of a chill in the air, it's windy and the clouds are rolling in, better get this done quick! Half way done and we chanced to meet these two lovely women who were also visiting. Barbara Moore and Anne McGuinness were there visiting the graves of their great-grandparents John and Ellen O’Brien, Patrick and Mary (Bartley) Clancy (photos below), their great-great grandparents, Laurence and Catherine Bartley and Patrick and Mary (Hannan) Clancy as...

The birthing cot donated by Lyndell Whittaker Photo: Ann Darbyshire Lyndell Whittaker, daughter of the late John and Eyvonne Clancy, has graciously donated to the Gunning & District Historical Society, a birthing cot that would have been utilised for many local citizens immediately after their birth in Matron Bertha Bush’s private maternity hospital “Allawah” in Biala Street, Gunning. There was the possibility raised by John Clancy himself that this birthing cot may have been transferred from the earlier maternity hospital “Templeton” on the Collector Road, Gunning, operated by Nurse Beatrice Maud Caldwell. Nurse Bush's advertisement, note the phone number! Photo: Ann Darbyshire “Allawah” had been built by Con and Fanny Lucilla Dowling of “Bloomfield” in 1929 and Matron Bush leased “Allawah” from them. Their son Noel Dowling recalled several years ago that the annual rental was £58.10/- (or 58 pounds and ten shillings). That same year, 1929, Dr Barbour built ...