The Aftermath of 'Black Monday' 1900
Christmas 1900 and New Year 1901 in Australia were expected to be bigger festivities than any year previous. Australia was about to be proclaimed a Commonwealth on 1 January, 1901 and many people from the bush had plans to be 'on holiday' in the city for the summer, in readiness for the 'Federation celebrations' at New Year.
However, as in our more recent experiences, the Christmas celebrations of 1900 were put on hold for many of our ancestors in New South Wales, as once again, people faced the perils of the bushfire season. 1900 did not bring the misery of drought and famine, nor the horror of floods devastating homes, livestock and crops. This particular year it was the extremes of high temperatures which led to catastrophic bushfires across many towns in New South Wales that brought a standstill to Christmas festivities.
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| J Hutchings (1907). The Bush Fire, by J Hutchings, 3 June 1907. Held in National Museum of Australia. |
Many newspapers across the country tried to capture the devastation being experienced in the country towns of New South Wales.
Today we refer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday as days when people madly gather in shops and on online to have fun looking for bargains with their pre Christmas shopping sprees, but Monday December 17, 1900 was referred to as 'Black Monday'. It was one of the worst days in the history of our young country as people were faced with scorching heat and ravenous flames that scoured over the land taking everything in its path, whether it be human, vegetation, property or livestock. Flames devoured the land and left little behind, other than a blackened, smoky and charred mess.
Without the fire-fighting equipment of modern times, in 1900, there was little chance of being able to win against such a mighty foe. The image below of the Clyde Engineering bush fire fighting cart leaves little optimism for succeeding against a major firestorm.
The town of Gundagai, in southern New South Wales, was not spared from these devastating fires of 1900. On 17th December, a huge firestorm hit the country town and ravaged the surrounding lands. The property of 'Mingay', owned by PJ O'Donnell, my 2x great grandfather, was just one of many properties in the surrounding area that suffered. PJ O'Donnell, had not many weeks earlier, suffered a stroke and was in hospital in Cootamundra recuperating, leaving his third son Patrick James Jnr, 'Paddy', in charge of Mingay estate.
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| Australian Bush Fire Series Postcards 1900s www.rfs.gov.au/ourstory/gallery/postcards |
The following story, about this horrific time in my family's experience, was written as an assignment for the University of Tasmania course, 'Writing the Family Saga' in 2019:
25 December, 1900 was not like any Christmas Day the O'Donnell family had ever experienced. Usually a day in which the entire 'Mingay family' gathered to celebrate a year of hard labour, in 1900 however the family gathered to mourn one of their own. Patrick Joseph 'Paddy' O'Donnell, was just 24 years of age. He was the latest victim of the 'Black Monday' bushfires that had raced across the countryside just eight days earlier.
Paddy's father, P.J. O'Donnell, was at the time, in the hospital in Cootamundra following a paralysis stroke which had almost taken his life. Reassured that his Gundagai property, 'Mingay', was in the capable hands of his son Paddy, P.J had dug deep, using all his strength in trying to overcome his affliction. Little did he realise that his son Paddy would soon also be fighting for his own life.
Paddy was in many ways just like his father, Patrick James O'Donnell or 'PJ' as he was known to everyone. They were tall, strong, generous, but humble men. They were both hard-working men who were well respected and who had time for everyone.
From a young age, Paddy had reassured his father, "I'll never be a banker or a lawyer or anything else... I want to be just like you Dad!" This had been a great comfort to PJ who had struggled to entice his elder sons into a life on the land.
Paddy had always loved the country and life on the land. He only ever wanted to follow in his father's footsteps - when Paddy became PJ's 'right-hand man', it came as no surprise. Paddy was a good learner just as PJ was a good mentor. Though they employed many workmen, Paddy lived by his father's mantra, 'Never ask of the men any task you are not prepared to do yourself.' In return, as it was for his father, the consideration Paddy showed to the workmen was paid back with gratitude, friendship and respect.
Paddy O'Donnell knew his duty was to protect his father's life work- his property 'Mingay'. So, on that fateful day in December 1900, when the deafening roar appeared from nowhere, and the huge flames soared into the air, racing across the tinder-dry bush, sparing nothing in its path, the overseer knew intuitively what Paddy would do.
He called his boss in vain, 'Paddy you can't get them. You'll never survive... No don't go!...PJ will understand!' Paddy would do anything to save his father's prize stallions. Not hearing the words of warning from one of his men, Paddy put duty first, neglecting the first rule of the bush: the safety of yourself and others.
Against better judgement, the stockmen followed Paddy into the inferno. The men made their way blindly through the thick, grey smoke, nauseated by the sickening smell of burning carcasses and eucalypt. They witnessed the tragic scene unfolding on the lower paddock. It was already blackened and burning to a cinder. Mrs O'Donnell and her daughters were running with such speed to the man lying on the ground. The men knew it must be Paddy. Their bush intuition told the stockmen the news would not be good.
When the stockmen reached Paddy, they moved quickly and purposefully; it appeared a well-rehearsed movement. One man was sent to Gundagai to find Dr Gabriel; another galloped back to the shed that remarkably had been spared by the fires and proceeded to get the cart; and the overseer, tenderly prized Mrs O'Donnell from her son, inspecting his charred body and deciding how he was to be moved to the homestead.
'How will we get word to father?' Mary Gertrude, Paddy's eldest sister wept, knowing all too well how quickly the bush telegraph operated in small country towns.
'Hurry Bob, get yourself to Cootamundra... Find Doc Brennan, tell him what's happened. He will know how to best break the news,' Faunt the overseer, ordered. The women were reassured by Faunt's leadership.
His pain had been so excruciating, yet nothing the doctors provided could offer relief. Paddy fought the delirium for seven days, before succumbing. His last breath was eerily silent.
'Has he gone?' Paddy's mother whispered fearfully.
'I'm afraid so Margaret. He is at peace now,' Dr Gabriel replied, trying to comfort his dear friend.
It was Christmas Eve, though none in the large family were even aware of the date. The past week had been a nightmare. They had sat with Paddy, night and day, never leaving him alone. Numbed by shock and exhaustion, they were fearful, especially for their father, knowing all too well the impact this horrific news would have.
They had sent one of PJ's oldest friends to break the devastating news. As he listened to his dear friend, tears welled in PJ's eyes. There was a distressed scream, then he sobbed uncontrollably, 'No...Not my boy...Not Paddy!'
It eventuated, that Christmas Day 1900 was not the same for many families in Gundagai that year. Hundreds from the wider community gathered to show respect for this man of the soil, their much-loved friend, Paddy O'Donnell. It was one of the largest funerals ever in their small country town.
PJ O'Donnell's health declined from that day - until he too succumbed on 8 August, 1907. He was the never the same after the death of his beloved son Paddy. Many said PJ died of a broken heart, the day his son died.
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| Australian Bush Fire Series Postcards 1900s www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ourstory/gallery/postcards |
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| Grave of Patrick Joseph 'Paddy' O'Donnell and his father P.J. O'Donnell Sr North Gundagai Cemetery Photo Collection of Barbara McAlary taken 2013 |
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