Biography
Andrew Donohoe was born circa 1824 in County Galway, Ireland and died 24 December 1914 Hay, New South Wales, Australia of unspecified causes. He married Esther C Clarke (1834-1885) 25 June 1850 in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia.
He arrived in New South Wales about 1845.
Children
Obituary
One of the oldest and best known residents of the district, Mr. Andrew Donohoe, senior, died at his daughter's residence, Hay, on Christmas Eve. Mr. Donohoe came to Australia, with his father, at the early age of three years.
His father was a private soldier in the 17th Regiment (Foot), and got his discharge in Sydney, for long service and good conduct. His army record included service all through the Crimea, and afterwards, on his retirement in Sydney, he was presented with a silver medal. The late Mr Andrew Donohoe was reared in Sydney, where he lived until he was eighteen years of age. He then came to Yanco station as manager for Mr Hill, and during his stay there he several times took to Sydney 300 head of cattle with only a black boy to help him. In those days there were no punts nor bridges, and all the rivers and creeks on the route had to be swum across at the tail end of the mob. The blacks in those days were very troublesome, and on more than one occasion Mr. Donohoe's life was in danger A memorable experience his wife had was during the floods of 1850 On one night the flood waters came down, and she, with her infant son, James, and another woman, were cut off, and had to seek safety in a loft. For thirteen days they lived there on flour ground with stones.
On the eleventh day Mrs. Donohoe tackled the flood waters, which were half a mile wide to release some calves which were in a yard on a sandhill, having been penned up since the night the flood came down At this time Mr Donohoe was absent on one of his trips to Sydney with cattle. After leaving Yanco Mr. Donohoe started business in Sydney as wholesale butcher but after two years he relinquished it to buy an hotel on the diggings. He took up a supply of liquor wth him, but he was unable to get possession of the house, owing to bushrangers. He then turned his attention to Lambing Flat, but he had no luck as a prospector and he then came on to Hay. That was forty-seven years ago. Mr. Donohoe opened a butcher's business in Hay on the 1st January, 1865, on which day he killed a bullock which weighed 800lbs., but of which he only sold a roast of 8lbs, and 2lbs. of steak. After carrying this business on for many years he sold out to his son, James, and a Mr. Brown, and took over an hotel in Booligal. During his two years' business career in Booligal, Mr. Donohoe had the misfortune to be robbed of about £200. Later he returned to Hay, and re-bought into the butchering business, which he later sold to his son. Mr. Donohoe's last venture was the taking up of a small selection on the Booligal road, which he afterwards sold. Since then he has lived with his sons James and John, and the evening of his days was spent wth his daughter, Mrs. J. H. Donohoe, in whose home he passed away, as stated, at the ripe old age of ninety years. Mr Donohoe had a family of eight sons and six daughters, of whom six sons and two daughters survive him. Mrs. Donohoe predeceased her husband by about twenty-four years, dying at Hay.
Footnotes (including sources)
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