From the Tumut and Adelong Times, October 25, 1949.
Batlow Apple Blossom Week Issue.  Volume 89, No. 12.


A PIONEER FAMILY OF BATLOW
The Keenans

(This article appears to have been written in 1949 by George Keenan, son of 
Aaron Keenan, the second child of Henry and Ann Keenan.  This transcription was 
done by Peter James Keenan, the grandson of James Keenan, the first child of 
Henry and Ann.)


With an association dating back to the early 'seventies and with no less than 47 
members of the family, representing four generations, now living in the 
district, there can be no question regarding the right of the Keenans to be 
classed as one of the pioneer families of Batlow.

For the commencement of our story we must travel back to the other side of the 
world where, in famous county Derry, Northern Ireland, on a blithe summer's day 
in the early 'sixties one Henry John Keenan persuaded a certain colleen, Ann 
Jane Gamble, to take his name and join him in his search for fame and fortune in 
the much-talked-about colony of Australia.  They were married in the 
Presbyterian Church of Kilrea, near Portglenone, prior to leaving on their 
adventurous trip: but nothing is known of either the actual date they sailed or 
the vessel on which they embarked.  No information is available, either, 
regarding the journey or the route followed, but, of course, it is generally 
known that in those windjammer days the trip took anything from three to six 
months and it would not be difficult to imagine the pleasure of the young Keenan 
couple when they at last set foot safely on Australian soil at some point on the 
Queensland coast which has not been definitely recorded.

However, conditions in the northern State were rather hard on Henry and Ann, for 
the summer heat was a severe contrast to their accustomed glorious green 
freshness of old Londonderry, and shortly after the birth of their firstborn, a 
son James, the young couple decided to move south in search of more congenial 
conditions and better prospects.  Just what were the details of that long and 
arduous trip no one will ever know.  Day after day they plodded valiantly 
forward, tarrying only long enough here and there for Henry to earn sufficient 
to see farther along the road and no doubt spurred on by the reports of fabulous 
gold strikes then being made in northern New South Wales.  Eventually they 
arrived in the Monaro district of New South Wales and decided to stay for a 
while at a settlement then known as Providence.

Henry obtained work as a shepherd and they made there home in a hut provided for 
the purpose.  With very few fences to restrain the stock from wandering, the 
shepherd's job in those days was a constant and responsible one.  Wild dogs were 
numerous and the sheep had to be "folded" every night.  Ann's life, too, as may 
well be imagined, was far from an easy one.  In addition to living under such 
primitive conditions, a second son, Aaron, was born on December 9, 1865, James 
being then only 16 months old and the mother's only help at the time being a 
half-wild black gin.  With her husband's duties often keeping him away from the 
hut for days at a time, the wild dogs were a constant menace to Ann and her two 
babies and, when such jobs as gathering wood or fetching water had to be done 
she invariably had to take the babies along with her for fear the dogs would 
attack them in her absence.

After something over two years of this life the young couple were attracted by 
the stories of rich strikes being made across the mountains in the valleys of 
the Tumut, Adelong and adjacent streams.  So once more they packed up all their 
worldly possessions, loaded a horse they had acquired with goods and chattels in 
the pannier on one side and Master James riding in the pannier on the other 
side.  As usual the young parents had nothing but a good pair of legs and a 
stout heart to provide their own transport, whilst they shared the burden of 
carrying the youngest child.  On through the wilds of the mountain country they 
forged,  until finally they descended the bridle track which was the only means 
of conquering Talbingo, and found themselves a last in the lush valley of the 
Tumut River.  Eventually they reached the banks of the Bombowlee Creek and were 
befriended by the late Mr and Mrs George Morton and permitted to erect a slab 
hut for themselves on the Morton property - the site of the early home is still 
know as "Keenan's Point".

Not only did the Mortons prove good friends to the Keenans, but in the years to 
come the families became very closely united, for both the Keenan boys, Aaron 
and John, returned and claimed Morton girls as their brides.

From this centre Henry was at last able to pursue his cherished ambition to 
search for gold, but old Dame Fortune gave him little encouragement or reward, 
despite extensive prospecting and much hard work throughout most of the 
neighbouring fields, extending as far apart as Adelong and Argalong.  
Disappointed with his efforts, Henry decided to try his luck upon the nearby 
Reedy Flat (now Batlow) and moved their with the family, which had now increased 
with the arrival of a third child, Eliza.

Once again luck was not with him, for he arrived too late to be in the rich gold 
strikes and, of course, he was too early to benefit from Batlow's later 
agricultural development, though it could safely be claimed that he help to 
pioneer the agricultural side of Batlow's future, for he was known to dig as 
much as an acre of land by hand to grow vegetables to help provide a living for 
his growing family.

The site of their early Batlow home was where the orchard of Bowman & Sons now 
stands, and here eight more children were born, making the total family five 
daughters and six sons.  Fate was not kind even in the Keenan family affairs, 
for no less than five of the children died at an early age.  A diphtheria 
epidemic claimed Eliza and Ann within days of each other at the ages of 17 and 
15 respectively.  The two girls were buried on the same day, and in the course 
of a few days they were followed by their brother Henry, also a victim of the 
same dread scourge.  Bella died as the result of a burning accident and an 
infant son named Stuart also passed away.  A later son, the last of the family, 
was also named Stuart.

The continued hard life, heavy work and family worries took toll of the father 
Henry's health and whilst still in his early forties he suffered a nervous 
breakdown which brought about his death in 1885.

Fortunately the elder members of the family were able to assist their mother, 
Ann, over the next few difficult years, until in 1892 the widow married another 
Batlow resident, Robert Hobson.

It was in later years of her life as "Granny" Hobson that Ann became so well-
known and loved in the Batlow community.  For many years she served the 
community in the capacity of obstetric nurse, for there were no doctors or 
trained nurses in the locality, and no one has been heard to dispute her claim 
that she never lost a baby.  Although to a certain extent she made it her 
business, her fee was about £2, yet a person's inability to pay would not deter 
her from rendering just the same service as to those who could pay, and 
incidentally this service included not only attention for the mother but often, 
when necessary, taking control of the rest of the family and running the 
household during the mother's incapacitation.  Many the story she told of 
midnight calls to patients, some times miles away on some isolated claim whence 
she would have to wend her way either by foot or by horseback and sometimes 
through snowstorms, flooded creeks or blinding rain.

However, the hard life, disappointments and tragedies with which she was 
constantly surrounded did not weigh unduly heavily with her, for she went on to 
the fine only age of 81 years, passing away on December 7, 1926, in a hospital 
in Sydney, and was subsequently buried in the Woronora Cemetery at Sutherland.  
Robert Hobson had predeceased her by 22 years, having succumbed to a heart 
attack in 1903.

(To be continued - 31 May 2004)