The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954)(about) |
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Tuesday 22 June 1920
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.Obituary -' ti. Slani DEATH OF AN OLD PIONEER. di, On Friday lasta long. strenuous life tn ended in the passing of Mr. Luke'Byrle, ,.ur late of Byrneville, one of those indenti liable with early Wimmera history. ' The late Mr. Byrne was born 83 years ago in County Wicklow,. Ireland, and emigrated tlhence to Victoria in the full vigor of early manhood ; rich in hope though poor in pocket. His first service B to his newly adopted country was cart- Bou ing supplies from-Ballarat, as a centre, disa to the sparse and far stations' in the north-western. That Horsham was young thennmay be gathered from the ' fact that its lhuman population was said to be, with one exception, exclusively male. Transport science in these parts was young then, too. - Its highest achievement was still the animal-drawn vehicle. .And, often enough, on long journeys in bad seasons, feed for D "there and back"'' seriously diminished of space for the payable load. Necessity bets was sometimes inexorable about the an width of tyres, but there was no ordi- ed nance to enforce lights after sunset riin and drivers were free to get lost oin kille highways having skyline boundaries fight withi never a finger-post between. Blacks meni were frequent, too, along those high- burn ways ; sometimes treacherous, often fire, friendly, always thievish. Where many the a model hlomestead stands to-day, crowd- tots ed at times to its garden fence with golden grain and ringing, siight B after night, with happy young laughter, the day's-end camp was bften pitched ; "but priniitive . growth encosnpassed the very fire then, wrlile the night's silence remained un broken save by nature's early voices: the "thump-thump" of fleeing kanga roo, the plaint of a startled bird, the A: lugubrious protest of the wild dog, or. .twet it might be, the sleep-destroying pres- Hul once of marauding blacks. -No printed five speed-limit regulations, if any existed, Sixt mentioned those highways; and there shot were no licence fees to pay. But one to t can imagine how the forces of nature .seen might suddenly deniand front those dri- Two vers, on pain of death in default, pro duction of the licence of intelligent self reliance, lysicl edur:uce, and indo ntitable spirit. Such qualities were es- PC ecntial, too, because upon then the far out-hacker of the time had often to rely, absolutely for nmost urgent needs. Tile lute Mr. Byrne joined 'that fearless band. A new chum, iin circumstances entirely foreign to hiln, his nmettle stood T tested by flooded water-cources, rain- wit] sodden or drought-stricken tracks, and Tran many other lislhaps of the road. Ill his ever younger days deceased was noted for ona unconlmol muscular strength, and later prsv life indorsid possession of the other wvid qualities as well. Hardships of file dan teamster's ealling and its meagre re- T ward proved, however, to be hut means salsa to all end; he was destined to become to iione of the pioneers of agriculture in stll our-present-dauy extensively settled and anti - prosperous Wimmers. Back in his na: the tire.Wicklow lie had learned to break cott Irish soil in a straight furrow, and that inmh knowledge enabled him to recognise pro lahilities when he dug Australian soil to help his own or some one else's team out of a "bog." Consequently, when the Winmmera country was thrown open t for selection Luke Byrne.'s name a:p '1 peared among the nantes of the first applicants. His initial holding was r later known as Byineville, north of Horsllam, wllere 'e selected 320 acres. Lack of suflicient capital, dis- Go' tancer ' from mnarket, and low Vei prices, however, combined to 'intensify por an already hard struggle against defeat. Thi r But faith in the future and belief in his iuti own judgment of the quality of the lautd sid h fortified a native determination tnot to figi e let go. Often had lie to neglect the of selection while gathering means to go back and attend to it by earning tlihei d at other jobs, near or far afield. Such t a :dauntless spirit is always likely to EN a win out in the end, and it did wil out d in this case. Two years ago, on retir ., ing from active operations through ill rt ness, 3Mr. Byrne was able to distribute ,t- among his sons about three thousaild ,g acres of the finest wheat-growing land tisi in this great wheat-growing belt, all of. tro a- it under constant cultivation, well are s, stocked, and otherwise equipped, and r- none of it far from Byrneville, his first ad selection. Nature had endvwed the or man with fine physique and hardy con ni stitution; she had also made him an 2/ indefatigable worker. .He was gifted besides with reverent mind and a power R. 6f self-denial that stood to him' well ed in adversity.. Of such" stuff are: pio ,b neers made I They complain not though qu nd denied means of enjoying life's ameni- ti a ties until power of enjoyment has de- T, re- parted. Those who follow realp the trt ar profit. Deceased kept 'going till Time. e-. imperatively called halt I Then, de ed clining days were spent' under care of his daughter, Mrs. John Greenaway, first ge at Blackheath and latterly at Ballarat, he where he died.. The body was brought il- to Horsham and last S8ndayztfternoon it- interred in the Horshaim Cemetery, .the il, Rev. W. Reed officiating at 'the 'burial. e; The 'pall-bearerisweroMessrs. T. Coffte, Cir O. Peterson, A. Oreena~ai, W. C; Bol es ton, .HI. B. Catheart and r.."Peasse ief Messrs. Oulton & Boyle were the undeir the takers. ing Upright and strong0in cha-racter, but n's s'omewhat retirngaiini disposition, de ceased, in. life, alnways took an intelli in gent interest iii local and nationiiaL anf sed fairs, though life's: elirly:striggles pre rue cented any active perisonal-participstion Sthlierein. Notisithlstandiiing a seme lhat tlate marriage he aid- his 'wifoe. hId a the family obf tnviive childre,; of whoih s six tely. sons mnd" two daughters hnos survive. All are grown up. His swife and self iton sacrificing helpmate had :preduceased in him by somie six years. :.One son,~ Ver. teen non, .td Whom the fatleriras greatly sold attached, was killed a few years ago in t'of France. Mr. Henry Byrne, of. Dooen, sr. is a brother of deceased, and between IIill theni the brothers sharued manydf 'the bout trials here indicated. 3an On Sunday MIr. and Mrs. John Bern hard Huf, of Bowden-street; suffered roke a sad loss in the death of their infant the son Ivan, who was 14 months old. lurs- Mrs. Jane Edwards, wife of Mr. Da vild Edwards, died at her residence, fthe Beggs-street, Warraceknabeal, on Thurs ere- day morning. The deceased was 68 tion years of age.