Wedding of Albert Bernard O'Brien and Bertha Ann Dunn

Wedding of Albert Bernard O'Brien and Bertha Ann Dunn

The youngest son of James Joseph O’Brien and Lena Noonan, Albert Bernard O’Brien was born on September 12, 1917. His twin sister, Annie, died at or soon after birth (13582/1917).

At the time of his birth, his parents were share-farmers, having moved from the South Coast to the North Coast in about 1909.

It’s said, however, Jock “liked a drink” and there was a great deal of instability in his working life, the family moved around a great deal. They continued to farm at Ettrick until the early 1920s, but over the next ten years, the family also lived at Boorie Creek, near Lismore and at Upper Mongogarie, near Kyogle. A more permanent base came in about 1935/1936, when the family moved into a house at 21 Kyogle Street, South Lismore which remained in the O’Brien Family for the next 50 years.

In his early working life, Johnny worked at the Broadwater Sugar Mill and in labouring jobs. At about this time, he met and married Bertha Ann Dunn (known as Betty or Toby).

Bertha Ann was born at Bombala on February 7, 1922, the eldest child of Charles Henry Dunn and Bertha Rixon. Recently returned from the First World War, Charles worked as a Linesman (presumably for the PMG) in work which took him to a number of locations in NSW, including Orange.

By the mid-30s, however, they were living Lismore on the NSW North Coast. Initially, When they arrived in Lismore (probably in 1935-1936) they lived at 37 High Street, Lismore Heights. Over the next few years, they also lived 8 Baillie Street and in Ballina Street , before moving to 13 Union Street (probably about 1941).

Albert and Bertha met, married and raised a family of four daughters and one son.

Lismore CBD in the 1954 flood. Photographic source unknown.

Lismore CBD in the 1954 flood. Photographic source unknown.

Albert’s mother, Lena continued to live with them until closer to her death in 1953. Also that year, they had a still-born child (21816/1953).

One of the most memorable family anecdotes concerns the 1954 flood. The story goes the broader family, including Bertha’s mother spent a few days living in the roof of the low-set house with flood waters underneath. In the days prior to the establishment of the State Emergency Service, individuals had to look after themselves.

Famously, my mum and my granny sat on chairs on the kitchen table until the rising waters forced them too into the ceiling.

When they soon realised my overweight granny couldn’t squeeze through the manhole, they cut a larger manhole. Thus, my mum, my dad, my granny, my uncle and my four sister spent close to a week living in the roof-top of our house, with flood-waters swirling just below them.

It’s hard to imagine how isolated they were at the time. According to press release issued by Telstra a couple of years ago, recognising my Uncle Alf as “Bigpond’s Oldest Customer – he was 100 years old at the time – Having been introduced into amateur radio by a cousin in 1922, Alf obtained his Amateur Radio Operators License in 1947 and today remains an active operator. During the 1954 Lismore flood he provided the only communication to the outside for telegraphs, police and councils.

After some years living alone with their children, Bertha’s mother, Bertha Rixon and brother, Leslie John (a wardsman at St Vincent’s Hospital) moved into the house with them in about 1959.

By the mid 1960s, the O’Brien Girls had begun to marry and three of the daughters moved away for a period of time. Margaret moved to Sydney, Hong Kong and then Brisbane (because of her husband’s job in the army), Gloria moved to Brisbane and Nancy had periods of living in both Sydney and Brisbane. On November 9 1965, another child, James Charles John arrived on the scene.

In 1970, to make way for a weigh-bridge in Kyogle Street, the house was relocated to 195 Casino Street, South Lismore.

In 1970, to make way for a weigh-bridge in Kyogle Street, the house was relocated to 195 Casino Street, South Lismore.

Another memorable family moment concerns the 1974 flood where the family remained isolated, along with others, for several days. Water didn’t enter the house this time, though, as it did in 1954.

As I recall it was a Sunday night when South Lismore flooded. Although due to an expected failure in the levee bank, dad must have known something terrible was going to happen, as we spent much of Sunday afternoon securing things underneath the house. The washing machine was raised three or four feet off the ground and the family car had been moved to the higher block of land next door. With everything secure, we came back upstairs and sat to watch “Disneyland”, as was the Sunday night family tradition. By the end of Disneyland our house was surrounded by almost six feet of water. Needless to say, both the washing machine and the family car were covered in water.

As our house was on stilts, we avoided inundation this time. The people who lived across the road, however, the Jobsons (their daughter Wendy was in my year at school) were evacuated in the middle of the night.

The flood-waters surrounded our house for three of four days, as I recall. When they finally subsided we were able to walk around the neighbourhood to visit family and friends to see how they had fared. These were the days before telephones were common in households, and communication was therefore limited. In particular, there was concern about how my sister, Pat had fared with her infant child. A she lived opposite a fuel depot (she still does), she told us of her late night fears (while her husband was out volunteering for the State Emergency Service) as she heard the floating fuel drums smash against each other.

From there we walked across the Ballina Street Bridge to see how people who lived in the CBD had fared. Long before the establishment of the levy-bank there were a number of families living on the riverbank, many of them Aboriginal. Standing on the bridge we were able to look down to see the water just a dozen feet or so beneath our feet. Rushing rapidly, and carrying livestock with it, I remember, in particular, seeing a distressed cow mournfully mooing as it floated underneath our feet.

Throughout all of this period, Johnny worked as a Plumber at the Lismore Base Hospital.

obrien-albert-funeral

In 1981 however, due to ill-health, he was forced to retire medically unfit.

Upon retirement, he performed some voluntary work for Meals On Wheels.

Soon afterwards, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a form of cancer.

For the final twelve months of his life, he was weak and spent a great deal of time in bed. He spent almost all of the last month of his life in hospital.

In the early hours of the morning of June 22, 1982, he suffered a stroke which caused his death . The indirect causes were Multiple Myeloma, Cachexia and Cerebral Atrophy .

He was buried on June 24 at the Lawn Cemetery, Goonellabah.

The funeral announcement appeared in “The Northern Star” on June 23 and 24, 1982.

O’BRIEN – The funeral of Mr. Albert Bernard “Johnny” O’Brien, beloved husabnd of Mrs. Betty O’Brien of 195 Casino Street, South Lismore, loved father and father in law of Margaret and Ray Hyland (Brisbane), Gloria and John Pepper (Brisbane), Nancy and Alf Keaton, Lynette and Jack Bobbin and James (all of South Lismore) and fond Granded of their children, loved son-in-law of Mrs. Bertha Dunn, loved brother of Meg (Mrs Alf Webb) (Lismore) and Bib (Mrs. Brown, Brisbane), loved brother-in-law of Arthur and Francis and John Dunn, Joan and Don Connor and Edna and Ossie Ianna, will leave Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church, South Lismore TOMORROW (THURSDAY) after prayers commencing at 12 noon for the City of Lismore Lawn Cemetery, Goonallebah. WILLIAM RILEY & SON, FUNERAL DIRECTORS, AFDA Member Ph 212237

Mum funeral announcemet

For the next two years, however, Betty suffered increasing ill-health due to a combination of heart disease and asthma.

She died from a heart-attack on November 7, 1984 at about eight o’clock in the morning, with attempts at revival unsuccessful. She was buried the next day at the Lawn Cemetery, Goonellabah.

O’BRIEN, BERTHA ANN – “Betty” – At Lismore November 7, 1984, late of 195 Casino Street, South Lismore, widow of the late Albert Bernard “John” O’Brien, loved mother and mother-in-law of Ray and Margaret Hyland, Gloria and John Pepper (all of Brisbane), Nancy and Alf Keaton, Pat and Jack Bobbin and James (all of Lismore) and loved grandmother and great grandmother of their children, loved daughter of Mrs. Bertha Dunn (Lismore), loved sister and sister in law of Edna and Ossy Ianna, Joan and Con Connor, Arthur and Frances Dunn, John Dunn and Eunice (dec.) and Len Adams. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funerla which will leave Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church, South Lismore, TODAY (THURSDAY) after prayers commencing at 11.45am for the City of Lismore Lawn Cemetery, Goonallebah. WILLIAM RILEY & SON, FUNERAL DIRECTORS, AFDA Member Ph 212237

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