James Bourke, second son of Patrick Bourke & Bridget Corbett

James Bourke ( above, with wife Ellen McCluskey) was the second child and son born to Patrick and Bridget Bourke. He was born in Melbourne in 1847, but grew up in the Kilmore district where his father farmed at Bylands.
In the early 1870s land opened up for freehold and lease at Pine Lodge near Shepparton, and James’ family took advantage of the situation and relocated to the area. Patrick also took up a grant near Arcadia, some 25 miles from the Pine Lodge property, and his son James resided there and ran the farm.

In 1876, at the age of 28 years, James Bourke married a girl from Muddy Creek in the Nagambie district of north central Victoria. His bride, Ellen McCluskey, was the 22 year old daughter of Irish farmer William McCluskey and Scots-born Elizabeth Miller, and was one of a large family of two daughters and six sons.
Ellen’s father, William McCluskey, was born in Antrim, Ireland, and after immigrating to Victoria married Elizabeth Miller in Melbourne in 1843. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Miller and Euphemia White who owned a property at Saltwater River (Maribyrnong).

James and Ellen married at St. Malachi’s Catholic Church, Nagambie, on April 22, 1876. Witnesses to the ceremony were James’s brother Thomas and his sister Bridget.
Their first child, Patrick John, was born the following year at Arcadia, followed by John Patrick in 1878, also at Arcadia.
Between 1878 and 1881 James and Ellen left their Arcadia farm and settled at Boosey, close to James’ sister Margaret and her husband Paddy Bourke. Their family expanded there by another seven children, although sadly they lost two sons and daughter in infancy, and another aged nineteen.
Children born to James and Ellen Bourke were as follows:

1877: Patrick John Bourke b Arcadia.
1878: John Patrick b Arcadia.
1881: Bridget Bourke b Boosey
1882: William Bourke b Boosey
1885: James Joseph b Boosey
1886: Ellen Elizabeth b Boosey
1889: Timothy b Boosey
1891: Annie Isabella b Boosey
1893: Thomas Bourke b Boosey
1895: Thomas Kennedy b Boosey

James and Ellen lost their first child, Timothy, just before Christmas in 1889. At the age of five months, Timothy had been having convulsions for two days, and there was nothing that local doctor Dr. Denis could do to save him. The baby died, and was buried in the Burramine Cemetery. There was no undertaker or minister officiating at the grave, but the witnesses were named as J. Mannix and E. Bourke.

After Timothy, Ellen gave birth to daughter Annie Isabella Bourke in 1891. Again, their baby was not to remain long with the family. Nine months after her birth, little Annie passed away after an illness of 2 days. Cause of death was given by Dr. O’Sullivan as ‘enteritis’, which is an infection of the small intestine usually caused by eating or drinking something which has been infected with bacterial or viral contamination. It is extremely serious in babies, as the severe diarrhoea associated with the complaint can cause severe and rapid dehydration that can result in death.

Baby Annie joined her brother Timothy in the Burramine cemetery. Her uncle, Timothy Bourke of Boosey, registered her death, and uncles Thomas and Patrick Bourke were witnesses to her burial.

Ellen Bourke was pregnant as she saw the New Year in for 1893. Almost 40 years old, and the mother of six living children and two deceased, the prospect of pregnancy number nine was most likely daunting for Ellen, and she would have been very worried when on January 3, 1893, with her due date still some way off, she went into labour.

Without the medical attention, hospitals and drugs that assist labouring mothers today, there was nothing that could prevent Ellen’s early labour from progressing, and on January 3, she gave birth to a very premature little boy whom they named Thomas.
Thomas Bourke survived for twenty four hours. His premature lungs would not have been able to sustain him, and he most likely would have been suffering with numerous other ailments that afflict babies that are born too soon in their gestation. He passed away on January 4, 1893, and was buried the same day in the Burramine Cemetery. It is sad that his name does not appear alongside those of his baby brother and sister on the family grave stone.

In 1895, aged about 41 years, Ellen Bourke gave birth to her final child. A son named Thomas Kennedy Bourke, he was a healthy baby who grew up to be a fine sportsman.It was 1898 when tragedy struck one last time in the Bourke family. Second son John Patrick Bourke had shown scholarly and sporting ability at the Boosey North Catholic School that he attended, and so was sent to further his studies at college, believed to have been near Benalla. Family stories say that another student at the college was a carrier of the dreaded respiratory disease tuberculosis, and when John contracted it, both he and the other boy died.
John Patrick Bourke was only nineteen years old when he died on March 21, 1898. He joined his infant brothers, Timothy and Thomas, and baby sister Annie, in the Burramine Cemetery.
The Yarrawonga Mercury newspaper reported the sad event on March 24, 1898:

“ On Monday last. Mr. James Bourke, Boosey, lost his son John at the early age of nineteen years, the cause of death being consumption. The deceased was a well-known footballer, much respected”.

In the 1980s, I was lucky enough to make contact with two of the granddaughters of James and Ellen Bourke. Sister Veronica Lonergan is the daughter of Ellen Elizabeth Bourke, and Nell Bourke was the daughter of James’ and Ellen’s third son, William. Both were invaluable in compiling information on the family of James and Ellen Bourke, and contributed the following memories of their grandparents:
“ James Bourke, my grandfather, lived with us at Yarrawonga whilst I was a small child. I have just a shadowy memory of him, and of the occasion when he drowned in the Murray River one foggy morning when he had gone to bring in our two cows.
Ellen, my much-loved grandmother, lived with us in Yarrawonga and later in Brunswick. I was about eight or nine years old when she died in our home. I have the happiest memories of her kindness, her great love for us, and her deep faith and prayer. She is buried in the Fawkner Cemetery, Melbourne.”

- Recalled by Sister Veronica Lonergan, September 1987.

Nell Bourke, Veronica’s first cousin, wrote the following about her grandfather in 1987:

“ I don’t know anything about grandfather, really. I was only young when he died. In those days transport wasn’t plentiful, and I don’t remember seeing him, although I must have seen him sometime!
Dad told us that Grandfather had greyhounds and to train them he would go up the paddock and whistle and the kids would let them go. They would race straight up to him.
Gran’s mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Miller, from Edinburgh. Her father was William McCluskey, who was buried in Burramine.She had a sister Isabelle and brothers John, James, Thomas, Patrick, William and Harry.”

“MISSING. Since five o’clock, on Tuesday morning last, Mr James Bourke, who disposed of his farming interests at Boosey some four years ago, and has since been residing privately at Yarrawonga, has been missing from his home. Search parties have been scouring the country in all directions, but up until last night, no trace of the missing gentleman had been discovered.” - The Yarrawonga Mercury and Southern Riverina Advertiser, Tuesday 18 June 1918

The tragic death of James Bourke was recorded in the Melbourne newspaper 'The Argus' on Friday, November 22, 1918:

" DROWNED IN THE MURRAY. Yarrawonga, Thursday. The body of James Bourke, who was missed from home some five months ago, was found in the Murray some eight miles from the town. At a coroner's inquest held at Mulwala today, a verdict of 'found drowned' was recorded. It is surmised that Bourke fell into the river close to the town, and his body was washed down by flood waters."

  “On 11th June last Mr. Jas. Bourke, residing in Murphy-street, Yarrawonga, disappeared from his home in a mysterious manner. He was last seen at 5 o'clock on the morning of the abovenamed date, when he was scantily clad. When the other occupants of the house arose later on no trace of Mr. Bourke could be found, and as grave fears were felt for his safety in view of his advanced age, search parties were formed, and although a thorough search of the district was made no trace or tidings of the missing man could be gleaned. He had formerly carried on farming operations at Boosey, and it was thought that he might have gone out to his former home, but on investigation this surmise proved incorrect. Nothing further transpired in the matter until November 20, when Mr. C. R. Bruce of Burramine, telephoned information to Senior Constable Crooks, at the Yarrawonga police station, that what appeared to be the body of a human being was lying amongst some logs and reeds in an anabranch of the Murray River near his residence.

   An investigation proved that Mr. Bruce's surmise was correct, a human form being found lying face downwards in about eight feet of water amongst some debris. The features, were entirely unrecognisable, but from the clothing worn —a striped shirt, a pair of dungaree trousers, and one boot minus the toe-cap — Constable Gunther came to the conclusion that the remains were those of Mr. Bourke. Relatives of the missing man also recognised the body.” - The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, Friday 29 November 1918

“Missing Man Found. BODY DISCOVERED AT BURRAMINE. On June 11^th last, Mr James Bourke, residing in Murphy Street, Yarrawonga, disappeared from his home in a mysterious manner. He was last seen at 5 o’clock on the morning of the abovementioned date, when he was scantily clad. When the other occupants of the house arose later on no trace of Mr Bourke could be found, and as grave fears were felt for his safety in view of his advanced age, search parties were formed, and although a thorough search of the district was made, no trace or tidings of the missing man could be gleaned. He had formerly carried on farming operations at Boosey, and it was thought that he might have gone out to his former home, but on investigation this surmise proved incorrect. Nothing further transpired in the matter until Wednesday morning last, when Mr G.R. Bruce, of Burramine, telephoned information to Senior Constable Crooke, at the Yarrawonga Police Station, that what appeared to be the body of a human being was lying amongst some logs and reeds in an anabranch of the Murray River near his residence. The Mulawala Police, whose duty it is to take charge of all bodies found in the river or the waters contiguous thereto, were immediately informed. Constable Gunther, of Yarrawonga, proceeded to the scene, Mounted Constable Taylor, of Mulwala, following shortly after.

   An investigation proved that Mr Bruce’s surmise was correct, a human form being found lying face downwards in about eight feet of water amongst some debris. Constables Gunther and Taylor were assisted by Mr John Walker, who happened to be fishing in the vicinity at the time, and experienced considerable difficulty in recovering the body. The features were entirely unrecognisable, but from the clothing worn- a striped shirt, a pair of dungaree trousers and one boot minus the toe cap- Constable Gunther came to the conclusion that the remains were those of Mr. Bourke.

   Constable Taylor conveyed the body to Mulwala, where a magisterial inquiry touching the circumstances of the occurrence was held at midday on Thursday, at the Court House, Mulwala. Sergeant Justelius conducted the inquiry, which was held before Mr W.G Cross, J.P., acting coroner.

  Mrs Ellen E. Lonergan, of Yarrawonga, identified the body as that of her father, James Bourke, by the clothing worn. G.R. Bruce, farmer, of Burramine, testified to the discovery of the body, and Constables Gunther and Taylor gave evidence as to its removal from the water. The Acting Coroner returned a verdict that the death resulted from drowning on 11^th June last, and that there was no evidence to show how deceased came to get into the river.

   The deceased was a well-known resident of the district, and since disposing of his farming interests at Boosey, has resided privately at Yarrawonga. He was a native of Kilmore, and was 77 years of age.

   The funeral took place on Thurday afternoon last, the remains being interred in the Burramine Cemetery, the Rev, Father O’Sullivan reading the burial service at the graveside.” - The Yarrawonga Mercury and Southern Riverina Advertiser, Tuesday 26 November 1918