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The O'Briens, one of the early families at Killinchy School
Description
TitleThe O'Briens, one of the early families at Killinchy School 
DescriptionMathew O’Brien was one of the first inhabitants of Killinchy having bought Rural Section 4837 on the Leeston Dunsandel Road, of 120 acres from Charles Shaw for £276 in 1863. The farm was called “Ennisvale”.
Mathew was born in Mountscot, Knockananlban, County Clare Ireland in August 1841.
He had arrived in Victoria in the 1850s and according to his obituary, it was a “most stirring and eventful as well as successful one.
With the discovery of gold in Otago he sailed for NZ and was also successful there.
He added to his original land a piece of 21 acres and 3 roods in 1865, alongside his original block.
By 1866 he had built a sod house and stockyards on the original 120 acres.
Mathew added another 60 more acres in 1867 also alongside the original block.
In 1877 he leased 250 acres across the road and purchased it fully in 1886.
Mathew married Julia Higgins from County Galway (born 1844) at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch in 1867. Prim
Julia had immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 21 years old with her brother and his wife in 1865 on the ship the ‘Victory’.
Mathew and Julia had 13 children.
Their first child, James (Dec 1867) started at Killinchy School in 1874 aged 6.
In December 1868, Kate their first daughter was born. She went to Killinchy School from the age of 6 until she was 12.
Mary (1870) attended the school from 1877 -1880.
Julia (1871) was a pupil at the Killinchy School from 1877 to 1880.
Bidelia (Delia) (1873) and then Margaret (1874) both attended Killinchy School in 1879 to 1880.
They were the last of the 13 children to attend the Killinchy School.
These five children were shifted to what was later called St Joseph’s Catholic School which had recently opened in Leeston, in January 1880 and the rest of the siblings followed – Daniel (born 1876), John (1877), Rose (1880), Matthew (1882), Ellen (1884), Charles (1886) and Annie (1888).
Mathew had a long interest in the Killinchy School and was one of the auditors appointed by the school committee in 1873 and was a member of the school committee at least between 1876-80.
As the children lived within 1 mile of the Killinchy School we presume they had walked to school.
In 1876 James came second in Class IV while Kate was also second in Class VI.
Mary attended the Killinchy School's 81st Anniversary in 1952 and as she was the oldest ex-girl pupil she was invited to hoist the original school flag to start the celebrations.
Mathew, followed by his sons, were on many committees in the area such as the Killinchy Football and Cricket Club, Killinchy Library Committee and Killinchy Hall Committee with Mathew being the President for some years.
The O’Brien family continued to run the family farm after Mathew died in 1897, and then Julia in 1929, until they sold the farm in 1962 some 99 years after first buying the property.
Great Granddaughter, Joanne Knudsen(nee O’Brien)
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date27 May 2021SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationKillinchy
DescriptionMathew O’Brien was one of the first inhabitants of Killinchy having bought Rural Section 4837 on the Leeston Dunsandel Road, of 120 acres from Charles Shaw for £276 in 1863. The farm was called “Ennisvale”. Mathew was born in Mountscot, Knockananlban, County Clare Ireland in August 1841.
He had arrived in Victoria in the 1850s and according to his obituary, it was a “most stirring and eventful as well as successful one.
With the discovery of gold in Otago he sailed for NZ and was also successful there.
He added to his original land a piece of 21 acres and 3 roods in 1865, alongside his original block.
By 1866 he had built a sod house and stockyards on the original 120 acres.
Mathew added another 60 more acres in 1867 also alongside the original block.
In 1877 he leased 250 acres across the road and purchased it fully in 1886.
Mathew married Julia Higgins from County Galway (born 1844) at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch in 1867. Prim
Julia had immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 21 years old with her brother and his wife in 1865 on the ship the ‘Victory’.
Mathew and Julia had 13 children.
Their first child, James (Dec 1867) started at Killinchy School in 1874 aged 6.
In December 1868, Kate their first daughter was born. She went to Killinchy School from the age of 6 until she was 12.
Mary (1870) attended the school from 1877 -1880.
Julia (1871) was a pupil at the Killinchy School from 1877 to 1880.
Bidelia (Delia) (1873) and then Margaret (1874) both attended Killinchy School in 1879 to 1880.
They were the last of the 13 children to attend the Killinchy School.
These five children were shifted to what was later called St Joseph’s Catholic School which had recently opened in Leeston, in January 1880 and the rest of the siblings followed – Daniel (born 1876), John (1877), Rose (1880), Matthew (1882), Ellen (1884), Charles (1886) and Annie (1888).
Mathew had a long interest in the Killinchy School and was one of the auditors appointed by the school committee in 1873 and was a member of the school committee at least between 1876-80.
As the children lived within 1 mile of the Killinchy School we presume they had walked to school.
In 1876 James came second in Class IV while Kate was also second in Class VI.
Mary attended the Killinchy School's 81st Anniversary in 1952 and as she was the oldest ex-girl pupil she was invited to hoist the original school flag to start the celebrations.
Mathew, followed by his sons, were on many committees in the area such as the Killinchy Football and Cricket Club, Killinchy Library Committee and Killinchy Hall Committee with Mathew being the President for some years.
The O’Brien family continued to run the family farm after Mathew died in 1897, and then Julia in 1929, until they sold the farm in 1962 some 99 years after first buying the property.
Great Granddaughter, Joanne Knudsen(nee O’Brien)
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date27 May 2021SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationKillinchyConnections
Attribution
Researched ByJoanne Knudson (nee O'Brien)Written ByJoanne Knudson (nee O'Brien)
Written ByJoanne Knudson (nee O'Brien)Click on the image to add
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The O'Briens, one of the early families at Killinchy School (27 May 2021). Selwyn Stories, accessed 13/01/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5332
