The Kennedy name is widely known within the Moira Shire, with Kennedy Park at Thompson’s Beach in Cobram and Kennedy Park in Yarrawonga both named after Kennedy family members.
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The family is remembered primarily for its contributions to the health and medical sectors within the former, Tungamah, Yarrawonga, Cobram and Numurkah shires.
Doctors John Timothy Kennedy and Gerald Joseph Kennedy both served in Cobram. A third member of the family, Dr Adrian Kennedy, practised in Yarrawonga. Another relative, Dr M. O’Sullivan, served as Numurkah’s first doctor.
The historian Dr W. H. Bossence, in his book Numurkah, published in 1979, wrote about the connection: “Dr M.U. O’Sullivan, fresh from Ireland and unmarried, arrived in town in 1881 as Numurkah’s first doctor and took rooms in Days Hotel where Samuel Heald, the first chemist, also conducted his business.”
Bossence further notes that although he didn’t stay long he was important in the history of the district: “He had been instrumental in persuading Dr J.T. Kennedy to commence practise in Cobram where he stayed for 40 years, and Kennedy’s three sons after him practised in Cobram, Yarrawonga and Shepparton.”
Where did this legacy begin?
In 1867 an Irish priest, Michael Kennedy, was ordained in the Cathedral Killarney. He then came to Australia where he “laboured in the Australian missions for 38 years”.
He encouraged many of his family, of nieces and nephews, to also journey to Australia. They included Kennedys, O’Sullivans and Rooneys. Two of the Rooneys served as priests.
Michael Kennedy became an archpriest, serving in Shepparton and Beechworth. He died in Rome in 1905. His history is also interesting. He was opposed to Mary MacKillop and supported her ex-communication, signing correspondence to that effect. MacKillop is Australia’s first saint.
It’s clear that without him, the local histories of Shepparton, Numurkah, Cobram and Yarrawonga would be very different.
Dr John Timothy Kennedy came to Cobram in 1888, aged 24, and established a medical practice. He was also appointed as medical officer, holding that role until his death in 1928.
He married his wife, Mary, at St Kilian’s Bendigo on November 11, 1891.
He built the family home Lisfarron, where he raised a family of eight children. His wife died in 1904, leaving him a widower with eight children.
Mary was born in 1869 at Eaglehawk, Victoria, and died aged just 34 or 35. She was buried in a family grave at Beechworth.
The Kennedys had four sons and four daughters. Three of the sons became doctors, and the other, Dr Leo Kennedy, a dentist. Dr Adrian Kennedy practised in Yarrawonga.
The children were Mona (Horgan), Leo, Nora (Cassidy), Dick, Molly, Gerald, Madge (Cussen) and the youngest, Adrian.
Dr Gerald Kennedy took over his father’s practice and Lisfarron upon his father’s death. He also assumed the role as medical officer for the Shire of Tungamah. Upon the separation of Cobram and the creation of the Cobram Shire in 1953, he also took on the role as medical officer within the Cobram Shire.
Dr Gerald Kennedy built a new private hospital in Cobram in 1930. This new hospital was named Lisieux and accepted its first patients in 1931. In 1949 it was purchased by the Cobram community.
This year marks an important milestone, as the Cobram Hospital is commemorating its 75th birthday.
Gerald married Margaret (Peg) Hickey in 1933. They had one son, who sadly died in infancy. Peg predeceased Gerald, dying in 1961.
Gerald was a colourful man and many patients remember him to this day. It says a great deal when residents still recall him almost 60 years after his death on Boxing Day 1967.
My family members were patients. I was almost four when he died and I recall vividly his surgery at the rear of Lisfarron. As a young child, I ate a pound of butter with a sugar spoon. My father rushed me in to see Dr Kennedy. I had no ill effects and he told my mother that I had “cast iron guts”. My mother had a difficult pregnancy with my brother Chris. Dr Kennedy referred to him as the “million dollar baby”.
The practice was geographically huge and extended from Berrigan and Jerilderie to as far as Dookie.
A lot can be said about his character, as he had seen and comforted a patient on Boxing Day just hours before his own death.
Kennedy Park at Thompson’s Beach is named after him.
His funeral was large and attended by many residents.
Kenn Rogers in his book The Story of Cobram, published by the Cobram Historical Society in 2002, wrote about Dr Gerald Kennedy.
I will quote a brief excerpt from page 265 of that book.
“In January 1968, the sudden death of Dr Gerald Kennedy occurred, thus concluding 80 continuous years of selfless medical service to the community by the Drs Kennedy. When he took over the practice on the death of his father in 1928, Gerald Kennedy was the only doctor in a vast district stretching from Dookie to Jerilderie. The Medical Journal of Australia reported that mourners at the funeral had tales to tell of the doctor, of what he had done for them, their parents, grandparents or children; of how he had helped one into the world with great skill; how he had helped another out of it, with infinite kindness and patience. He always remained the well-loved doctor.”
Dr Leo Kennedy became a dentist and conducted practices at Jerilderie and Cobram. He met Glades Brownless from Jerilderie and they married.
Dr Adrian Kennedy was the youngest son of Dr John Kennedy and his wife, Mary. He was educated at Xavier College going on to Newman College at the University of Melbourne. It was from the University of Melbourne where he graduated in 1925 with his MB and BS degrees.
In 1930 he came to Yarrawonga, taking over the practice of Dr H.N. Mortensen.
He met a local girl, Mary Keenan of Bundalong, marrying her in 1932 at St Patrick’s Cathedral Melbourne. They had four children. One of those, John, followed family tradition by becoming a doctor.
Adrian served Yarrawonga well in a number of capacities. He was active in a variety of roles, including Yarrawonga Ambulance, Rotary and the Yarrawonga Turf Club. His wife, Mary, was also civic-minded. She was a part of a group of ladies that helped establish a new park at Piper St. This park was named the Kennedy Memorial Park.
Adrian left Yarrawonga in 1959 after 29 years. He was farewelled at the Yarrawonga Town Hall with a function attended by over 500 people. He died in 1972 and is buried at Kew.
Dr John Aloysius Kennedy, known as Dick, practised in Shepparton. Tragically he lost his first wife, Catherine, aged 34, and a son, John Gerald, aged 10, in 1933. They had died from influenza within 10 days of each other. He died in 1966, aged 71.
It is also interesting to know more about Lisfarron House. It has had only a few owners. It was built by Dr John Timothy Kennedy. He had commissioned architect Leonard Flanagan to build and design Lisfarron in 1889. It passed to Gerald following his father’s death in 1928.
Following his death, the executors for the estate sold it to the Anderson family. It was sold once more and is currently for sale.
It’s significant not just for its links to the Kennedy family but for its architect. Leonard Flanagan was involved as the pre-eminent architect, before 1919, of Melbourne’s tram system.
• In preparing this article, I need to acknowledge a number of parties who have assisted with the information. These include the Yarrawonga Mulwala Historical Society, Sandhurst Catholic Diocese archivist Dr Donna Bailey, Mr Adrian Moore and Newman College, University of Melbourne.
— Peter Sutton
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