[Updated] Rev. Maurice Hoyne (1865-1930): His Time Down Under

 Thanks to Michael Hoyne providing his research we are able today to present some information concerning a Glenmore native who was ordained and spent his religious life in Australia at the end of the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth century.

According to the short bio written by Father Michael Mernagh for Glenmore Times (2000). Maurice Hoyne was the eldest of a family of eighteen. He attended Glenmore National School and St. Kieran’s College. According to Fr. Mernagh, “Tradition has it that while out ploughing the family land he was inspired by the singing of a strange bird to devote his life to God.” According to Fr. Maurice’s 1930 obituary and the records obtained from the Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission Fr. Maurice was educated St. John’s College, Waterford.

Fr. Maurice’s parents were John Hoyne, of Ballybrahee, Glenmore and Margaret Hoyne née Aylward, of Ballinclar, Glenmore. John and Margaret married on the 16^th of February 1865 at Glenmore. Maurice was born on the 29^th of November 1865. Luckily, his father registered his birth on the 5^th of December as the baptisms from November 1865 are missing from the Glenmore Parish records. [Correction: Only missing from one of the online versions.]

Fr. Maurice was ordained at Waterford by Bishop Egan on the 16^th of August 1890 for the Sale Diocese, Australia. Maurice sailed from London on the 21^st of November 1890 on board the ship Cuzco. He arrived at Melbourne on the 5^th of January 1891. The Diocese of Sale was established by Pope Leo XIII on the 26^th of April 1887. The diocese covers south east Victoria, from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to the New South Wales border including all of Gippsland.

As soon as he arrived in Australia, Fr. Maurice became the first parish priest for Bairnsdale, Victoria. The following note appears in the Diocese records:

The extensive mission having Bairnsdale for its headquarters has been divided by the Bishop, through the erection of Omeo into a separate mission. His Lordship will formally induct Fr. Hoyne as first pastor of the new but important mission. Fr. Hoyne, since his arrival in the colony some 18 months ago, has been stationed continuously at Bairnsdale, from which place the Omeo district until now has been ministered from. For some months past the residents of the latter place have been making preparations for the reception of their pastor. A house was secured, and is now fitted up with suitable furniture.

After the mission was divided Fr. Maurice served as the parish priest for Omeo from 1892 to 1900. In a Diocese note it is revealed that Fr. Maurice was a good horseman. He rode 60 miles from Omeo to Castleburn in eight hours, on rough roads, to make sick calls. While serving at Omeo, Fr. Maurice learned that his mother died in Glenmore on the 5^th of May 1896 at the age of 52. Two years later, on the 6^th of August 1898, Fr. Maurice narrowly escaped drowning in the flooded Mitchell River.  When Fr. Maurice was leaving for Cowwarr in 1900 the parishioners of Omeo gave him a gift of 80 to 90 sovereigns.

Fr. Maurice from 1900 to 1901 was assigned to Cowwarr and then to Warragul. He was assigned to Morwell for a year and then in 1906 he went to New Norcia in Western Australia. New Norcia is the only monistic town in Australia. In 1846 a Benedictine mission was sent to this area in Western Australia, 86 km north of Perth, to convert the local Aboriginals. In 1856 Bishop Salvado acquired land and established the outstation of Wyening to provide a network of pastoral stations to provide the Benedictine Monastery at New Norcia with food and income.

Fr. Maurice appears to have been based at a Wyening Mission Farm [Correction: Fr. Maurice while employed by the Monastery from 1905 to 1909 was based near Toodyay*] that he named “Glenmore” after his home parish in Ireland. In addition to managing the farm he was the parish priest for a huge parish. In 1909 Fr. Maurice sold “Glenmore” farm to Mr. Chitty. While in Western Australia Fr. Maurice’s brother John Hoyne and his wife, Ellen née Doherty moved to Australia. John and Ellen were married at Glenmore on the 7^th of June 1899. Ellen was the daughter of Richard Doherty (deceased farmer) of Milltown, Glenmore. It is not known exactly when John and Ellen arrived, but we found a listing for them in the 1910 Western Australia Post Office Directory: “Hoyne Maurice (R.C.) Goomalling; and Hoyne, Jno. Farmer, Goomalling.” Thus, John and Ellen joined Fr. Maurice before 1910.

Fr. Maurice registered a brand for his livestock “8MH” and provided his address as Hoyne, M., “Glenmore” Wyening. John also registered a brand, “Y5H,” for Hoyne, John, “Carrigcloney” Yulgering Mail via Toodyay. The farm named “Carrigcloney” was comprised of 1765 acres.

To my query as to why John and Ellen Hoyne named their farm Carrigcloney my husband stated that his father (Tom Walsh (1908-1992)) stated that the Hoynes of Ballybrahee and Carrigcloney “were all the one.” He reported that the Hoynes originated in Carrigcloney and one moved to Ballybrahee to care for a farm and the previous tenant never returned from the U.S. The naming of the farms reflects an affection for Glenmore.

According to the son of a neighbour of John and Ellen (who corresponds with Michael Hoyne), when John and Ellen settled in the Yulegering area the land was not cleared. “They would have started with all bush property” which they had to clear and develop from scratch. Carrigcloney farm was located 7 miles northeast of Ealingir. Ellen Hoyne died on the 15th October 1940 and John Hoyne suffered a stroke in 1945, sold the farm, and died on the 26^th of October 1950. The couple had no living children.

In the 1920’s Fr. Maurice was assigned to Broome, Wagga-Wagga, and in 1925 he was at St. Patrick’s in Brisbane. In 1929, Fr. Maurice visited Ireland. It was the only time he came home after being ordained. Fr. Maurice left London on board the Orontes and arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on the 25^th of November 1929. He travelled third class, listed his age as 63.  (Fremantle, Western Australia, Passenger Lists).  Five months after his return to Australia, Fr. Maurice died on the 24^th of April 1930. Fr. Maurice’s obituary was carried in the New Ross Standard (30 May 1930); Munster Express (6 June 1930) and the Kilkenny People (31 May 1930). [A copy of the New Ross Standard obit is on the “H” family page.]

This would normally be the end of the story, but last summer Jo Doyle née Mernagh told a story about her aunt Mary Mernagh (1904-1973). Although Jo did not know the first name of Fr. Hoyne she related that Fr. Hoyne came home from Australia for a visit. Mary Mernagh was working at the Hoyne home in Ballybrahee. Mary was the second youngest daughter of John “Jack” Mernagh (c. 1858-1911) of Ballyverneen, who died tragically in 1911 in a threshing accident. Just before Fr. Hoyne left to return to Australia he asked Mary if she would go out to Australia to become his housekeeper. Jo said her aunt thought long and hard and finally decided she would go. Fr. Hoyne sent the fare and the ship records reveal that Miss Mary Mernagh, of Weatherstown, Glenmore, aged 24, sailed on the Themistocles from Liverpool to Melbourne leaving Liverpool on the 8^th of March 1930. When Mary arrived in Melbourne she learned that Father Maurice had died the day before her arrival. Mary stayed in Australia for a number of years although little is known about her time there. The last record found was in 1949. From obituaries of two of her siblings we found that she moved to Lancashire, England where she died in 1973.

Apologies for any misspelled Australian towns or areas. Special thanks to Michael Hoyne for sharing his research and photo of Fr. Maurice. Special thanks to Peter Hocking, Archivist, of the Benedictine Community of New Norcia for further information concerning Fr. Maurice.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

* Peter Hocking, Archivist, of the Benedictine Community of New Norcia provided that the Monastry Chronicle notes that Fr. Maurice Hoyne served from 1905-1909. He arrived from Melbourne and was station at New Norcia in 1905 as one of six or seven diocesan priests. He did not reside at Wyening. Glenmore was a property outside Toodyay which is about 90km southeast of New Norcia. Wyenning is about mid-way between New Norcia and Toodyay. [Updated 24 January 2021]