Thomas Breen (1839 - 1887)

Born 1839 in County Kerry, Ireland

Husband of Mary Emily (Doolan) Breen — married 1873 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 1887 at about age 48 in Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

This profile is part of the Gunnedah, New South Wales One Place Study.

Thomas was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1839 and was educated at Dublin University ^[1]. In 1860 he emigrated to Victoria, Australia, and married Mary Emily DOOHAN in Sydney in 1873. They had six children, Arthur Gloster, Eugenia M, Herbert F, John De C, Robert P S, and Thomas Essignton.

Thomas and Emily travelled north, passing through Coonabarabran and Mudgee, and by 1878 Thomas had moved to Gunnedah, NSW where he became the licensee of the Imperial Hotel.

Gunnedah was declared a municipality on 19th September 1885. Thomas (innkeeper) was appointed a member of the interim council, and at the first meeting he was voted in as the first Mayor of Gunnedah. However his tenure was short lived as he quickly fell out of favour with his fellow aldermen; after just three months he was voted out of office, to be replaced by Alfred Joseph Bacon.^[2]

TROVE: New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900) Fri 4 Dec 1885 [Issue No.590] Page 7823 ^[3]

MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF GUNNEDAH. NOTICE.—On the 21st day of November, 1885, the following gentlemen were declared duly elected as Aldermen and Auditors for the Municipality of Gunnedah :-

At a meeting of Aldermen held on 21st November, 1885 Thomas Breen was duly elected Mayor. PAT. BROUGHAM, First Returning Officer, Gunnedah, 24th. November, 1885, [7499]

Thomas passed away sudden in 1887, from "apoplexy", choking during dinner.

TROVE: The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) Thu 16 Jun 1887 Page 5 ^[4].

GUNNEDAH.Wednesday. / Mr. Thomas Breen, proprietor of the Imperial Hotel, died on Monday evening from appoplexy. He was having tea when he dropped dead. The funeral took place this afternoon, and was very largely attended.

Sources

1. ↑ Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Thu 6 May 1926 Page 11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155948884
2. ↑ Gunnedah Times, 4th March 2021 Page 14
3. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223764890
4. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18888064

• Article by Ron McLean published in Gunnedah Times newspaper, 4th March 2021
• Marriage = NSW BDM MC 472/1873 SYDNEY, Thomas BREEN to Mary Emily DOOLAN
• Death = NSW BDM DC 8953/1887 GUNNEDAH, PATRICK & GLORTER [BREEN THOMAS]
• Burial = Gunnedah, NSW: https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=8338984