George receives his ticket of leave on the 22-6-1847. He continues to live and work in Tasmania receiving his Conditional Pardon’ on the 1-8-1850.
On the 1-4-1852 he boards the ‘Esperanza’ in Hobart and travels to Melbourne.
George Hibberd marries Bridget Mary Whelan on 17-1-1856 at St. Francis Roman Catholic in Melbourne.
At the time they are both living in Collingwood and he is working as a ‘carrier’. On his marriage certificate George states he is 44 years old, she 25. On the certificate George gives his parents as John Hibberd & Elizabeth Walker. This is clearly incorrect and speculation has been made as to why George gave these names. But looking at George’s situation, and his intention to marry a Catholic Irish bride, it does make sense for him to ‘adjust’ the truth. If you were of illegitimate background in Victorian society in 1856 and getting married you would definitely not give your mother's maiden surname the same as your own! Better to make up a name to please polite society, even tough working class Collingwood society. More so when you were taking an Irish bride through the Catholic Church. These were arranged marriages with men looking to be paired with a young woman; they would have to show an income and reasonable background, and George must have made some money in the gold rush to have bought some land at Kangaroo Flat. Perhaps the Walker name wasn't made up. You would logically say your father's name was Hibberd, so if George wanted to record his father's actual name for posterity, perhaps his wagonner father could be a John Walker.
Soon after getting married they move to the Bendigo area.
Bridget Mary Whelan was an Irish Catholic born c1831 in Tipperary, Ireland. Her parents were Patrick & Margaret Whelan (nee Gleeson). She arrived as an assisted immigrant in May 1853 aboard the ‘Bride’, aged 25. With her was John Whelan, aged 30. I have been unable to work out who this is. It may be her brother. Their passage was paid for by Mr Brewer from Prahran.
Most Irish immigrants came from southern counties, Cork, Clare, Limerick, Dublin, Galway and Tipperary. They were mostly farmers looking for a better life. The potato famine of 1845-1848 forced a lot of people to escape Ireland. Approximately 2 million people were had to emigrate or die of starvation. At least one million Irish died in that period.
For unassisted immigrants it was the best that left Ireland, the skilled, and those with money. It took initiative and resourcefulness to leave. They came in search of gold and a better life away from Ireland and its problems.
For assisted immigrants it was the opposite. It was the dregs, the labourers, servant girls, oppressed Catholics and illiterates. They were mostly 18-25 year old peasants or unskilled labourers and agricultural workers.
Single women came out in the hope of marriage. They were chosen for assistance to correct the sexual imbalance in the colonies and provide servants. Most were from rural backgrounds and lacked education. Most English & Scottish people didn't want to go, so the numbers were made up with poor and destitute Irish.
Immigrants left Ireland by ferry to Liverpool and then by ship to Australia.
Most opportunities were to be found on the land in Australia, not in the cities.
George and Bridget had five children:
1) George Hibberd. *Born 16-2-1857 in Sandhurst.
*Died 1912 in Bendigo.
*Married 5-7-1881 to Jane Maria Sidebottom in St. Paul’s Church of England.
Issue:
See Chris Nilsen's HIBBERD page.
2) Elizabeth (Bessie) Hibberd. *Born 21-8-1859 at Tinpot Gully, Sandhurst.
*Died 3-7-1935 in Kensington, Melbourne, Victoria.
*Married 1884 to William Walter Stebbing in Victoria.
Issue:
a)Frederick Charles Stebbing. b.1884.
d.1936.
b)William Walter Stebbing. b.1887.
d.1968.
c)Louisa May Stebbing. b.1889.
d)Ruby Clarice Stebbing. b.1893.
d.1966.
e)George Whelan Stebbing. b.1897.
d.1970.
f)Alice Hilda Stebbing. b.1905.
d.1988.
3) Margaret Hibberd. *Born 15-2-1862 in Spring Gully.
*Died 2-3-1943 in Footscray.
*Married 13-5-1881 to Frederick Charles Barnard in Sandhurst.
Issue:
a)Margaret Hilda Barnard. b.1881.
d.1963.
b)Mabel Emma Elizabeth Barnard. b.1884.
c)Frederick Barnard. b.1886.
d.1965.
d)Daisy Bedelia Barnard. b.1888.
e)Elsie May Barnard. b.1890.
f)George Haydyn Barnard. b.1892.
g)Isabella Lily Barnard. b.1895.
h)William Royal Barnard. b.1898.
d.1974.
i)James Laurence Barnard. b.1900.
d.1963.
j)Doris Marey Barnard. b.1902.
k)John Edward Barnard. b.1907.
d.1983.
4) Mary Hibberd. *Born 19-4-1864 at Spring Gully, Sandhurst.
*Died 25-12-1943 in Royal Park, Melbourne, Victoria.
*Married 1894 to Edward Fuller Kimpton in Victoria.
Issue:
a)George Fuller Kimpton. b.1895.
b)Violet Hibberd Kimpton. b.1889.
d.1894.
c)Edward Charles Kimpton. b.1897.
d.1956.
d)Nellie May Kimpton. b.1899.
d.1912.
e)Ruby Doris Kimpton. b.1903.
f)John Allan Kimpton. b.1905.
d.1977.
5) John Hibberd. *Born 21-7-1867 at Tinpot Gully, Sandhurst.
*Died 10-12-1887 (drowned) at Howlong, NSW.
George Hibberd (senior) worked as a miner, bricklayer and a wood carter/splitter in the Bendigo area. He lived at Tinpot Gully.
He also spent some time in the Bendigo Gaol. He was there from 2-4-1875 to 1-10-1875. He was convicted of beating his wife and disturbing the peace for which he was sentenced to 3 & 6 months respectively. He was 68 years old at the time.
Towards the end of his life he lives alone in a hut in Stafford’s Gully (Diamond Hill), distanced from his family. He dies at the hut on 11-1-1884 (age 78) but is not found for several days. He died of ‘inflammation of the heart & lungs’. He was buried on the 15-1-1884 in the Bendigo cemetery. An inquest was held at the Victoria Hotel on 15-1-1884. His son, George, said that they hadn’t been on good terms of late and didn’t see much of each other.
Bridget Hibberd was admitted to the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum on the 3-5-1879 suffering chronic rheumatism and arthritis. About five weeks before her death she went to live with her daughter, Mary, at Solomon’s Gully. She died of ‘senility and old age’ on Tuesday 18-6-1901, age 70 years. She was buried the next day at 1:30 pm in Kangaroo Flat cemetery.