John MADDEN

John "Jack" Madden

1874 - 1949

I know very little about John so if you read this and find that you can help me piece together something of his life, I would be most grateful. The things that I do know and the facts that will identify him are set out below.

Born: John Madden, 13 December 1874 at Eremeran, a pastoral holding in Cobar Shire, 120 km from Condobolin in NSW.

Parents: William Patrick Madden, Ann Nora Josephine Ford.

Eremeran comprised 3 runs (leases) -

• BURTHONG No. 1: 1885 175,100 acres; WHF Mitchell and WA Zeal; 1882 R Goldsborough & Co; 1877 Robert and Thomas Smith; 1869 Trust Agency Company of Australia Limited;

• MOURAMBA No. 1: 1882 R Goldsborough & Co Ltd; 1877 Robert and Thomas Smith; 1872 WHF Mitchell; 1869 Trust Agency Co of Aust Ltd; 1863 WHF Mitchell and WA Zeal and W Martin; 1862 acquired at tender by Thomas H Power;

• MOURAMBA No. 2: 1882 R Goldsborough & Co; 1877 Robert and Thomas Smith; 1873 WHF Mitchell; 1869 Trust Agency Company of Aust Ltd; 1869 WHF Mitchell and WA Zeal; 1863 WHF Mitchell, WA Zeal and W Martin; 1862 acquired at tender by Thomas H Power.

These Runs existed until c1848 when they were amalgamated into Eremeran Pastoral Holding, occupying several counties, the principal two being Mouramba and Blaxland. The holding was halved when the government resumed 87,300 acres leaving 87,800 acres.

John was the first of eleven children. His father was a bullocky and did carrying, mainly along the Darling River in central western New South Wales and stretching into south-west Queensland. The family is known to have been in Eremeran NSW 1874; Cobar NSW 1876, 1878, 1891; Milo Station, Adavale QLD 1880; Mt Margaret, Eromanga QLD 1883; Langlo Downs, Charleville 1885; Winbar, Louth NSW 1888 and Cunnamulla QLD 1893-c1902.

John is mentioned in court proceedings at Cunnamulla in 1898 and again in 1938 as living issue on his mother's death certificate. Queensland BDM records show that he died at Mareeba, north Queensland, on 19 November 1949. There is no reference to a spouse or descendants. One family source says that John never married and this would align with the BDM disclosure.

Can you assist with more information?