Catherine Greasley
ca. 1853 — 26 August 1935
Catherine Greasley (7A‑43‑16)
Catherine Ryan was born about 1853 in Dublin, Ireland to Patrick and Mary Ann Ryan. Her parents died in a railway accident when she was about two years of age. Catherine and her sister Mary Ann were adopted by the Dovey Family and emigrated to Australia with them. They lived in Melbourne and Catherine was confirmed at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church at the age of ten.
Catherine moved to Queensland and married Martin Walsh on the 8th of January 1877 at Maryborough. This was Martin's second marriage; he had two children from his previous marriage. Catherine and Martin had five children of their own and they reared the seven children together until Martin died on the 26th July 1886 at Tinana. He was buried at Maryborough.
Catherine remarried when she was 44. She and her husband, John Greasley, had a son. After John died on the 23rd of September 1903, Catherine ran a boarding house at Spring Hill. Her daughter, Evangeline Mary Walsh, was a waitress there when she married Joseph Campbell. Evangeline and Joseph Campbell had six children, three girls and three boys. On the 11th of December 1923 Joseph died at their home at Mott Street, Enoggera. Three days later one of their daughters, Esther, also died. Evangeline died on the 14th of October 1924. Joseph, Esther and Evangeline are buried in the same grave in Toowong Cemetery.
After Evangeline's death Catherine took over the raising of Joseph and Evangeline's children, her own grandchildren. Catherine was about 71 at this time. She was a good organiser and grew her own flowers, vegetables and particularly herbs, from which she concocted her own medicines and ointments. She kept the family on ten shillings a week, which she supplemented by making jams and lollies and by crocheting and tatting for Brisbane City shops such as Allan and Stark, and Edwards and Lamb. She made all of her family's clothes.
The family lived in a big old Queenslander. There was no electricity. They used hurricane lamps hanging from the ceiling. The water was heated in a copper before being carried up stairs for baths taken in a big two handled galvanised tub. Soap was cut up for washing and the clothes were scrubbed on a board before they were put in a copper boiler and kerosene tins to boil. Ironing was done with 'Mrs Potts' irons heated on a wooded stove. All the cooking was done in iron saucepans.
On the 9th of February 1929 Jean Millicent Campbell died and was buried in Toowong Cemetery. With her death only one of Catherine's three granddaughters was now alive.
Catherine Greasley died on the 26th of August 1935 and was buried in the same grave as Jean. Catherine Greasley was a remarkable woman who raised not only her stepchildren and her own children from two marriages but also her grandchildren.
Acknowledgement
This story was contributed by Ian Campbell.