Henry McCullagh 1837-1902
Bridget McCullagh 1835-1910
Mary McCullagh 1897-1897
Henry McCullagh was the eldest son of John McCullagh and Ann Mallon and a brother to James McCullagh. Henry and James both migrated to Australia as well as their sister, Elizabeth. Their youngest brother, Felix migrated to USA. Their remaining siblings stayed in Ireland. Henry was also born in Co Tyrone. Bridget was the daughter of Daniel Brennan and Margaret Ryan. She was born in Co Kilkenny. Henry had a farm in Parwan, on the Geelong side of Bacchus Marsh and was a local councillor.
In 1902, the death of the very popular Councillor Harry McCullagh precipitated probably the largest funeral seen at the Hopetoun cemetery and his obituary tells something of the place:
“…[he lived]..within a mile of where Mr McCullagh now lies buried, in the old grounds where the first Catholic church [long since gone] stood, and called the Hopetoun cemetery, which, by the way, needs attention of a ‘working bee’ character. There are some good tombstones there, bearing names of influential old pioneers, whose descendants are still a power in the land….. On Easter Sunday afternoon his funeral took place, and was very largely attended, the procession being nearly three-quarters of a mile long….. The service… at the grave side was conducted by the Revs. Father Horan and Father Costello, and it was a pathetic sight in that old and rarely used cemetery to see the large company of mourners kneeling round the grave on that beautiful sunny afternoon. It seemed a peculiarly fitting conclusion to the earthly career of so placid a son of Erin as the late ‘Harry McCullagh'”.
Henry and Bridget had seven children:
- John born 1863 and married Annie Weigard. Their youngest daughter was Mary who was born in 1897 and lived for just five days. She is buried at Hopetoun Cemetery.
- Margaret born 1864 and married Alfred Chapple
- Daniel born 1865 and married to Emily du Bourg
- Elizabeth born 1867 and married Michael Dineen
- Ellen born 1869 and married Cornelius Fitzgerald
- Mary born 1871 and married Percival Tilly
- Bridget born 1875 and married Jeremiah Whelan
HOPETOUN CATHOLIC CEMETERY 