John Shumack
| First name | John |
|---|---|
| Last name | Shumack |
| Country of Origin | Ireland |
| Date of Birth | c.1812 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1841 |
| Submitted by | Sandra Whichelo |
Story
John Shumack (c.1812 Ð 1849)
John Shumack is one of seven brothers who migrated from Ireland to Australia. They came on three ships; the Resource in 1840, the Lascar in 1841 and the Bermondsey in 1856.
I have chosen John to represent them all not just because he is my great-great-grandfather, but mainly because he spent his life in Australia very close to the location of this Immigration Bridge.
The Shumacks were originally immigrants to Ireland. In 1709 Bartel Schumacher (changed to Shumack in Australia) and his family left the Palatinate in Germany to escape from poverty caused by the devastation of orchards and vineyards by a freezing winter and by an unfair burden of taxation imposed by various rulers. Bartel intended to live in England but Queen Anne invited a number of English landlords in Ireland to settle some of these ‘poor Palatines\’ on their estate. Bartel ended up on Lord Southwell\’s estate near Rathkeale in County Limerick.
By 1840 the Shumacks, with their growing families, were having difficulty making a living on the Irish estates and were attracted by pamphlets advertising the opportunities offered in Australia and of assistance in migrating. The journey of the first Shumack brothers in 1840 set off a chain migration. John Shumack was quick to follow in 1841. He stated his occupation as ploughman when he boarded the Lascar with his wife Margaret (a dressmaker) and their two small children.
The voyage to Sydney took almost four months but most of the passengers arrived in good health in spite of having insufficient warm clothing and very basic food. John was immediately employed by William Klensendorlffe of the Limestone Plains, so the family set out on foot for what is now Canberra, a journey of two to three weeks.
On arrival they were housed in a large stone building on ‘Elizabeth Farm\’, situated at the rear of the present Albert Hall. Its ruins were eventually covered by Lake Burley Griffin, and today, would be in the vicinity of the Immigration Bridge.
In 1842 John became the first tenant of the Glebe Farm on the western boundary of Duntroon, with a frontage to the Molonglo River. Here he built a three roomed slab and bark house sited in today\’s Commonwealth Park. He helped to cart the stone used to build St John\’s Church where he became one of the first wardens. John died young in c.1849 and his granite headstone is located in St John\’s Churchyard.
John\’s children include Joseph, who established the Canberra Inn in 1876. In 1976 these premises were renovated and now operate as the Old Canberra Inn. His daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Hugh Read, became pioneers of the Sutton/Gundaroo district, establishing the still existing property, Wattle Grove. His son, Richard, married his cousin Margaret Shumack, of Springvale, Weetangera, and their farm was Tolldale, situated where the O\’Connor tennis courts are today. His son, Peter and wife, Elizabeth (nee Gillespie) established Fern Hill, now part of Lyneham.
A number of descendants of these pioneers still live in Canberra.