The photo, taken in 1913, shows four generations of Owens: John Richard Owen (seated), his daughter Sarah Elizabeth Wolff (nee Owen), grandson George Francis ('Gerry') Wolff and great grandaughter Hazel Wolff (later Hazel Milligan).

John Richard Owen was born at Bet Bet or Back Creek near Dunolly in Victoria on 13 January 1858. His birth certificate records that his father was Edward Owen, a digger who was 33 years old and born in Conwy in Wales. His mother was Elizabeth Evens [sic] who was aged 40 years and was born in Montgomeryshire in Wales. The parents were said to have been married in Liverpool in England in January 1849 and had two other children, Edward (aged 5 years) and Elizabeth (3). The informant was a Dan Miller from Dunolly who certified that the birth had been witnessed by an Elizabeth Reid.

John worked as a labourer, butcher and dairyman. According to one of his descendants, Maureen Gates, he was also a great cricketer in his early years, playing for a time for Victoria. He married Catherine Buist at East Charlton on 28 January 1878. Catherine, who had been born at Port Fairy in Victoria on 17 December 1854 was 24 years old. Her father was John Buist and her mother was Sarah Marion. Maureen Gates believes that John met Catherine while travelling in Queensland and that they returned to Charlton to be married. The couple lived in East Charlton until 1882 when they and their small family went to live in north western Queensland. John and Catherine had six children:

1. John Edward Owen who was born at East Charlton in Victoria on 24 June 1879. His birth certificate records that his father was a labourer whose birthplace was Back Creek, Dunolly Victoria. John married Jane Elizabeth Bradbury who came from Salford in Lancashire in England. They had at least two children: Violet Elizabeth (1901-1988) and Ethel Kate (1904- ).
2. Sarah Elizabeth Owen who was born in East Charlton in 1881, married James Arthur Wolff (1878-1962) in Charters Towers in Queensland in 1899 and died in Chillagoe in Queensland in 1941. Sarah and James had eleven children: Charles William, May Elizabeth, John James, Herbert Henry, Emily Katherine, Sarah Edith, Arthur Richard, George Francis, Stanley Edwin, Edna Florence and Dorothy Jean.
3. William Robert Owen who was born in Boulia in North West Queensland in 1884, married Gladys Pearl Campbell in Kidston Queensland and had three children: Roy, Lance and Kate.
4. James Owen who was born at Boulia on 21 July 1886 and died there a few months later.
5. Ethel Owen who was born at Boulia the year after James and died one year later.
6. Charles Henry Owen who was born at Boulia in 1892, married Alice May Robins in 1912 and had a son Charles.

Maureen Gates says that 'John and his family lived on a cane farm at Aloomba until his wife died and [their youngest son] Charlie took over the farm'. Catherine died in Cairns in northern Queensland on 2 June 1923. A subsequent report published in the Cairns Post on 6 July 1923 provided a few more details of her early life.

The late Mrs Owen, whose death was recently announced in these columns, arrived in Queensland from Victoria at an early age and travelled overland from Roma to Boulia in 1882 with her uncle, Mr W. T. C. Lilley of Maryvale Station, Boulia. She leaves a large family comprising Messrs John Edward Owen and H. C. Owen, of Aloomba, Mrs J. A. Wolff, Edmonton, and Mr W. R. Owen, Kidston, and ten grandchildren. The late Mrs Owen was born at Port Fairy 69 years ago, and was married at East Charlton. She was well known and highly respected in the Western districts.

After his wife's death, John 'spent some time with [his daughter] Sarah and Arthur [Wolff] in Chillagoe'. The last couple of years of his life were spent 'on the farm at Yorkey's Knob with Olga and Charlie Nielsen'. John Owen died in Cairns on 31 August 1937, aged 79 years.

Wedding party of Sarah Owen and James Wolff (standing on the right of the group)
Taken at Charters Towers in Queensland in 1899

Sarah Elizabeth Wolff (nee Owen) and family at a picnic near
Chillagoe Caves in Queensland in the early 1900s

Image sources:
'Four generations of Owens', 'Picnic at Chillagoe' and 'Wedding Party at Charters Towers', all courtesy of Maureen Gates from Cairns in Queensland.

Owen family Rootsweb site

John's sister Elizabeth Ann Owen

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