Address: Section: Monumental
Row: V1
Plot: 2051
Monumental East Side
Note: At Cairns Family History - check against their card catalogue doesn't show this inscription. This suggests the plaque was installed after 1983-4. Cairns council's "new" system is about 18 months old. Previous data location unknown. (May need to FUP Brisbane archives)
At Cairns Family History - check against their card catalogue doesn't show this inscription. This suggests the plaque was installed after 1983-4. Cairns council's "new" system is about 18 months old. Previous data location unknown. (May need to FUP Brisbane archives)
Council records (microfiche at Cairns Family History) show she was an Old Age Pensioner and that the plot cost £5.
Discussion with Aileen suggests that the info on the death certificate would be the sort of details that would have been supplied to the hospital on admission.
Note: Recollection from Uncle Ken: Stories recounted to him by George suggest he was taken into care by police due to the death of his birth mother. This would suggest Mona would have died in 1916. This was about the time care of George reverted to Kwong Sue Duk. Specific knowledge about George's birth mother is unclear during George's lifetime.
Recollection from Uncle Ken: Stories recounted to him by George suggest he was taken into care by police due to the death of his birth mother. This would suggest Mona would have died in 1916. This was about the time care of George reverted to Kwong Sue Duk. Specific knowledge about George's birth mother is unclear during George's lifetime.
Subsequent electoral roll data suggests Mona was still alive at least in 1918, and was not listed as deceased on her mother death certificate in 1930.
Queensland State Archive: Item ID 315996 Previous System Location A/73362; RSI13213/1/1 Parent Item This item does not have a parent item. Transfer ID 1096 Record Type Letterbook - police Item Format Volumes Description Inspector's letter book - Police Station, Townsville Departmental Numbers Preferred Citation Queensland State Archives Item ID315996, Letterbook - police Start Date 14/9/1913 End Date 4/6/1914
Note: Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?
Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?
Certificate for exemption from dictation test list - Kwong George Murphy, Wong See, Jan Some, Sam Lee, Willie Jan Kum, Wee Hang, See Hing, Jotare Nakanishi, Masagoro Hamanishi - Passenger list 'St Albans' 21/1/30 - Whish, Thomson, Gutteridge, Dowling, Kennedy, Nuzum, Mackay Sim, Aslet, Dixon, Morey-Lawrence, Migney, Frice, Friee, Cadzow, Rie, Hervey, Fell, Nelson, Thomas, Oliver, Shin Yocklum, Lee Su, Young Yet, Choy, Young Tsuen Bun, Wong Tse Hsiang, Liang Tai Chieh, Liang Lou Tien, Liang Hou Tien, Kwong George Murphy, Hamanishi, Nakanishi
Birth: December 9, 1904
42
20
— Cumberland, Queensland, Australia
Death: September 6, 2004 — Wyong, New South Wales, Australia
daughter
Private
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daughter
Private
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daughter
Private
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son
Private
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Finding a "private" Murphy
During his life, George was unable to find his own birth certificate. He was aware that in some way he may have been adopted but details were hazy. As a toddler, the young George was sent by his "father" Thomas Kwong to China. There he was raised by Thomas' first wife who was unable to come to Australia. George returned as a teenager. There were attempts made during post war years to find a birth certificate in order to prove an entitlement to a rice ration but the Queensland Registry could find no birth records matching "George Kwong". All his life he thought his name was "George Thomas Kwong".
Some years after George died the CEDTs 1 held by the Australian National Archive were indexed. While searching for "George Kwong", a researcher found a CEDT which seemed match the years that young George was in China. Except that it was in the name of "Kwong George Murphy". 2
This unlocked a whole new line of research. A birth certificate for "George Murphy" was found. No father was given but the mother George never knew was identified as Mona Annie Murphy. This connection was later confirmed by a DNA test which matched some of George's descendants with another, previously unknown descendant of Mona through one of her other children.
A 1906 date of birth is not supported by any conclusive data. George himself did not feel he was that old. The origin of this date is uncertain.
Trip
Mayzie travelled with George to Hong Kong in 1917. She returned in 1918.
Shared note
Who was George Murphy?
During his life, George was unable to find his own birth certificate. He was aware that in some way he may have been adopted but details were hazy. As a toddler, the young George was sent by his "father" Thomas Kwong to China. There he was raised by Thomas' first wife who was unable to come to Australia. George returned as a teenager. There were attempts made during post war years to find a birth certificate in order to prove an entitlement to a rice ration but the Queensland Registry could find no birth records matching "George Kwong". All his life he thought his name was "George Thomas Kwong".
Some years after George died the CEDTs 1 held by the Australian National Archive were indexed. While searching for "George Kwong", a researcher found a CEDT which seemed match the years that young George was in China. Except that it was in the name of "Kwong George Murphy". 2
This unlocked a whole new line of research. A birth certificate for "George Murphy" was found. No father was given but the mother George never knew was identified as Mona Annie Murphy. This connection was later confirmed by a DNA test which matched some of George's descendants with another, previously unknown descendant of Mona through one of her other children.
1 Certificate Exempting from Dictation Test.
2 Full public access to Geroge's CEDT is available at the Australian Archive site https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/
Research task
Queensland State Archive: Item ID 315996 Previous System Location A/73362; RSI13213/1/1 Parent Item This item does not have a parent item. Transfer ID 1096 Record Type Letterbook - police Item Format Volumes Description Inspector's letter book - Police Station, Townsville Departmental Numbers Preferred Citation Queensland State Archives Item ID315996, Letterbook - police Start Date 14/9/1913 End Date 4/6/1914
Research task
Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?
Certificate for exemption from dictation test list - Kwong George Murphy, Wong See, Jan Some, Sam Lee, Willie Jan Kum, Wee Hang, See Hing, Jotare Nakanishi, Masagoro Hamanishi - Passenger list 'St Albans' 21/1/30 - Whish, Thomson, Gutteridge, Dowling, Kennedy, Nuzum, Mackay Sim, Aslet, Dixon, Morey-Lawrence, Migney, Frice, Friee, Cadzow, Rie, Hervey, Fell, Nelson, Thomas, Oliver, Shin Yocklum, Lee Su, Young Yet, Choy, Young Tsuen Bun, Wong Tse Hsiang, Liang Tai Chieh, Liang Lou Tien, Liang Hou Tien, Kwong George Murphy, Hamanishi, Nakanishi