From America to Australia: Newrys Around the World - Part 2

In the first part of this article three of the six towns in America named Newry were discussed, those in South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maine. This second section will take a snapshot look at the remaining Newry’s in America, Canada and Australia. These places can help trace some of the migration paths taken by people from this region, as they settled and renamed areas throughout the world. From the 1600’s onwards Irish emigration occurred in waves with many leaving Ireland to seek social, religious and economic change. Numbers increased dramatically as a result of the Great Famine with over 1.8 million Irish people arriving in America from 1854-55.

Newry can be found in a further three American states; Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota. Wisconsin is home to a small unincorporated hamlet located within the town of Christiana in Vernon County. The name of Newry was first attached to the area when the Post Office was established in 1868. This closed in 1907 as the town size dwindled. Newry, Indiana, is described in the ‘History of Jackson County’ as the ‘first town or first point at which the store was kept and goods sold… a little village located on the Vernon branch of the Muscatabuk River’. It was the location of one of the first mills in Vernon Township and a post office that was established in 1846 and closed in 1860. It’s estimated population in 2020 was 84. In contrast Newry Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota, has an estimated population of 451. Initial families arrived from Norway in 1854, followed by Irish settlers in 1856. The town name was agreed by vote having been proposed by the town clerk, Thomas Fitzsimmons as the native home of many of the first settlers.  

The hamlet of Newry in Canada is situated in Perth County, Ontario. It is said to be named after the birthplace of Mr. Charles Coulter or Coulton. He was a hotel keeper and the first post-master in 1862. As Newry developed it became part of the local dairy co-operative. Alongside other local factories, Newry’s produce was awarded medals at exhibitions including the World Exhibition, and others in London and Chicago in the late 1800’s. For a time, the village prospered but the development of the neighboring town of Atwood eclipsed that of Newry. Newry remains a mainly dairy agricultural area.

The southern most Newry is found in Victoria, Australia. In the 1860’s an area known as Upper Maffra was opened for settlement. In 1871 the township was officially named Newry which is believed to be chosen by the early settlers. In 1894 the post office, initially called Upper Maffra, was renamed Newry to match the town name. Newry founded as a hub for the local farming community was gradually overshadowed by its proximity to the larger town Maffra. In 2016 the town population was 427. Newry retains many historic structures; the church built in 1885, the Newry Hall (originally the Mechanic’s Institute) along with the hotel and General Store combine to reflect its rural heritage. Melbourne city also has a Newry Street in Carlton.

Newry Islands in North Queensland lies within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park World Heritage Area. This area has long association with the indigenous people who knew it as rich source of hunting and fishing. The area was given the name the Newry Islands in 1879 by Royal Staff Commander E.P. Bedwell while undertaking coastal surveys. The reasons for the choice of the name are not known, however, it was common practice during naval surveys to name for personal connections from home or that of the officers. 

Newry Station in the Northern Territory, 2,500 square kilometers of farmland, is operated as a cattle station. It was named after the birthplace of Denis Doherty (1861-1935) and Francis (Frank) Connor (1857-1916). These two friends both attended school at St. Colman’s College in Newry. They travelled out separately to Australia in the 1880s. After meeting in Wyndham they went into business together as storekeepers and packers. By 1894 the firm Connor and Doherty had expanded into shipping, moving cattle from Wyndham to Perth. Their main supplier was the Durack family. In 1894 the firm acquired the pastoral lease in the Northern Territory and called it Newry Station. They amalgamated the firm into Connor, Doherty and Durack in 1897. Doherty later held the parliamentary seat for Northern Freemantle and Connor served within both Houses of Parliament of Western Australia. Newry Station remained in the Durack family until 1950 and still operates as a large-scale cattle station today.

The Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm and offers free tours of the main exhibition galleries on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm. To book a place, call their Education Officer at 0330 137 4422 or email museums@nmandd.org for further information.

See Part One Newrys in America

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