Vintage

Remembering The Past

Tellicherry Bicentenary

On 12 February 2006, over 100 descendants of those who arrived on the convict transport Tellicherry two hundred years ago gathered in Campbelltown. Most were descendants of Hugh 'Vesty' Byrne and the other four Wicklow rebels, Michael Dwyer, Martin Burke, John Mernagh and Arthur Devlin, who were exiled to New South Wales after the 1798 uprising in Ireland.

After meeting at Campbelltown Catholic Club, visitors inspected Glenalvon (built by Michael Byrne, son of Hugh Byrne) and old St John the Evangelist Church and the adjoining Catholic cemetery. They also visited Quondong (the old St Patrick's Schoolhouse) where children of Michael Byrne received their schooling.

Tellicherry Bicentenary


Members of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society were pleased to host this visit on such an important occasion. The event made page 1 in the Macarthur Advertiser, when Tom Killen was photographed in Glenalvon House.

The society thanks Kevin Rixon, who arranged for old St John Church to be open on the day and showed visitors where many family graves are to be found. We also thank Campbelltown Council who arranged for a security person to open Glenalvon House on the day. We conducted a number of guided tours of Glenalvon on the day. Organisers of the event were Jennifer Killen and Ann Prendergast. Campbelltown Catholic Club proved to be an excellent venue for the initial meeting of visitors.