Daughter of Frederick Christian and Rosina
The third child of Christie and Rosie, Ivy Muriel, was born at Barraba on 25 April 1892. At 18 years of age she married John Anthony Fernance at the home of her parents at “Tareela” on “Campo Santo” on 15 August 1910.
John, 23 years old at the time, is believed to have been employed at “Campo Santo” prior to his marriage. He was of a family of 11 children, and his parents were George Matthew Fernance and Bridget Perry, from St. Alban’s, north of Wiseman’s Ferry. Two of John’s sisters also married Barraba district residents – Maud to Jack Dennis and Hilda who married farmer and grazier Les Sawyer. Les Sawyer was employed at “Campo Santo” in 1941 as a builder.
Returning to the Hawkesbury River district, John Fernance and his wife Ivy Muriel settled at Yarramalong near Wyong in 1911. It is believed they had a dairy farm. It has been recorded that Ivy Muriel and John had a family of 11 children – George, Albert, Frederick, Jean, James, Wilfred, Cleve, Kenneth, Heather, John (who died at 11 months in 1932) and Mark.
- George was a sawmiller at Gloucester, married Hazel McGrath and had three children.
- Albert Henry – bushman at Wyong who was subsequently killed by a falling tree. Married Vera Bailey and had three boys, of whom two were bank officers and one a bricklayer, as well as three girls who, before their marriages, were bank officers.
- Frederick James – timber contractor, Wyong – married Hilda Smith, two boys (John married a school teacher at The Entrance) and two girls.
- Jean married Jack Stackman – dairyfarmer at Yarramalong and had three boys and one girl.
- James Edmond – Limber worker, Wyong – married Grace Reed (from England) and had four girls.
- Wilfred Roy – head barman at Wyong R.S.L. Club. Married Marie Robinson – had two children.
- Cleve Dudley – millworker, Gosford. Married Ethel Pemberton – had two girls.
- Kenneth – dairyman at Yarramalong. Marned Joy Greentree and had five girls.
- Heather – married Gordon Hatley – baker, Gosford – had one boy and one girl.
- John, who died at 11 months in 1932.
- Mark, millworker at Wyong – married Dianne Pilgrim and had one girl.
(from The Advocate, 16 November 1967)
Many grandchildren have continued to live in the Hawkesbury River district.
John Anthony Fernance (k/a Jack) was a member of one of the oldest and well-known families of the Wyong district. In the Wyong district he was always known as ‘Barraba’ Jack, relating to his days when, as a 16 year old, he left home and sought and obtained work in the Barraba district.
‘Jack worked for the Capel family as rouseabout and driver of horse-drawn combines. It was there that he met Ivy Muriel Simshauser whom he later married.
His endless talks about life at Barraba earned him the nickname “Barraba” Jack.’
(from The Advocate, 16 November 1967, courtesy John Ford, Chester Hill)
Ivy Muriel died at Gosford on 25 July 1965 at age 73 years and her husband John died in November 1967 at 81 years of age.