From the Isle of Erin he came,

to our sunny shore.
With a story to tell
and songs galore!

Raymond James Molloy now, that t’would be. Raymond is another great Australian, proud as proud can be. As our National Day of Celebration approaches, 26th January, I would like to tell you a little about Raymond’s story. I will also mention another great Australian of present day time, David Hudson. Last but not least, Do you know about the Irish Orphan Girls? These girls played a significant part in the settlement of Australia in the mid 1800’s but first, Raymond Molloy.

Singer, songwriter and story teller, not to mention Irish/Australian man extraordinaire, Raymond Molloy is one of our popular local identities. He lives in Cairns with his lovely wife Jen, and their beautiful daughter Rachel. As a lad in Ireland, our Raymond challenged the traditional institutions of community life. He worked hard at odd jobs where ever he could to buy his first guitar and some song books. Then, he listened to songs on the radio. Being a lad of talent, he soon had those tunes strumming out. Along with the tunes came songs and stories to be told about life with all its joys, sadness, and just about everything in between! With deep feelings in his heart and hope to carry through, Raymond left the Isle of Erin for Australia’s sunny shores. From here, Australia, Raymond’s folklore developed into his unique style.

Raymond’s story is his to tell. Eventually settling in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Raymond’s capacity for song writing and singing grew. His songs are so easy to listen to. There is something for everyone, from songs of happiness and joy through to loneliness and despair, songs about questioning the role of bureaucratic actions and political beliefs. It is with heartfelt tenderness that Raymond searches for answers in this world to right the wrongs and sufferings of man’s inhumanity to man. Some of Raymond’s songs challenge us to change what is going on around us. See and hear for yourself. Listen to some of these folk songs and catch a glimpse of the beauty around as Raymond sings some of his songs on video. Catch it all on www.belloymusic.com and browse through the home page, biography, albums, blog, gallery, video clips, song downloads, and reviews. You can even contact Raymond and Jen through their site if you would like to. A good friend of Raymond’s and Jen’s is David Hudson, another proud Australian, musician and entertainer.

David Hudson: Ancient Voice of the Future, with over 40,000 years of Aboriginal traditions and culture pulsing through his veins, David is not only a true son of Australia, he is Australia! Read for yourself this man’s remarkable story. Browse his site on www.davidhudson.com.au and explore David’s music, art, didgeridoos, shop and even more information. Not only do the people of Cairns love David Hudson, the whole of Australia pulses with his sounds that are truly the ancient voice of the future. David is an internationally renowned entertainer. Looking back to the mid 1800’s, what a far cry from Raymond’s and David’s experiences were those of the Irish Orphan Girls.

You can read a little about the experiences of the Irish Orphan Girls on www.proni.gov.uk/exhibiti/austral//report and how difficult their life must have been. This site leads to a report by The Children’s Apprenticeship Board at Adelaide to the Poor Law Commission Office Dublin dated 27th November 1850. Between 1848 and 1849, twenty ships brought a total of 4,114 Irish girls from the Irish Workhouses to Australia. Eleven ships to Sydney with 2,253 girls, Six ships to Pt Philip with 1,255 girls and three ships to Adelaide with 606 girls.

In 1849 when the effects of the Irish potato famine of 1846 – 1847 were still being felt, a ship load of orphan Irish children departed Liverpool via Plymouth for Australia. You can read the story about The Pemberton Orphan Ship in the Times: Immigration – Plymouth, January 22 (1850) on www.achart.ca/hibernian/chapter03. So many people from many lands were dislocated and resettled in Australia. The result of those times when there was so much hardship and despair is the wonderful country we enjoy today. Rather than mourn the dreads of the past, let us embrace the result of those years and strive to unite on this day of Celebration, Australia Day on 26th January.

To leave you on a happy note, you can explore some of the Irish heritage of Australia on www.irishaustralia.com an ancestral tribute by a descendant of Irish families who came to Australia to escape the devastation of the An Garta Mor – The Great Starvation better known as, the potato famine. To sum it all up, don’t forget our National site to follow all the excitement on www.australiaday.gov.au and join in our CELEBRATIONS, wherever you are.

Have a great day. Sue Bayliss. Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia.