MICHAEL MULQUEEN (b. 29/5/1866 County Clare Ireland)
Born at Dooras – O’Callaghan’s Mills, Ireland (EIRE) on May 29th 1866 to parents Michael Mulqueeny and Catherine (nee Lynch) Mulqueeny.
It is not clear where exactly Michael lived on his arrival in those early days but the area adjacent to St. Kilian’s Church was known as ‘Irish Town’ and it could be assumed he lived there with other Irish immigrants. The 3 Siblings sailed with Friends O’Hallorans and Keogh’s, who may have had connections already in Bendigo. Sometime later Michael met and married Elizabeth Fizelle daughter of local undertaker Peter Fizelle. The Undertaking Business was situated in Bridge St. (Cnr Cemetery St.) near the Cohn’s Brewery where they worked and the Fizelle family lived at McCrae St. near the corner of Arnold St. – in the heart of ‘Irish town’ as mentioned above.
(The Fizelle’s, who arrived in Sandhurst in the 1860’s (Peter, Henry, and Jane) ran a livery stable which boasted some 200 horses.)
(nee FIZELLE) c 1910
Michael Mulqueen and Elizabeth Fizelle married at St. Kilian’s Church on April 26th 1898. In 1900 Peter Fizelle established Michael and Elizabeth Mulqueen as partners in the business, there were 3 shareholders Michael and Elizabeth had one share each, Peter retained one share which on his death went to one of his daughter Margaret McCubbery. The name of the business was changed from Peter Fizelle Undertaker (Which had been used since 1/3/1895) to Fizelle & Mulqueen Undertakers
Peter Fizelle’s Family:
Peter Fizelle m Mary (nee Liddy) 13/7/1962
Children:
- James b. 14/6/1863 d. 1/11/1886
- John H. Fizelle b. 21/5/1871 d. 28/7/1896
- Mary (May) Jane (Fizelle) WHITE b. 14/8/1867 d. Oct. 1901
- Elizabeth (Fizelle) MULQUEEN b. 22/5/1869 d.18/3/1918
- Margaret (Dot) (Fizelle) McCUBBERY b. 18/2/1873 d. 1902
Michael Mulqueen & Elizabeth Fizelle
L-R Back; Henry Fizelle (Peter’s Brother), Michael, Margaret McCubbery (nee Fizelle) (Elizabeth’s Sister).
L-R Front; Peter Fizelle, Jane Fizelle (Peter’s Sister), Elizabeth, Catherine Mulqueen, John Mulqueen
The Children of Michael MULQUEEN (b. 29/5/1866) and Elizabeth (nee Fizelle – b. 1869):
John Michael ‘Jack’ MULQUEEN – Born 6th May 1899 d. 14/07/1954 Aged 51
(m. Louisa Irene GERDSEN 1925 Known as Rene – d. 16/8/1972, Aged 72)
Mary Josephine ‘May’ MULQUEEN – Born 9th June 1901 (Single) d. 22/10/1969 Aged 68
‘May’ had a Mental Disability and never married.
Catherine Anne ‘Kit’ MULQUEEN Born 14th June 1903 (Single) d. 4/1/1978 Aged 75
Kit never married. for many years she shared a home with her friend Mary Hartigan – They lived for a time at Bridgewater but mostly in Melbourne. She was a Pharmacist in Melbourne a trail blazer for women in this profession.
Daniel Joseph ‘Dan’ MULQUEEN Born 27th February 1905 (Single) d. 31/07/1970 Aged 65
As far as I know Dan never had a Partner, his life was mostly Funeral Business orientated.
Michael James ‘Mick’ MULQUEEN Born 16th May 1907 d. 20/10/1991 Aged 84
(m. Elsie May Muhlhan 4/10/1933). They had 3 Children Terrence (decd) (m. Barbara Smiles 1963), Elizabeth (decd) (m. John Strike 1966), & Paul (m. Edith O’Kane 1974).
Patrick Joseph (Joe) MULQUEEN Born 23rd Sept. 1909 d. 13/05/1948 Aged 38
(m. Elizabeth Margaret IRWIN 1942) No children.
Whilst the Mulqueen children were young their mother Elizabeth (nee Fizelle) was quite ill and spent considerable time at their Epsom Farm – seeking the ‘fresh air’. The Children were often looked after by Mrs. Sue’s Rodda, her family owned the Bridge/Hibernia Hotel opposite the Bridge Street Funeral Premises (now part of the Chinese Precinct).
Elizabeth (nee Fizelle) Mulqueen (b. 1869) died on March 18th 1918, Aged 48 yrs., and was buried at the White Hill Monumental Cemetery with her late father Peter Fizelle (d. 1901), mother Mary (nee Liddy) (d. 1895), brothers – James Fizelle (d. 1/11/1886) and John H. Fizelle (d. 28/7/1896) and her sister Mary Jane White (d. Oct 1901).
Apparently, the family suffered from Tuberculosis which would explain their early deaths.
Following the death of his wife, Michael concentrated on raising his family and growing his business. About 1924/25 he purchased his first Motor Hearse, a 1924 Studebaker which he had transformed into a Hearse, shown here with Michael standing in front and his son John (Jack) in the Driver’s seat.
With John now involved in the business Michael turned his eyes toward a major opportunity which had presented itself. For some years he was friendly with Melbourne Undertaker Chas. P. Frilay (Patrick Charles Frilay) who operated in Brunswick – Melbourne. So, when the opportunity arose to purchase the Frilay business in 1931, Michael grabbed it with both hands. His son John was appointed the manager of the Bendigo Business and Michael took the rest of his family to Melbourne. The Frilay business was situated at 28 Blyth Street Brunswick.
28 Blyth Street c2021 Front and Rear View (I suspect the Rear is as it was in the 1930s)
Michael Snr’s Room was the top floor left – Door to the far right, ground was the private entrance.
(Mr. Herbert Michael Cremean M.P. Deputy Opposition Leader)
Front Left Michael Jnr, Front Centre Michael Snr, Rear Left Daniel.
In 1931 he rebranded the Frilay business with the name Michael Mulqueen & Sons. On the 1st day of November 1934, the Business was officially registered as a company & became Mulqueen and Sons Pty Ltd.
It was in 1935 when Michael decided to build new premises at 170 Sydney Road Brunswick. (The building still stands but is to be developed into an apartment building).
Although his principal residence was now in Melbourne, Michael still spent a considerable amount of his time in Bendigo. He was instrumental in ensuring White Hills Cemetery was not closed and remained open to new burials, as it still is today.
Michael became well known in Melbourne and was consider the oldest Funeral Director in Victoria at the time of his death on March 16th 1954, aged 88 years, His funeral was held in St Ambrose Church in Brunswick, his burial in the Fizelle-Mulqueen family grave at White Hills Monumental Cemetery on March 18th.
In the 63 years he was in Australia, Michael had only ventured home to Ireland once in about 1907, It was a 3-month voyage and they spent almost a year at the family farm at Dooras, his son John went missing for 3 days on the eve of their departure back to Australia as he wanted to stay on in Ireland. He was found in time, and they left as planned. Michael was the true cornerstone of the family funeral business, the visionary and guiding force behind its growth and establishment as a benchmark for the industry both in Bendigo and Melbourne.
