Michael James MULQUEEN (Son of Michael Mulqueen and Elizabeth (nee FIZELLE) MULQUEEN
Funeral Director – Mulqueen & Sons (Melbourne)
OVERVIEW & EULOGY 1991 by his son; Paul MULQUEEN
Michael James Mulqueen died on the 20th October, 1991 aged 84 Years. Michael was the last of the third generation of some 5 generations of the family which have been involved in the funeral Business. He is survived by his wife Bet and his Children Paul, Terry and Elizabeth.
Michael was born at Bendigo in 1907 where his grandfather (Peter Fizelle) had acquired a Funeral Business established in 1853 and continued it on in partnership with Michael’s father. In 1931 Michael Senior along Michael and his three brothers came to Melbourne and established the Business in Brunswick. They opened offices at Hawthorn and at Lonsdale st. Melbourne. In 1940 the company joined the Australian Funeral Directors Association and Michael played a prominent role in the Association during the 1940’s, 1950’s and early 1960’s. During this period Michael was one of the first to develop the concept of Prepaid Funerals, recognizing the necessity for the complete protection of trust monies on behalf of clients. With Harry Webb and Alan Garson he expanded to Sydney during the 1960’s with the purchase of Woodcoffil Funerals. Also with Nell Oakley and Peter Mulqueen and later Jim Summers purchased the Bendigo Businesses of W. H. Oakley and William Farmer. Unfortunately for Michael he suffered a series of strokes during the 1960’s which left him partially paralyzed for a number of years ad severely curtailed his business activities. Michael took an active interest in the Association until his illness and was responsible for a number of its innovative policies.
EULOGY – Michael James Mulqueen was born on 16th may, 1907 at Epsom, this was a farm of 32 acres owned by the family near Bendigo. His Mother contracted Tuberculosis and a special bungalow for her was built at the Epsom farm. His mother died on March 18th 1918 when he was 10 years of Age.
During this period he attended the local school and spent a good deal of his time in the local China Town Precinct (Which was extensive and located close by in Bridge St.). Great friends of the family at the time were the O’Hoy family who were Chinese not Irish. Apparently when the head of the family alighted from the Ship that deposited them in Australia the Customs Officer could not spell their Chinese name and just called them O’Hoy. Michael sponsored several members of the family to Australia, In recent years Alma Chan and her sister Emily were at Mum and Dad’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Michael came to Xavier College in 1919. Apparently, the reason he came to Xavier was that his brothers Jack and Dan had been sent to School in Ballarat and had run away. Evidently, his father considered Melbourne far enough away to ensure that Michael would not be running away. For the first 3 months he was seriously ill with a bronchial infection and was looked after in the School Infirmary. The residual scarring from this illness was to plague him all his life. However he and the matron became particularly good friends and some years later he presided over her Burial. The housekeeper at the Epsom property near Bendigo was Mrs. todd(the mother of Hal Todd). Apparently Michael used to swear a lot as a youngster and Mrs. Todd, in order to dissuade him from Swearing, told him that the worst swear word he could possibly say was “Don’t be Talkin” so he would go around telling everyone “Don’t be talking”.
Michael spent the years 1919-1925 at Xavier. he was good both at Football and rowing and in 1925 he played in the first XVIII and rowed in the first VIII. IN 1921 he won the prize for English and in 1923 he came sixth in the Intermediate Class. The Xaverian of 1924 refers to “Mulqueen stroking the first eight as a substitute”, he impressed the coach as having the steady nerve and latent fire required for the position. The following year he changed from Stroke to bow side and rowed in the Xavier crew that year.
Being a Xavier Boarder he used to laugh at his grandsons, Simon and Tim, getting their football gear washed many years later as he said the only way he washed his football clothes was to get into the shower with them on and that was the only washing they ever got. On weekends during the middle years at school he would go over to his aunt’s place at Port Melbourne (Catherine Lynch(nee Mulqueen). In those days if you were seen on the streets of Port Melbourne with a Xavier Uniform you would be likely to be beaten up by gangs, so he had to cover up his uniform very well and also learn how to run very quickly. He always said that all his pocket money in those days went towards the purchase of a steak one a week and it was that meal that he really enjoyed. The 1926 Xaverian records that “Michael Mulqueen has come down to Melbourne from Bendigo and has promised to join up with the Old Xaverians Football club next Season. One hopes that the ankle will turn up trumps and not play traitor this time, Michael” This did not stop him from playing football for South Bendigo until his ankle became so bad that it ended his football career permanently.
During this period he ran Hotels at Donald and St. Arnaud and sold baby Austins and Triumphs in Bendigo. The other great love of his life was horse racing and anyone who knew him over the years knew that to try and talk to him on a Saturday afternoon when the races were on was impossible. In 1932 he commenced working for his father which in Melbourne was known as Michael Mulqueen and Sons. The business operated at 201 Lonsdale Street in the City, and 247 Glenferrie Road Hawthorn. The Head office was at 28 Blyth Street Brunswick at a Parlour purchased from one, Charles P. Frilay.
On the 4th October 1933 he married Bet at St. Ambrose’s Church in Brunswick, they were married by Fr. Cornilius Sheahan.
On the 1st of November 1934, Mulqueen and Sons Pty. Ltd. was incorporated and over the next 2 years the Premises at 170 Sydney Road, Brunswick were built. The site they chose for this was very appropriate as there were some five hotels within immediate walking distance as well as SantaMaria’s Wine cellar several Doors down the road.
In later years one can attest to the SP bookies in the nearby lanes and the Sunday morning post mortems of both the racing and the football. Sydney Road was always open house fro everyone, as was 28 Blyth Street. Anyone who came was always welcome. Many of the people who called in at Sydney Road were old friends of Michael’s from school days who had fallen on hard times. they were never turned away without being helped in some way.