William Augustine Darmody

William was born in Croydon, Nth Qld on 19th July, 1897 to John DARMODY and Catherine Teresa LONG. His mother died in March, 1898 as a result of the fever and his father was left to raise William as well as two older sons and two older daughters. William was taken in by Mrs Proberts who fostered him for some time. William’s father was employed by Queensland Railway as a ganger on the Normanton to Croydon line which meant many changes of address. The family moved from Croydon to Bororen and then Toolooa in Central Queensland.

After several transfers the family moved to Walloon in South Qld when William started work in the railways as a Lad Porter in 1911 aged 14. This took him to several places including Torbanlea where he was promoted to Night Officer. There was no hotel in Torbanlea so to quench his thirst he would travel to the next town, Howard, where he met Florence Elizabeth LOWRY, who was the hotelier’s daughter and who was very hospitable, we believe.

William and Florence were married in Brisbane’s St Stephens Cathedral on 15th February 1926. William’s first appointment as a married person was Toogoolawah in May 1926, then Einasleigh in far North Queensland in December 1926. In January 1927 Cairns and the hinterland was hit by a tremendous cyclone and resulting flood which destroyed several bridges closing the rail line and resulting in the transfer of William south. There was no form of transport except motorized trolleys on which they travelled to Alma Den where they were able to board a train bound for Cairns and then South. In June 1930 William was transferred to Kingaroy as Assistant Station Master, where they stayed until February 1933 when William was promoted to Station Master at Imbil. William was struck down by a serious illness needing urgent surgery in Gympie. Unfortunately he did not survive and passed away on 24th October, 1935. He was buried here the following day, aged 38. William left a family of 3 boys and one girl and his last child, a son, was born on 6th December, 1935, two months later.