Patrick Joseph Pluck : Short Biography

My great Grandfather, Patrick Joseph Pluck was born in October 1843 and was baptised in the Church of St Mary, (now Church of the Assumption), Booterstown, Co. Dublin on 15 October 1843.. His parents were James Pluck and Catherine Brennan who were married at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow on 6 August 1838. He had at least one sibling, Mary, who was born in 1839 at Tuckmill, Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow.

At the time of his birth, we believe that the family was living at Priesthouse, Donnybrook, South Dublin. James was a Nurseryman and may have been operating a Plant Nursery in that location. By 1854 James was leasing land in the Townland of Parkmore, Parish of Derrylossary in Co. Wicklow and was listed as a Dairyman.

Patrick also became a Nurseryman and, at the time of his marriage on 28 October 1872, he was the Head Gardner at Barna House, Barna, Co. Galway. He married Julia Luff, who had been born at Booterstown, Co. Dublin in September 1851, at the Catholic Church in Castlegar, Co. Galway. The Luff family was living at Merview, Co. Galway at the time and her father, Daniel, was listed as a Gardener.

Patrick and Julia had six children in Galway:

            James Joseph              born 19 August 1873, died 26 June 1964

            Daniel                          born 24 August 1875, died 1 February 1879

            John                             born 29 October 1877, died 15 February 1879

            Patrick Christopher     born 6 January 1880, died 22 August 1949

            Esther Mary                born 12 June 1882, died June 1933   

            Kathleen Mary            born 16 September 1884, died 21 December 1954

At the time when their first child was born, they were living in the Gatehouse of Barna House but between 1875 and 1877 they had moved to Shantalla, Co. Galway, where Patrick operated a Plant Nursery.

Patrick was a witness in the Trial of the Borough of Galway Election Petition heard by Mr Justice Lawson in May 1874. More than sixty witnesses gave evidence in this trial about interference in the Borough elections. He gave evidence that he had seen voters arrive by bus or car at the Courthouse and being spoken to by a Priest in Gaelic before being taken away. He could not understand what was said.

He also appeared as the Complainant in a case before the Court of Petty Sessions where a Patrick Tierney of Rahoon was accused of stealing eight house-plants from him. Tierney was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of one shilling, compensation of twelve shillings and costs of one shilling and sixpence, all of which were paid the following day.

We do not know what prompted Patrick and Julia to uproot their family from Galway and make the very long voyage to Australia in 1886, travelling on the sailing ship “Roma”, which departed London on 28 March 1886 and arrived in Brisbane on 19 May 1886. The family were Bounty passengers and were accompanied  by Julia’s youngest sister, Mary Luff, who was nineteen and who travelled as a free passenger.

When they arrived in Queensland, they lived in Ipswich, initially, but, by 1887, they had acquired a property at New Sandgate Road, Albion, a suburb of Brisbane, where Patrick had established  Shantalla Nursery.

They had the following children in Queensland:

            Charlotte Mary                       born 29 September 1887, died 2 October 1962                     Eileen Julia                                    born 1 April 1890, died 13 June 1919

            Mary Margaret                       born 21 April 1893, died July 1986

Sadly, Julia died from complications from the birth of her ninth child and passed away on 22 June 1893.

In 1895, Patrick established a Plant and Florist shop in Queen Street, the main street of

Brisbane and the business seems to have flourished. He was prominent in the Nurserymen’s Association, The Queensland Acclimatisation Society and the Queensland Horticulture Society and he won many prizes for his exhibits at the shows staged by these organizations.

However, the family story is that he was devastated by his wife’s death and never really recovered. He died on 17 June 1903 at the age of 59. He, his wife and Mary Luff are all  buried in the family grave at Nudgee cemetery in Brisbane.