Our John Flynn is not to be confused with the John Flynn, a Presbyterian minister, who founded the Flying Doctor Service in 1928. Our Flynn - John Edmund - was the son of Bathurst grazier John Flynn, originally from Queens County Ireland, who died in 1895. John was one of seven children. We know that he was a pupil at Lyndhurst School, Sydney and graduated from Sydney University as a B.A. in 1877 and a M.A. in 1879. In 1880 he joined the Lands Department, undergoing field training at Richmond River before being licenced as a Surveyor in 1881. He worked in the Sydney Lands Office until 1883 when he transferred to the Grafton Lands Office. At that time Port Macquarie was in Grafton's district. At Grafton he met and married Jessie McDougall, third daughter of the Police Magistrate, in 1885. Following the new Land Bill of 1884 which created a great demand for Surveyors, he moved to Port Macquarie in March 1885 to practice as a private licenced surveyor. The couple settled in Port Macquarie and took up residence firstly in William Street and later in "Pacific Cottage" (later the Manchester Unity flats), where they lived for four years. Flynn had an office in the Royal Hotel, at the end of Horton Street, beside the Government Wharf. However, much of his time was spent camping out in such districts as Wauchope, Telegraph Point, Laurieton and Kendall. With the help of an inheritance, Flynn purchased 30 hectares (75 acres) stretching inland from what is now Flynn's Beach and including about one third of the present nature reserve. His daughter Nora remembers it as being mostly covered in tall timber and brushwood. The original 60 acres (15 acres were added a year later) had a substantial paling fence right round the boundary and several of the cross fences were paled in order to keep out the Wallabies and Paddymelons, which were numerous. Roto House was built in 1890, at a cost of 667 pounds, by James Condon, and in 1891 Flynn and his wife moved in with their two children. Eventually the couple were to have a total of six children. The history of the family is reasonably well documented in letters and photographs in the possession of a direct descendent who lives in Wauchope, as well as the archives of the Hastings District Museum. Nora Flynn tells us that they had a good vineyard and an orchard with peaches, loquats, pineapples, quinces, mulberries and plums. Potatoes were another crop which was successful, also oats and sorgham. Flynn appears to have succesfully continued with his surveying practice until 1893 or 1894 when he was suspended for three years by District Surveyor Maldern of Grafton, the reason for which is unknown. Later his work was largely surveying new portions, village sections, roads and reserves within the county of Macquarie and also Hawes, Vernon and Raleigh. In 1907 he surveyed local sections of the north coast railway. He became an Alderman, was on the board of several civic bodies such as the School of Arts at the Hospital, and was a "pillar" of St. Agnes Church. Contrary to popular belief, Flynn was not Port Macquarie's first surveyor. He arrived here 55 years after its establishment. We do know that until his death in 1933 he played a part in the development of the area, but only as one of several surveyors. No remarkable or outstanding achievements about his work are known. Home Last updated 02 November, 1998 |
