1. July to August 1885

This is the first diary we have of John’s. There are many lost diaries, so we don’t believe this is the first diary. This is because the diary has no introduction at all. Many of the diaries open sleeve give his current address and different versions of where he comes from in Ireland, which illustrates his very strong association and identity as an Irishman.

This is one of the shorter diaries and very typical of his early accounts of his life at Myrtle Cottage, Wandearah (now Nurom). The location is now on Nurom Road Nurom.

As a tip for reading the diaries if this is your first one – there are lots of weather reports which won’t mean much. To keep interested you can jump forward to dates where he writes a lot more for that day, as the shorter entries are usually only weather reports.

You will recognise lots of Irish Catholic family names in the diaries which is a reflection of the local community on this side of the Crystal Brook Creek.