MICHAEL SMITH
Son of John and Elizabeth Smith
Born: 1821c,
Married: Catherine Henrietta HANDREN on 22.6.1853, at the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Perth, WA She was the daughter of Jacob HANDREN and Mary nee O'BRIEN of Tipperary, Ireland. She was born about 1830, arrived in WA on 27.7.1850 per "Sophia" (as "Kate" Hannahan) and died on 5.5.1856 in Perth, WA aged 26 years.
CHILDREN
John Handran
Michael Christopher
Little is known of Michael Smith's young life. Born apparently in 1821, possibly in Ireland, while his father was a corporal in the West Indies, he travelled to Van Dieman's Land with the rest of his family in 1833 and then on to the Swan River Colony. According to the Dictionary of Western Australian Biography he attended the Perth school in 1834 when he was aged thirteen. It is possible that he then took an apprenticeship as a carpenter although no record of this has been found.
The next record found is the entry showing his marriage in the Perth Roman Catholic Church. Translated approximately from the Latin it reads;
On the 22nd day of June 1853 about 9 O'Clock on that festive day the Banns having been promised and all other things having been dispensed with during solemn Parochial visitation and no legitimate impediments being detected, I Martin Griver, Chaplain to the Church of St. John in the City of Perth having examined Michael Smith son of John Smith and Elizabeth Mary (.....) (........) and Catherine Handren, daughter of Jacob Handren and Mary O'Brien from Tipperary, Ireland in the Church of St. John, having received their mutual consent solemnly presented themselves for marriage before proven witnesses Bernard and Catherine Smith children of John and Elizabeth Smith mentioned above and were afterwards blessed by the Bishop from(?) the ritual of Marriage to the celebration of Mass.
The recording in Latin by a Spanish speaking priest of the spoken words of an Irish lass has led to the institution of a name which had never before been recorded in the English language. All "Handren-Smith's" should be "Hannahan-Smith's"!
Following the death of his wife in 1856, less than six months after the birth of their second child, Michael seems to have concentrated on his business. Smith and Co. in Howick St., (now Hay St.) just to the east of Barrack St., were major importers and sold a wide range of goods which were advertised in large display blocks in all the newspapers published in Perth.
But it could be that Michael Smith had little to do with Smith and Co., as the 1864 Perth Almanack records him as a Carpenter.
Michael Smith was one of the founder directors of the Perth Building and Loan Society in 1862. His brother, Bernard, was one of the Auditors.
On 5.8.1866 he stood as Godfather for Mary Lucille Reilly at the
Cathedral.
Either there was a cash flow problem in 1868 or Michael Smith paid
his accounts only under pressure because the Perth City Council
published a list of Rates defaulters in the Inquirer of 8.4.1868
and Michael Smith's name was prominent.
Following the death of his father in 1862, the Smith lands at
Smith's, or Three Island, Lake devolved on his children. This led
to an interest in local government which achieved fruition in
1871.
The WA Government Gazette on 24.1.1871 announced the designation
of various areas as Road Districts and followed up with an
announcement of meeting to elect the first members of the Perth
Roads Board at noon on 1.2.1871. Michael Smith was one of three
members elected unanimously, while four others were also elected.
Michael Smith was confirmed as chairman.
At its first meeting a petition from residents of the Wanneroo
district was received by the Perth Roads Board bringing to notice
the "wretched condition of the line of road leading from the city
in almost a straight line through the Wanneroo (area) to the
Northern settlements of the Colony."
This "straight line" led past Smith's Lake and aroused the ire of
at least one land owner. Published in the Perth Gazette of
16.6.1871 was an exchange between the agent for that owner and the
Chairman of the Perth Roads Board.
LOCAL ROAD BOARD
(Correspondence read at the last meeting)
To the Chairman and members of the Perth Local Road Board.
Gentlemen.- My attention has lately been drawn to the proposed
line of road between Perth and Wanneroo. As agent for the owner of
a large property through which it is to pass, I am obliged to
protest against the line selected and laid down upon the map. It
runs throughout the entire length of Mr. Walters' land (Location
A.11, Perthshire, 6020 acres.) but about two miles from the
cultivated portion, and therefore will be of no service to him. I
understand the road is to be blocked, and if the trees are to be
cut on this estate the only value of that portion of it will be
destroyed. Such devastation I am therefore bound to oppose.
But what is the good of making such a line of road at all? It
will be nearly as long as the road from Fremantle to Guildford,
will occupy the labour of many years, if ever completed, and leads
only to a small property of 200 acres belonging to Mr. Shenton and
the locations of a few small graziers. It cannot be considered as
the commencement of the great road to Geraldton, for it is not
supposed that this line will ever be made along the unsettled and
valueless coast district, whilst the obvious road is through the
more fertile and populous districts bordering on Gingin and the
Moore River, and through the Victoria Plains.
A block road of 16 miles merely into the bush cannot be of any
public service, and is only of benefit to a very few individuals.
The proposed line will be of as much use to any one (after, Mr.
Shenton, Darch and one or two other small cotters at Wanneroo)
except to the owner of "Smith's Lake", a mile and a half out of
Perth, but if a few miles of good road were to be made in that
direction, why not give as many settlers as possible the advantage
of it? Why not commence on the worst side of Anderson's Lake,
between it and the Tannery, and go over the unenclosed land on the
west side of Smith's Lake (instead of the east) drawing towards
Leeder's farm at this end of Monger's Lake, passing within easy
reach of Hughes' farm, so that the Monastery property might be
reached by a road between Herdsman's and Monger's Lakes, then
passing Bank's farm and again inclining towards Williams farm,
Herdsman's Lake
Of course this would not be a straight line, but it would benefit
several properties near Perth instead of ONLY ONE, as at present
designed, and may at some future time be carried further north.
In order to draw the matter before the Governor's notice without
loss of time, I forward a copy of this letter to the Hon. the
Colonial Secretary.
I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant,
E.W.Landor Attorney and Agent for Mr. T.R.C.Walters, Rock House,
Hertsfordshire.
To this letter the following reply was returned, and a copy
forwarded to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary:-
Perth, June 6th. 1871.
Despite the obvious insinuations there was no libel suit but,
although the Wanneroo Rd. went ahead, the attitude towards Perth's
northern neighbour continued for another century. Wanneroo
remained a small, neglected market garden until population
pressures suddenly thrust the area into the limelight as the
fastest growing municipality in Australia. The "Great Geraldton
Road" had indeed taken the inland route.
In "Stirling City", Leonard A Easton makes the comment that in
1877 when Michael Smith made one of his retirements from the Chair
of the Board, he aroused the wrath of his fellow members when;
... he handed in an inventory of the property belonging to the
Board, comprising three horses and one cart, nine hammers for
breaking stone, three sets of hammers, one branding hammer and two
wheelbarrows. The Board originally owned four carts but decided
to dispense with them, surprising to modern minds, because
apparently they had no use for them. The chairman had sold them
privately for #15. Perhaps he had not driven a hard enough
bargain, for the board decreed that anything sold in the future
must be sold by public auction. The incident also prompted them to
tighten up procedure on all their financial transactions.
Bernard Smith's younger brother was also involved in the Perth
City Council much to Hillman's chagrin. On Monday 15th November
1880 he wrote of the Election for the Mayor and Councilmen with
some disillusionment and amongst his comments was the following:
A.D. Letch was ousted from the Central Ward and a bigger
blackguard Michael Smith elected in his place.
In 1883 Hillman let himself become carried away with his dislike
for the representatives elected on Monday 19th November:
There was little contest for some of the wards, Frank Stone &
George Parker were defeated, ousted by Michael Smith and a
publican named Mr. Mahon; it is always so, no gentleman has a
chance of election with our population, not so much from any
decided prejudices against the class amongst the people but mainly
on account of supineness and the indifference of the upper class
of voters who will not trouble themselves to come to the polls or
take the slightest interest in Municipal matters; this is one
great argument against the introduction of so-called responsible
government; this state of things existing, our legislative
assembly would soon consist of publicans and pawnbrokers or some
such riffraff.
Despite the seemingly universal love of Bernard Smith among the
residents of the Colony there was at least one person who had no
respect for his younger brother.
The W.A. Record recorded his death with the following obituary
which appeared in an issue published in November 1885.
It is with much regret that we learn from Perth of the death of an
old and respected citizen of the metropolis, Mr. Michael Smith.
The deceased had been ailing for some considerable time. Of late
the seriousness of his symptoms had led those around him to look
forward to the worst. Yet painful anticipations do little towards
mitigating the stroke of affliction when it actually falls and the
sad event has created a sorrow, the bitterness of which extends to
a large circle of acquaintances and friends. Mr. Smith held a
high position in the esteem of his fellow-colonists. For several
years he filled the office of chairman of the Perth Road Board and
at the time of his death was a representative of one of the City
wards in the Municipal Council. In his election to these posts
the ratepayers of Perth and the surrounding district gave proof of
the confidence they reposed in his capacity and integrity. The
Deceased who was a staunch member of the Catholic Church, received
the last religious rites at the hands of the Rev. Father Martelli,
who was in almost daily attendance upon him for the few last weeks
of his sickness. He was also visited by the Sisters of Mercy of
the Convent at Perth and had the privilege of being assisted
during the days immediately preceding his death by Sister
Josephine, his own sister, who is a member of the Fremantle
community.
Dying intestate, the executor of his estate was his son John
Handran Smith.
PREFACE
1st GENERATION
2nd GENERATION
3rd GENERATION
4th GENERATION
Died: 2.11.1885, aged 64, Perth, Western Australia (Perth 13744/85)
Born 2.6.1854, Perth, Western Australia (Perth 2450/54)
Born 25.12.1855, Perth, Western Australia
NB The Banns preceding marriage were ever carried out at St Patricks Church which is their own church.
SIR.- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 3rd inst. in reference to the line of road passing through
the property of Mr. Walters, which was read to the Board at the
meeting of the 3rd. inst., and in reply thereto, I am desired to
inform you that the Board in requesting His Excellency the
Governor to declare which should be main and minor lines of road,
well and carefully considered the interests of the public at
large. The Board therefore regret you cannot concur in their
decision.
I have etc.,
M. SMITH,
Chairman of the board.
E.W.Landor, Esq., Attorney for Mr. Walters.
