Hi everyone, I'm new to the list, so please excuse the shouting. I'm a writer, live on the quiet side of the Gold Coast and hope someone can help me find a missing branch of my family tree. Desperately seeking the family of: JAMES SWEENEY (Jim) Born 2 January, 1966 at Augullies (near Dunglow) Co. Donegal, Ireland. Died 30 January, 1924 at Longreach Hospital, QLD and buried at Longreach Cemetary the following day. Witnesses to burial: Joe Browne & J. Martin. Burial Minister: Rev H.W. Jones, R.C. JAMES' parents were DENIS SWEENEY (b. 1839, d. 23 August, 1873, Dunglow, Co. Donegal, Ireland) and BRIDGET O'DONNELL (b. 1843, Donegal, Ireland, d. 26 August 1915, Kaikoura, New Zealand). After DENIS SWEENEY's death, BRIDGET and her five small children incl JAMES, emigrated to New Zealand on the OCEAN MAIL, arriving in Nelson NZ 8 November, 1874. They settled in Kaikoura, joining other members of the family who had earlier emigrated there through the Canterbury Scheme. In 1892, JAMES married ELIZABETH SLATTERY (b. 1870, Ballymacthomas, Tralee, Kerry, Ireland and daughter of DANIEL SLATTERY & MARY ROONEY) at Christchurch, New Zealand. They had a son, ROBERT JOHN SWEENEY, b. 19 May, 1897. Some time after Robert's birth the family moved to Queensland and JAMES ended up a Station Hand at TOCAL Station, Longreach. The owner of TOCAL at that time was Mr. H.D. GREENWOOD. JAMES was a well-known resident of the West, according to his Obituary (Longreach Leader, Fri, Feb 8, 1924). He was also an amateur jockey and a horse trainer. Two sons are mentioned in the Obituary as having served in WWI, but at this stage, we can only confirm the birth details of ROBERT JOHN SWEENEY and his WWI service. Nothing further is known of him or any other children. Nothing further is known of James' wife ELIZABETH. Many thanks, M. O'Donnell