helen m neville

The writing of "Evolution of a Family" has been a four year project which was primarily started as a method to uncover my family secrets, but ended up as a tribute to an extraordinary, resilent family.

Along the way I found it advantageous to include the social and political demographics that existed in 19th Century Ireland, and also the same demographics in Australia from the 1850's to the early 1930's.  My ancestors were the Kelly family from County Clare and the Murray family from County Cork who sailed to the state of Victoria in Australia at different times, but would eventually unite in marriage.  In Victoria, the discovery of gold gave the two families hope of making better lives and being part of a new emerging society.  The book uncovers an understanding of who these people were, and how they were swept along from one generation to the next, interacting with the events of the time.

Sadness is entwined throughout the story with children dying, a favourite son and brother being killed on the Western Front in WW1, and the despair and heartbreak of five children who were went into care.  Even though the central figure to the story is Georgina Sarah Murray nee Kelly, she is joined by many other family members to complete the tapestry of this vast family, thus making it a compelling and heartfelt story.  HMN