​I have been fortunate to have grown up and lived in small rural communities for over 55 years of my life thus far. The early experiences in small communities shaped my broader attitude to life and fellow community members.  Whilst I did leave the smaller communities for the ‘big smoke’ to further my career ambitions, I have always kept in mind the community spirit and self-help co-operation that exists in the ‘bush’.

My father was a master builder, and whilst I had a very early grounding in the building industry, the corporate world paid a lot better, and there was no capital outlay. I have successfully managed multi-million dollar divisions of large international corporations.

Many of my management roles required me to restructure the organisation to return it to a profitable operation. This almost certainly required change management, in which over the years, I became very experienced. I always took the ‘carrot’ approach rather than the ‘stick’. Change management requires that you incentivise staff in order for the desired result to be achieved, and maintained.  These incentives may be a simple, “Thank you, great job”, or a more mercenary incentive of tangible rewards. In any case, all staff must feel like they are contributing equally to a better workplace environment.

In the years since my ‘retirement’ I have been able to inject some of this experience and expertise as, and when, required. Country people don’t appreciate those who go around boasting about their achievements, and I have been well aware of that. I tend to maintain a low profile until I see a situation progressing into an area that may cause some adverse consequences for the organisation, or the broader community. This is where I will generally make a quiet suggestion to key decision makers of the community, to consider what the consequences may be if they do not ensure that the benefits will flow to the broader membership, not just a few selfish, self-centred individuals.

On 1st January 2012 the whole structure of regulations surrounding community organisations changed.  The new Government regulations placed volunteers under the same regulations and work place requirements as paid employees, or workers as they were described in the legislative changes. One of the hardest aspects of this change was to have the mind set of longer term community volunteers accept the new regulations. I have however, been reasonably successful in bringing about change, which will serve our community organisations into the future. One of these organisations was the Country Fire Authority.

​
Barry O’Connor.
2nd October 2023

THIS

I have for some time been totally confused by the mixed messages we have been receiving about Covid 19, the effects, and the complications. The complexity of the confusion has not been helped by a lack of accurate information, the fact that some politicians appear to be playing games with the welfare of the community, and a failure to explain the full story behind the treatment of the community in Victoria. In a word, a lack of ‘accountability’, from our elected representatives and some senior public servants. From the outset, I have seen inept, inconsistent and contradictory decision making.
 
19th March 2020: 2,700 passengers released from the ‘Ruby Princess’ in Sydney without Covid testing.
 

• Lockdown 1: March 30 to May 12, 2020 — 43 days

 
6th June 2020: A protest march was held in Melbourne with an estimated 10,000 people in attendance. The State Government took no action against the protesters, other than to fine the three organisers $1,652 each.
 
26th June 2020: On this day, during a media interview, it was revealed that the ‘health experts’ had released over 5,600 people from quarantine in Victoria, without testing them for Covid. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer explained during a press interview, that she was acting on a National Protocol. This ‘protocol’ had obviously not been reviewed in light of the Ruby Princess issues that had occurred three months earlier. In this case 2,700 passengers were released in Sydney without testing. They travelled to all states and territories in Australia, and were then credited with 696 active cases spread across the country, with 20 directly attributed deaths.
 

• Lockdown 2: July 8 to October 27, 2020 —111 days

 
During this time our active cases had been rolling along at a relatively low daily rate, until we passed through the 14 to 21 day window after the protest march, when the numbers increased dramatically. The Government officials denied any connection, however in a media conference the NSW Chief Commissioner of Police, stated that he had reliable information that much of the outbreak was connected to the march and the lockdown of the Maribyrnong housing towers. The Government denied any connection; however they did state in a written media release on 14th July, that five new cases had been linked to the illegal protest on 6th June.
This is some 38 days after the event??  The following day it was revealed that there were a total of nineteen active cases connected with the protest march. There were no more figures in connection with the march released after 15th July.
 

• Lockdown 3: February 12 - 17, 2021 —5 days – followed by severe restrictions.

From the ABC website: The 13 cases so far are all directly linked to the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn quarantine hotel, involving either returned travellers, hotel quarantine staff or their close contacts. But it's the speed of transmission of the UK variant that's deeply concerning Victoria's health authorities.
"This is the most infectious strain of coronavirus we have seen," Mr Andrews said as he announced the snap shutdown, which he compared to recent shutdowns in Brisbane and Perth.
25th April, Anzac Day. Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, signed off in the previous week to an increased capacity of 85,000 for the Sunday match. The MCG allegedly hosted the biggest sporting crowd in the world since the COVID-19 outbreak, for the Anzac Day AFL clash between Collingwood and Essendon. Crowd attending, 78,000.
Four weeks later Victoria is in lockdown again.

• Lockdown 4: May 27 - June 10, 2021 — 14 days

From the ABC Website: The Victorian government has announced a seven-day lockdown in a bid to curb the state's growing coronavirus outbreak.
The state's outbreak has now reached 26 cases, with 11 new cases recorded from Wednesday to Thursday. Around 14,000 Victorians are either required to quarantine for 14 days, or test and isolate until negative. One of the cases was in hospital on a ventilator, but it is understood they were moved out of intensive care on Thursday night.

• Lockdown 5: July 15 - 27, 2021 — 12 days

From the ABC website: Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the Victoria-wide snap lockdown with "a heavy heart" after two more local COVID-19 cases were recorded this afternoon.
It brings the state's outbreak to 18. The entire state will be locked down from 11:59pm tonight until 11:59pm next Tuesday. It is the fifth lockdown since the pandemic began and the third this year.
Mr Andrews said contact tracers and public health experts were moving faster than they ever had and were doing a "brilliant job". But he said the speed of spread of the virus meant cases could "ultimately get away from us". The premier said the state had no choice but to enter a "short, sharp lockdown."Key points:

• Victoria will be locked down from 11:59pm tonight (15th July) until 11:59pm next Tuesday.
• Two more cases were announced this afternoon linked to the MCG and Maribrynong apartments.
• There's no guarantee the lockdown will end after five days, but restrictions in regional Victoria may end earlier.

 

• Lockdown 6: August 5 - October 26, 2021 — 82 days

 
From the ABC website: Victoria has entered its sixth lockdown in response to unexpected new mystery cases of COVID-19 in recent days. Eight new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state on Thursday, with six of those from results received on Wednesday.
 
Premier Daniel Andrews described the decision to lock down again as "very difficult".
"I can't tell you how disappointed I am to have to be here doing this again," he said.
"But with so few in the community with one vaccination, let alone two, I have no choice but to accept advice, and we collectively [have] to make this important decision to keep Victorians safe.
"The alternative is we let this run … away from us and our hospitals will be absolutely overwhelmed [with] not hundreds of patients but thousands."
 
Lockdown ended early on 22nd October due to high vaccination rates.
 
Victoria currently has new case numbers hovering around 2,000 per day, and the Premier has opened up the state??? I refer to the statements made by the Premier above, in relation to the hospital caseloads.
 
Announced on Sunday 24th October: From Friday 29th October, all Victorians will be free to travel around the state. But stay tuned for when Victorians will be able to travel to another state of this ‘Commonwealth’.
 
The Covid vaccine will not stop us contracting the disease, or transmitting it. It will however, significantly improve our chances of surviving from it.
 
PS: I have yet to locate any explanation of how many thousands of people managed to get onto passenger aircraft and cruise ships around the world in early 2020, whilst infected, but not symptomatic? This did not happen by accident!
 
 
Barry O’Connor.
October 2021.
 

​I have no memory of my paternal Grandparents, as my Grandfather died in 1948 when I was just four months old.  My Grandmother died suddenly of a heart attack in 1928 at the age of 47. This left my Grandfather with five children aged from 21 to 12. My father was the youngest.
 
During the early stages of the Covid lockdown I continued a project that I had started some years earlier, to write a detailed family history. This project was recommenced after the family tree was researched by fellow volunteer members at the Benalla Family Research Group. My curiosity was aroused whilst looking at the names and dates on the chart. What was the story behind these ancestors?
 
My Great-grandfather was James O’Connor who was born in 1840 in Clare, Ireland, the son of Bridget and Martin O’Connor. He migrated as a single man aboard the ship ‘Marco Polo’ in 1864. James went to Happy Valley near Ballarat, and worked in the mines until he saved enough to buy a horse and dray. He then contracted the supply of timber to the mines.  Within a very short time, he had several horses and drays. He later made the acquaintance of the Cameron family, who lived at Linton near the mines he was supplying.
 
It has been confirmed in family letters, that Ewan and Ann Cameron and their family, migrated to Australia in 1853 because of the Highland Clearances.  Their family comprised five daughters and three sons. Unfortunately the two youngest daughters died during the voyage.
 
In 1873, James married the youngest surviving Cameron daughter, Janet Margaret (Jessie). He left his staff in charge of the mine timber supply business and set off in search of a new location for his family to live. He rode up and onwards past several gold mining centres – Maryborough and Inglewood – till he came to Mt Wycheproof. Here he stayed for a while and was greatly impressed with the possibilities for agricultural pursuits in these parts. He took up some building lots at the foot of the Mount and went back to the town of Lucky Womans near Ballarat, and gathering together his belongings, sold all he did not consider necessary for a pioneer and set off in two drays with his wife and young daughter.
 
James O’Connor was one of the founding fathers of Wycheproof and a Councillor on the St Arnaud Shire 1885-1894. In May 1893, he commenced work on splitting the huge shire. The Wycheproof Shire was formed from what was the North Riding of the St Arnaud Shire. 
 
James was Shire President at the time of the split and the formation of the new Wycheproof Shire in April 1894. The new shire had an area of 620 square miles and a population of 1850. The shire was subdivided into three ridings.  James served an initial term on the new shire from 1894 to 1898.
​
James built the first commercial building in Wycheproof, the Mt. Wycheproof Hotel in 1874, which he operated until 1884 when he sold the property. At this time, James purchased 2,000 acres from the Buckland Brothers and established ‘Killarney’ Station at Thalia, as a farming operation and horse breeding facility.  James was a horse breeder of some renown. He had very well bred stallions, which won numerous show trophies over the years. James not only bred thoroughbred horses, he specialised in carriage horses, particularly pairs. Advertisements for the sale of these horses appeared regularly in the Age newspaper.
 
There is a letter in the family collections stating that the Governor of Victoria, Lord Hopetoun was supplied horses by James. Lord Hopetoun visited the property at Wycheproof to inspect and ride his prospective purchases.
 
The support James appears to have received from his wife is encapsulated in a contribution from a cousin Helen Whiteman, during research:
 
Jessie O’Connor was a formidable lady and a staunch Catholic, and also proud of her Scottish ancestry and very anti-British. The Cameron’s migrated as a result of the “Highland Clearances” and Jessie was in the habit of speaking Gaelic whenever possible and English as little as possible. This would fit with James’ Irish Nationalist politics. Jessie was also the driving force behind James’ support of building churches.  James employed several single men who then found possible wives. Jessie was not going to have unwed women on the property so insisted a church be built so that they could be properly married. Jessie also believed in educating all her children and the girls were raised to be strong and independent. There is a story that Isabel was to be sent to boarding school in Melbourne but the school they chose did not suit Isabel. James had to attend some stock sale in Melbourne, so took Isabel on the train and deposited her at the boarding school and then went to the sales. This took a few days. By the time he got back home, Isabel was already there. After much negotiation Isabel went back to school in Melbourne at the school of her choice.
 
It would appear that James and Jessie made a formidable team. It would also appear that the girls inherited their mother’s tenacity.
 
James O’Connor was not only a Shire Councillor for 14 years; he also made a significant contribution to the Wycheproof community. James was a leader in the building of the first Catholic Church in 1877 and was actively involved in any project involving the advancement of the community.  He served as a Water Commissioner, a Racing Club official and was actively involved in the project that saw the railway extension to Wycheproof. Friday, September 28, 1883, was a memorable date for Mount Wycheproof, for on that day the long awaited "official opening" of the railway took place.
 
In 1883 he was nominated along with John Ryan, William Hamilton and Henry Blabey as a trustee of the land reserve for the Mechanics Institute of Wycheproof. In 1885 James was nominated as the President of the newly formed Agricultural Show Committee.
The following year he was nominated as one of the trustees for Wycheproof Show Grounds. He, along with fellow Crs. Tipping and Stewart, commenced work on a project in 1890, which saw the Mt. Wycheproof Hospital officially open in 1898. During his time on Council in 1885, James was also involved in the ‘Dog Netting Fence’ project that covered 204 miles from Tyntynder to the South Australian border, to prevent wild dogs and other vermin from entering 1.2 million acres of farmlands to the south.
 
As the children were married and the family expanded, in 1886 James O’Connor turned his attention to further land holdings in an area called Ultima. At this point in history, it only existed as the name of a leased pastoral run of an estimated 168 sq. miles, or 107,520 acres, between Wycheproof and Swan Hill.
 
The subdivision and development of Ultima undertaken by James O’Connor appears to be following on from the revocation of a number of large leases in the area. It is believed that the Government had become frustrated with the inaction of the leaseholders in developing the properties. The allotment areas and locations were detailed in the legislation passed in September 1862. These requirements were implemented as land was opened up for development, however much of the marginal agricultural country remained as leasehold, as many prospective farmers would not commit funds until they had time to inspect and initially work the land.
 
In 1887 James was still living in Wycheproof. He was still a Councillor in the St Arnaud Shire,  and was re-elected President of the Wycheproof Agricultural and Pastoral Society, as reported in The Australian newspaper on 25th June.
 
From the Swan Hill Guardian 10.6.1891:
Ultima Run:
The above Run, the property of Mr. O’Connor of Wycheproof, consisting of 168 square miles of the finest mallee land in the district, six miles from the town of Swan Hill, has been cut up into 650 acre blocks or thereabouts, and is not thrown open for sale – it may be purchased in one lot if so desired.
 
The sale of the Ultima Estate was conducted over 2 days. The first day selling commenced at 2 pm with the sale of township blocks. These met with spirited competition and all offered were readily bought at prices ranging from £3 to £15/10/-. Two township sections only, were offered on the first day. Messrs. Nicholls, Wilkins, Franklin, Sutton, P. Fenton, Hattam, Taylor and Bell being the largest buyers. The sale of the Mallee blocks then proceeded – the nearest to Swan Hill being offered first. These allotments varied in size from 420 acres to 640 acres and prices ranged from £75 to £105.
The sales continued as the land was developed over a number of years.
 
From the Bendigo Advertiser, on 25th February 1899:
“The well-developed Wycheproof property of James O’Connor of 1,270 acres freehold and 7,000 acres of leased land is to be sold as he is moving to Ultima”.
Reported in March 1899 was the situation that there were insufficient funds to extend the railway line past Lalbert to Ultima. The cost of the extension would be £250. At that time there was only £150 in funds available. The Premier declared that if the additional funds were not raised, the line would be taken to Lalbert and no further. A meeting was held at the home of James O’Connor and it was agreed that the members present would raise the funds required. £30 was raised on the night. A directive was sent to the Minister advising that the money would be available on 1st April. The Quambatook to Ultima rail extension opened for traffic on 1st March 1900. The train journey from Ultima to Melbourne took 13 hours to cover the 221 miles.
 
27th July 1899, as recorded in the ‘Ultima Centenary’, the new official post office opened and James O’Connor was appointed the first Postmaster. Prior to this, the General Store owners the Cuttle family, had provided an official service, initially from the front room of their house and later the enclose verandah section of their store. James held the Postmaster position until 1902, when daughter Annie Eileen took over.
 
In 1899 a lot was happening in Ultima. James O’Connor having sold land at Wycheproof, had built an ‘imposing’ new home. He also built a large wine hall (café), for which Jessie held the licence, and the Cuttle family built a large new store. In 1900 Herbert Cuttle wrote to the Minister requesting a Primary School for Ultima. Some months later, the Education Department suggested that the O’Connor café might be a suitable site for the school. On the 28th August 1901, James O’Connor donated a block of land for the new school. PS No. 3426 was officially opened on 19th February 1902. Reported in the Quambatook Herald on 7th February 1902 was an article regarding the opening of the new Public Hall. Hall committee President, James O’Connor was unable to attend,  so Vice-President Herbert Cuttle presided. It was a grand event with music and dancing until 5 am.
 
O'CONNOR.—On 27th July 1903, at Ultima, James O'Connor, of heart failure; aged 62 years. R.I.P.
The late James O'Connor was born at Tierrmaclane, Clare Castle, County Clare, Ireland, and belonged to a very old and much respected family of some standing in that county; He arrived in Victoria in 1864, and followed mining pursuits at Ballarat for some years. He then moved to Wycheproof, where he built the first hotel, also entering very extensively into farming pursuits, He afterwards took up the Ultima station of 168 square miles, now the terminus of the Ultima railway,  as a public man he was always foremost in matters relating to the welfare of the district.
He had been for 16 years a councillor in Wycheproof and St. Arnaud shires, having resigned
a few years ago from all public offices owing to ill health. Like all Irishmen, the late Mr. O'Connor had an unquenchable love for his native land, and always took a prominent part in every Nationalist movement.
 
Jessie lived on until her death in 1940 at the age of 92. They are both buried in Swan Hill.
 
I would have loved to have been able to know my Great-grandfather and Great-grandmother, as they appear to have had an extraordinary life.

​Barry O'Connor
​October 2020