Edmund 'Ned' Bourke, son of Judith Meehan and John Bourke.

Edward Bourke was born at Kilmore in 1847, the fourth child and son born to John Bourke and Judith Meehan.
Known as ‘Ned’, and often recorded incorrectly as 'Edward', his father died when he was only six years old, and Edmund was raised in Kilmore by his mother.
When about 26 years old in 1873, Edmund made the move north to Boosey, where he selected farming land with his brothers Patrick and Michael, sister Ellen and mother Judith. Parish maps show that Ned selected about 365 acres, and he is named on the maps as ‘Edward’ rather than ‘Edmund’, a mistake that was to occur commonly throughout his life.
Ned Bourke married quite late in life, at the age of 37 years. His first wife, Elizabeth Stewart, was some 17 years his junior. They were married at Benalla, and the entry in the Parish register reads:
“ Edward Bourke, of Boosey, born Kilmore, aged 37 years. Son of John Bourke and Judith Meehan, married Elizabeth Margaret Stewart, of Yabba, born Woodstock. Daughter of John Stewart and Catherine Conway. Married at the Roman Catholic Church, Benalla, on November 5, 1884.’
Elizabeth’s age at her marriage may have been incorrectly stated by four years, as records show that she was only 21 years old when she died the following year.
Ned and Elizabeth’s marriage was cut tragically short by her death only six months after the wedding. Elizabeth died on May 19, 1885.

Despite the many Bourke burials in the Burramine Cemetery, the grave of Elizabeth Bourke is only one of two Bourke graves that are marked. I found her grave on my first visit to the cemetery in 1986, and by the time I returned the following year, the head stone was in a state of great disrepair, having been broken off, and was lying on the ground.
Elizabeth’s inscription reads:

“ In memory of ELIZABETH MARGARET BOURKE, wife of Edmund Bourke, who died 19th May, 1885, in the 22nd year of her age.”

The ‘Yarrawonga Mercury’ from Thursday, May 21, 1885, carried the report of her death, and gave yet another estimation of her age-


“ DEATH OF MRS. EDWARD BOURKE. We regret to have to record the death of Mrs. Edward Bourke, of Burramine west, who died at her residence on Tuesday last. The deceased lady was 23 years of age, but was seven months married, and a general favorite throughout the district; fever was the cause of death. Her remains were interred in the Burramine Cemetery on Wednesday.”
Information sent to me by Tungamah and District researcher Tony Saunders states that Elizabeth's people (the Stewart's) came from Waggarandall near St. James, and her father, Colin Stewart, is buried in the Tungamah Cemetery with his daughter, Lucy (Mrs. John Harrington).
Ned remained a widower for two years. It was then, in February of 1887, that the new Burramine South Catholic School was opened, and a new teacher, Miss Henry, was appointed as the first teacher. She was in charge of 53 pupils, but Ned Bourke soon swept her away, and after they were married in November of the same year, Miss Henry relinquished her teaching position to Miss Cotter.
On November 18, 1887, Ned Bourke married Irish-born Margaret Maria Henry, daughter of farmer Joseph Henry and his wife Margaret Hannah. The family were from Londonderry in Ireland, and Margaret had been born there in 1859.
Ned and Margaret Bourke had a large family of nine children and raised them on their Boosey property. Eight children were born at Boosey, while the last, Edmund Joseph, was born in 1902 when the family had moved to Kilmore.
The children born to Edmund and Margaret Bourke were as follows:
1888: Judith Bourke b Boosey. Died 1971 Prahan aged 82.Buried at Fawkner Cemetery on March 1, 1971.Is buried in the same grave as her sister Martha Bourke. There is a headstone.
1889: John Michael Bourke b Boosey on September 29, 1889. Died 1971 aged 81 Cobram.
1891: Joseph Gabriel Bourke b Boosey.Died 1943 Nth Essendon aged 52.
1893: Mary Elizabeth Bourke b Boosey. Died aged 72 at Fitzroy on 31.7.1965 and was
buried at Fawkner Cemetery (R/C Comp. R Grave No. 14) on 3.8.1965. The grave has a headstone, and Mary is buried with her brother, Patrick Bourke.

1895: Michael John Bourke b January 4,Boosey.Died at Hawthorn on 20 March 1961 and was buried at Fawkner Cemetery (R/C Comp. I Grave No. 2694) on 22 March,1961.
Late of 89 Oxley Road, Hawthorn. 3697 Lt. 6th Brigade 1st A.I.F.
Father of Brian and Dassia (Sr. Columba)
Husband of Marguerite Genevieve who died on 5.4.1975 age 75 years. She was also buried in the same grave as her husband, as were the ashes of Dassia Eileen BOURKE died 4.4.1992 age 64 years

1897: Ellen Mary Bourke b Boosey. Died 1978, Camb,aged 80.
1898: Patrick Mercus Bourke b Boosey. Died 1966 aged 67.Was buried at Fawkner Cemetery (R/C Comp. R Grave No. 14)on 9 February, 1966
1900: Martha Gertrude Bourke b Boosey. Died 1968 Prahran aged 67. Was buried at Fawkner Cemetery (R/C Comp. S Grave No. 1260) 9 February, 1968.
1902: Edmund Joseph Bourke b Kilmore.

Edmund ‘Ned’ Bourke died in 1923 at Coburg, aged 76 years.Two notices taken from The Argus newspaper read as follows:
"Death - Bourke, Edmund Joseph, at his residence, 2 Hatton Grove, Moreland, and formerly of Burramine and Kilmore, passed away on Monday, 13th August 1923, at the age of 76 years."

"Funeral - The funeral of the late Edmund Joseph Bourke will leave his late residence, 2 Hatton Grove, Moreland, for burial at the Fawkner Cemetery, on Wednesday, 15th July 1923."


Edmund's wife Margaret Mary Henry Bourke died on 15 July, 1932, and was buried at Fawkner Cemetery (R/C Comp. C Grave No. 607) 16.7.1932. The grave of Edmund and Margaret is unmarked.