The LAUNCHBURY Family in Queensland, Australia

This page began when I (May) noticed a street on GoogleMaps named Launchbury Court in Avenell Heights, Queensland. Avenell Heights is a suburb of Bundaberg; yes, where the famous rum is made. So of course I found myself emailing the local council to find out how the street had got its name.

The Bundaberg City Council very kindly replied that Launchbury Court had been created in honour of William Launchbury who had been heavily involved in the founding years of St Mary's Catholic Church in Bundaberg.

How wonderful to hear back very quickly from Br Ted Magee CFC, the Executive Officer and Stewardship of Bundaberg Catholic Parish. Ted told me that Launchbury Court had been named for William Ernest LAUNCHBURY known as Ernie, late parisioner, who was very involved in the former St Mary's Parish, of South Bundaberg. The two parishes had combined in 2007, and in 2021 the church which Ernie had helped to build was sadly destroyed by an arsonist. The property was sold in around 2023. Ernie was honoured in this new real estate development by the Catholic Church when the local primary school was transferred from its original site to its present location

Ernie was born in a small, Queensland country town named Biggenden in 1905 which David and I stayed in for 1 night in September, during our travels of Queensland in 2023. Here's a picture of the main street and an iron sculpted tree that I photographed at that time.

Ernie had a carrier's business delivering goods around the business area of the city, and married Mary Bridget DONOVAN. They had one child, Gerard Thomas LAUNCHBURY (Tom). Ernie passed away in 1993, and Tom in 2020. Tom is survived by his wife and their children - one son and two daughters.

Ted writes "My information is from personal knowledge as Ernie married my mother's older sister. I knew him affectionately as Uncle Ernie, not realising that this was his middle name." Ted was also kind enough to put me in contact with Lyn, wife of the late Tom LAUNCHBURY, and I continue with information received from her in the next section.

With thanks to Ted for a link to Find A Grave website and to Glenn Nelson who took this photo (along with 33,858 other headstones!) The details on this site have Ernie's birth as 2 Dec 1904, death 11 Aug 1993 (aged 88) in Bundaberg, Qld. Buried in the Bundaberg General Cemetery in the Lawn Section, L5A Grave No.512.

Information here is from Lyn LAUNCHBURY, still of Bundaberg, and I'm so grateful for her input.

She writes that our LAUNCHBURY line is from Bladon in Oxfordshire.
James and Ann LAUNCHBURY - circa 1830
Son - William and Editha LAUNCHBURY
Son - William Ernest (Ernie) and Lynette Mae (Lyn) LAUNCHBURY. William was one of thirteen children (detailed below).
Son - Sean Thomas LAUNCHBURY divorced
Son - Edward Thomas LAUNCHBURY

Lyn was given the following information from another (unnamed) researcher from Sydney, who was researching a SPRIGGS family, with a connection to Editha.

Quote from this information "At the age of 19, William had migrated to Australia alone. He did so on the 2000 tons steamer the RMS Roma. The ship left London on 13 December, 1886. He travelled via Gibraltar, Suez Cannel, Lombok Straights, Thursday Island to Brisbane. Arriving 9 February 1887.
"William is reported to have had several brothers who emigrated from UK to San Francisco (In the early 2000’s we did have contact from a Launchbury in San Francisco but he couldn’t fit our branch into his tree.) but were never heard of again. However, a search of the UK Census and BDM records on-line suggests that the eldest brother Alfred married in the UK and lived at Foleshill, Oxfordshire with his wife and family of three daughters and four sons in 1901 till his death in 1916. His older sister Jane married James Blackford and also lived at Foleshill with their six children. Jane died in 1896 and Blackford remarried. William's older brother Mark appears to have died when he was only nine. His younger sister Hannah married William Winfield and lived in Yorkshire with their five children. Only his older brother by 3 years, Joseph is not able to be located after age 29, he was living with his parents at Hensington (Near Woodstock and Bladon) Oxfordshire in 1891. It is possible he emigrated although there is no clear evidence of his having done so."
James and Ann Launchbury appear to have had six children.

We were stunned when we drove into Biloela, Queensland on our long trip to see a huge business named Launchbury's Engineering on the main road. We spoke to the secretary there and she told us that no Launchburys are involved in the business any more, but it was amazing to see the huge name written across the front of the building. Lyn has told me that this business is quite closely related to Ernie's family. This business was started by Tom's cousin, Joseph (Joe)'s son, Allan. It was believed to have continued with Allan's adopted son after his father retired, but there seems to no longer be any connection

To continue with other data from Lyn, starting from 1897, the original William's 13 children were...

James Allan (known as Allan) LAUNCHBURY born 17/5/1897 was killed during WWI on 5/10/1917

Harriet (Hettie) born 4/2/1899, spinster, died 22/11/1965

Joseph Colin (Joe) born 6/10/1900, saddler, died 19/10/1995 had 2 children, on of them Allan James of Biloela LAUNCHBURY Engineering

Muriel born 30/1/1902, spinster died of typhoid 10/1/1924

Herbert born 4/9/1903 died as a baby on 17/9/1903

Vera born 20/5/1906 was a domestic servant and died 23/12/1990

Arthur born 15/12/1907, a labourer, died 28/12/1973

Alfred (Ted) born 21/4/1910, a labourer who died 20/8/1997

Herbert born 31/1/1912 worked on the railways and died 4/8/2006

Edith Ena born 23/6/1913 but died 2/8/1913

Walter (Noel) and a twin brother born 11/6/1914. Noel was a bridge carpenter and died 28/8/1913

A twin brother to Noel was also born 11/6/1914. It is only known that he was a farmer.

Edith Ena (Ena) born 20/3/1916 was a cook in the army and died 13/6/1986

Between them they produced 20 children, only 5 of those sons

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