Catherine MacFarlane

Signed family name

MacFarlane

Signed given name

Catherine

Given address

Milton

Sheet number

104

Town/Suburb

Milton

City/Region

Otago

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Catherine Bradley was born about 1834 in County Derry, Ireland – the daughter of Barnard Bradley.

She emigrated to Victoria, Australia where she married Alexander Stewart on 16 February 1858 at St Mary’s in Geelong.

Catherine and Alexander ran the Prince Albert Hotel in Geelong before they followed the gold rush to Otago in 1863 and lived, for a time, at Waitahuna.

In 1864 they moved to Milton and 'took over' the Milton Hotel.

Alexander died there in 1864 and Catherine continued to run the hotel. In August 1865 she was charged with 'allowing a game to be played on a bagatelle table in her licensed house after the authorised hours', she was fined 10s with costs.

Catherine married again on 9 October 1865 at the Milton Hotel to John McFarlane.

The following year they moved to the Commercial Hotel which they 'ran for a number of years, ultimately selling out and taking up a farm at Wangaloa' which they called Roseneith.

In 1875 the stock was sold and they moved back to Milton where Catherine started a bakery and refreshment room - balls and tea parties supplied – wedding, christening, and birthday cakes made to order.

In 1892 the bakery was moved to Goodall’s Temperance Hotel which had been 'thoroughly renovated'.

John died in 1894 and after his death Catherine carried on the bakery and boarding house business by herself.

Catherine died on 28 January 1903, she is buried with John in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.

Her obituary said she 'was a hard working and industrious woman, who managed her affairs in a thorough business-like manner, and secured the respect and esteem, not only of her customers, but of all who knew her.'