Navan on the Gilbert River SA. The Mortuary Chapel in the Navan cemetery. Erected by the family of John O'Brien in 1900. The interior.
Navan –a palindrome.
The Hundred of Gilbert was declared in 1851 and John Hallett and Joseph Stirling bought several sections of land here in 1853 and named the locality after Navan in County Meath Ireland. This was excellent land in the Gilbert River Valley with the river flowing through their sections. They tried to establish a private town with 126 blocks. It grew slowly with a Post Office, a blacksmith, bootmaker, a Catholic school with 47 pupils and a Catholic church. The church was probably built in the late 1850s and a school existed in Navan by 1858 with 39 pupils. A general store opened in 1861 but it did not fare well and was up for sale in 1862. It reopened as Gluyas’ general store and was still operating with that owner who had the Post Office as well until he retired in 1875. He was still trying to sell it two years later. By then Navan was declining as the big town of Riverton with 5 stores overshadowed Navan. The arrival of the railway in Riverton in 1869 was probably instrumental in the demise of Navan which never got a siding although the railway was close to the town site. The cemetery was started in the mid-1850s with the earliest grave dated 1858. The Catholic Church was not well built and started to collapse in 1872 but was still in use until it was demolished in 1876, never to replaced. Although the Sisters of St Joseph used to walk to the Navan Catholic School from Tarlee beginning in 1864, the opening of the Catholic school reduced enrolments in the Navan licensed private school. The Navan Catholic School closed in 1871. Navan became a government school in 1878 and was closed in 1887 when a new school was built at Giles Corner known as the Merrindie School. The tiny town declined further and evidence of this is the selling of 77 town lots in 1874. They presumably went to local farmers to enlarge their paddocks. Nothing remains of Navan today. The charming mortuary chapel in the cemetery was built from the 18th March 1900 when the foundation stone was laid and blessed. It was built in memory of John O’Brien who is buried there as he had contributed £100 towards its construction. It was to be used for Masses on the first Sunday of the month and for services for some funerals. The Catholic Bishop sent an assistant to bless the foundation stone. There is a good sprinkling of Irish names in Navan cemetery as the district was named after Navan in Ireland. Names include: Brennan, Buckley, Burrows, Callery, Connell, Glynn, Hahasey, Hogan, Keelan, Kenny, McCarthy, McEvoy, McGahan, McInernery, O’Dea, Shannon etc. The roads of Navan township were returned to broad acre properties by the government in 1942.
Navan on the Gilbert River SA. The Mortuary Chapel in the Navan cemetery. Erected by the family of John O'Brien in 1900. The interior.
Navan –a palindrome.
The Hundred of Gilbert was declared in 1851 and John Hallett and Joseph Stirling bought several sections of land here in 1853 and named the locality after Navan in County Meath Ireland. This was excellent land in the Gilbert River Valley with the river flowing through their sections. They tried to establish a private town with 126 blocks. It grew slowly with a Post Office, a blacksmith, bootmaker, a Catholic school with 47 pupils and a Catholic church. The church was probably built in the late 1850s and a school existed in Navan by 1858 with 39 pupils. A general store opened in 1861 but it did not fare well and was up for sale in 1862. It reopened as Gluyas’ general store and was still operating with that owner who had the Post Office as well until he retired in 1875. He was still trying to sell it two years later. By then Navan was declining as the big town of Riverton with 5 stores overshadowed Navan. The arrival of the railway in Riverton in 1869 was probably instrumental in the demise of Navan which never got a siding although the railway was close to the town site. The cemetery was started in the mid-1850s with the earliest grave dated 1858. The Catholic Church was not well built and started to collapse in 1872 but was still in use until it was demolished in 1876, never to replaced. Although the Sisters of St Joseph used to walk to the Navan Catholic School from Tarlee beginning in 1864, the opening of the Catholic school reduced enrolments in the Navan licensed private school. The Navan Catholic School closed in 1871. Navan became a government school in 1878 and was closed in 1887 when a new school was built at Giles Corner known as the Merrindie School. The tiny town declined further and evidence of this is the selling of 77 town lots in 1874. They presumably went to local farmers to enlarge their paddocks. Nothing remains of Navan today. The charming mortuary chapel in the cemetery was built from the 18th March 1900 when the foundation stone was laid and blessed. It was built in memory of John O’Brien who is buried there as he had contributed £100 towards its construction. It was to be used for Masses on the first Sunday of the month and for services for some funerals. The Catholic Bishop sent an assistant to bless the foundation stone. There is a good sprinkling of Irish names in Navan cemetery as the district was named after Navan in Ireland. Names include: Brennan, Buckley, Burrows, Callery, Connell, Glynn, Hahasey, Hogan, Keelan, Kenny, McCarthy, McEvoy, McGahan, McInernery, O’Dea, Shannon etc. The roads of Navan township were returned to broad acre properties by the government in 1942.