William Patrick McDONNELL c.1808-1891, b. Ireland to Terence McDONNELL and Mary ...?... m. 1833, Kilbeheny, Co Limerick, Ireland to Mary WHEELY c. 1809-1911, b. Ireland to Thomas WHEELY and Eileen ...?...

Willam and Mary McDONNELL, along with two sons (Lawrence, 5y and Terence, infant) arrived as Bounty immigrants at Port Phillip on the Alexander in December 1841, having sailed from London and Plymouth, England.

William was recorded as being the Station manager at "Crawford Station" near Hotspur in the 1840s for MONROE and CRUICKSHANK where are least two children appear to have been born.

By 1856 the family was on the goldfields at Alma, near Maryborough, Victoria and from there followed the gold trail to Bealiba near Dunolly, where they settled.

William McDONNELL died at Bealiba in 1891, aged 83 years. His widow Mary died at her daughter's (Alice SEMMENS) residence at Maffra, Gippsland, Victoria in 1911, aged 101 years.

William Patrick McDONNELL and Mary WHEELY had the following known family in Ireland and Victoria, Australia...

1. Lawrence McDONNELL 1836-1903, b. Ireland, d. Dunolly, Victoria.

2. Terence McDONNELL 1841-1916, Dublin, Ireland, d. Dunolly, Victoria m. Alice BICKNELL c.1855-1883, b. England to John Richard BICKNELL and Caroline PULLEN, d. Bealiba, Victoria.

3. Mary McDONNELL b. 1843, Melbourne, Port Phillip ...?...

4. Ellen McDONNELL b. 1845, Port Phillip ...?...

5. William McDONNELL 1847-1928, b. "Crawford" Station, near Hotspur, S-W Victoria, d. near Bendigo, Victoria, m. Mary MARTIN 1860-1947, b. Kingaower, Victoria, d. Bendigo, Victoria.

6. Thomas McDONNELL 1851-1925, b. "Crawford" Station, near Hotspur, S-W Victoria, d. Bealiba, Victoria, m. Martha MORRIS c.1856-1907, b. Moliagul, Victoria, d, Bealiba, Victoria.

7. Alice McDONNELL 1852-1921, b. ...?..., Victoria, d. Toongabbie, Gippsland, Victoria, m. William SEMMENS c.1851-1942, b. South Australia to Peter SEMMENS and Sarah Morris BENNETTS, d. Maffra, Gippsland, Victoria.

8. Isabella McDONNELL 1856-1856, b. Alma, near Maryborough, Victoria.

9. John Henry McDONNELL 1858-...?..., b. near Bealiba, Victoria, ...?...