KILLALEA "GET-TOGETHER" 2009

Held on 6th & 7th June 2009 @ Shellharbour, New South Wales.

This family reunion was also organised by Leanne Kellalea to coincide with Killalea Beach (also known as "The Farm") being declared a National Surfing Reserve together with the nearby "Mystics Beach".  Leanne was determined to go ahead and arrange it all, even with her major health problems but it was probably her way of coping and taking her mind off her own situation.  She did a fantastic job as usual and really enjoyed this which was to be her final Killalea Reunion.

The photos on this page came from various sources including family members (Lesley, Monica, Steve, Terry, Leanne, Wendy, Ian & Jeanette) together with photos sent to Leanne from Bernie who was a photographer at the Surfing Reserve Ceremony.

PHOTOS FROM SURFING RESERVE CEREMONY (Saturday Morning - 6th June 2009)

Marquees which were put up for this ceremony at the surfing area of Killalea Beach "The Farm" Members of the Killalea family were invited to attend the unveiling of the plaques at "The Farm" & "Mystics Beach" and the weather couldn't have been better for the occasion.  A large percentage of the family members who attended travelled from Queensland and Victoria and enjoyed their weekend at Shellharbour.  Thanks must go to Leanne and all the others involved in organising this event.

Steve making his speech

Gathering at marquee used at Surfing Ceremony	Steve chatting with Aboriginal Elder Reuben Brown	Members of other Killalea families attended (Not descendants of Edward and Maria)
Large group (Mainly Killalea descendants) posing for a photo at the plaque	Group standing behind  Surfing Reserve Plaque	Chris Homer who was the instigator of the two National Surfing Reserves
Youngest Killalea descendant at ceremony standing on the rock	Family members chatting after the ceremony	Surfing Reserve Plaque now at both "The Farm" & "Mystics Beach"

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PHOTOS FROM REUNION DINNER (Saturday Evening - 6th June 2009) 

The dinner was held in the "Killalea Room" at the Shellharbour Worker's Club.  Where else could the Killalea's hold such a function when there is a room there with our name on it and the right size?  The staff at the club catered for the function very well and even put an Irish touch to the menu for us.

Sign at the bottom of the steps  leading to the "Killalea Room"	Outside the "Killalea Room"  at Shellharbour Workers Club	Wendi getting organised for  the evening function	Killalea "Family Tree" charts  and other displays

	Display of "Save Killalea" protests and goings  on over recent years with Killalea State Park
Tables set up for the evening		Family members at the evening function

Killalea family members with charts of each branch of the family shown on the wall behind

Thomas's line (Blue Name Tags)	John's line (Red Name Tags)
Michael's line (Green Name Tags)	Catherine's line (Purple Name Tags)

Steve talking to the family	Steve with youngest descendant - Blair	Steve with oldest descendant - Joyce

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PHOTOS FROM PROTEST (Sunday Morning - 7th June 2009)

About 50 Killalea family members managed to get up in time Sunday morning to join a protest rally to show others we also object to any major development at Killalea State Park.  Steve spoke on behalf of the family to let others known we feel any development will totally ruin the natural landscape and seascape views everybody now enjoys in the park, especially in the vicinity of the kiosk, car park and rotunda. Reuben Brown (Aboriginal Elder of the area) together with other members of the aboriginal community joined the family at the protest.  Leanne was able to pass on to Reuben a story told to her by her grandfather about how well Reuben's ancestors and the Killalea family got on in the early days. The park is a beautiful place and should remain as a natural setting for everybody to enjoy (not just our family) for generations to come.

 

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OTHER PHOTOS TAKEN OVER THE WEEKEND

Michael & Rory at the Killalea family plaque also located near the beach	Looks like Leanne has spotted something on the beach.   Could it be some of the gold?	Members of Leanne's family on Killalea Beach
Steve at the sign showing "The Farm" & "Mystics"		Steve and his family at the National Surfing Reserve plaque (Could that be the same little kid asleep in his  mother's arms at the 1986 Killalea Reunion?)
	Wendy & her family
"Killalea Drive" which is the roadway through Shell Cove to Killalea State Park	Killalea Beach "The Farm" which proves  the weather was perfect for the day	View of Killalea Beach taken about 100 metres  from where Edward and Maria lived

OTHER PHOTOS TAKEN IN THE CAMPING AREA AT KILLALEA STATE PARK

Several members of John Killalea's (Red) line decided to spend the weekend together in Killalea State Park and are now considering making it an annual event.

This page has been made up mainly using photos sent to Leanne after the reunion which she insisted I have a copy of the last time I visited her.  I know she wanted to make a CD/DVD of the reunion using the photos but unfortunately her health deteriorated to a point where she was unable to do so before her death, so I have posted some of them here for all to see.

I think more than ever we have to consider another reunion somewhere down the track, especially now there is to be a "Killalea Gathering" in Ireland in 2012 with some of our family interested in attending.  I also know that a few Kill*leas from overseas were interested in attending our 2009 reunion but with the usual government indecision/uncertainty on actual dates for the Surfing Reserve Ceremony, that was unfortunately out of the question.  It was bad enough having so many family members attending from interstate working on a tentative date that nobody in authority wanted to confirm.

Hopefully some of us will get to Ireland in 2012 and then I feel we should extend a welcome to other Kill*leas from around the World to our next reunion here in Australia.  What do others think?

Previous Killalea Reunions 1986 & 1997 (I have found additional photos to add here too and hope to extract something from the Church Service at "Stella Maris" Catholic Church in 1997 as it is their 150th this year.)

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