Insight into Irish arrival

An honorary exhibition will be held this weekend for the Irish immigrants who uprooted their lives due to the hunger caused by the Great Famine and settled in the South West between 1845 and 1852.

Bunbury Historical Society and the WA Irish Famine Commemoration committee are holding the event at King Cottage Museum on Saturday.

It will pay homage to the Irish women who travelled to WA during the famine, including Bridget Mulqueen, who settled in Bunbury, and Elizabeth Carbury who ventured to Dardanup.

Society secretary Lorraine Carlson said the display would provide an insight to what the women endured.

“It will commemorate the young ladies who came out from Ireland and sought a new life,” Ms Carlson said.

“We didn’t know too much about the young Irish ladies that came out here... this was an opportunity to recognise their bravery. It would have been hard for them to leave their families behind.”

Two replica travel boxes have been made, with one to be unveiled on Saturday and the second to be revealed at an exhibition at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Dardanup on Sunday.

Ms Carlson invited interested people to attend either commemoration event.

“We invite all Irish and non-Irish members of the public to come along,” Ms Carlson said.