Heffernan family celebrate 175 years in Moruya
The Heffernan family and descendants celebrated two events over the weekend of 12/13th September, 2026. Heffernan’s settled in Moruya 175 years ago.
The events comprised a book launch and the unveiling of a plaque at Moruya.
A Heffernan Family History book was launched by the authors Colleen and Gwen, both former Heffernans of Moruya.
The book traces the history of the Heffernan farming families who arrived in Moruya in 1851. Two brothers, Edmund and Patrick, established dairy farming enterprises on either side of the Moruya River and at Mogendoura to the north west of Moruya.
Dairying was carried on by successive generations of the family over four generations at Yarragee and five generations at Mullenderree, for approximately 160 years.
Some of the farms on the north side of the river are still owned by the Heffernan family members today and they now run beef cattle.
Farmers on the south side of the river included three Directors of the former Moruya Cooperative Dairy Company, which was in operation from 1892 to 1970.
The family were very involved in the early life of Moruya, helping to establish the town, community organisations and the Catholic Church and schools. Roger Heffernan of Mogendoura was also an early Justice of the Peace, from 1900. His cousin, Roger Heffernan of Yarragee, was one of the first Alderman elected to the Municipal Council.
At Mogendoura, which is 14km north west of Moruya, Roger and Margaret Heffernan provided land for a public school and they also established the Mogendoura Cheese Factory. Both of these operated from the 1880s until 1930, before road transport was improved.
During the weekend of recent celebrations, many descendants of the Heffernan farming families did a guided trip out to Mogendoura and back through Mullenderree, hearing stories of the history of the farms from Gwen and Colleen, both former Heffernans of the area.They were also generously hosted at Glenellen farm by Cathie and Tim Cahill who have renovated this historic home which was built in the 1890s by Edmund and Ellen Heffernan.
Many of the Heffernan women pursued nursing careers and two of them, Maggie and Katie, ran their own Maternity Home in the town in the early 20th century and were very highly regarded. In the early 1930s Mary Heffernan of Glenellen at Mogendoura was Matron at the old Moruya Hospital. Other Heffernan women numbered up to half of the nursing staff at Moruya Hospital in the post war era, up to the early 1950s.
The book also celebrates the musical tradition in the family, with a special emphasis on the classical singers who won overseas acclaim. This includes Eva Mylott-Gibson, whose mother was Mary Heffernan, a pioneer daughter of Edmund and Honora of Mogendoura, and her cousin, Marie Narelle.
Kimberley Colman, a contemporary classical singer in Australia and overseas, and 6th generation descendant of Edmund and Honora, delivered an impressive singing tribute to the these early singers, with a performance in the acoustically wonderful Sacred Heart Church.
There are still many Heffernans and descendants living in the Moruya and Eurobodalla area today, 175 years after the family’s arrival in the district.
The other event was the unveiling and blessing of a granite plaque in the grounds of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church at Moruya.
This commemorates the pioneers Patrick and Ellen and Edmund and Honora who were the first Heffernan settlers in Moruya. Their contribution to the building of the church, schools and town of Moruya are recognised on the granite monument from the local Beashel Quarry. The monument was blessed by Rev Fr Joshua Scott, the Parish Priest of Moruya.
The weekend’s events were attended by many descendants from various locations including the far south coast, the Riverina area, southern highlands, Wollongong, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
To round off the weekend, a luncheon was held at the Quantum Brewery and cafe which is in the premises of the former Moruya Cooperative Cheese factory. Owner, Suzanne Melotte, did a wonderful job of making everyone feel wlcome at the historic venue.