History of Vincent (Roy) Casey - Irene’s Brother
This document is a transcript of a speech made about Vincent Roy Casey, known as “Roy”, delivered by his son, Tom Casey.
Roy was Irene’s brother, and the youngest of the eleven siblings. My Mum (Gwen) and Aunty Claire were very fond of Roy, and I can remember meeting him several times.
Although the document in the same year as Roy’s death on 1 November 1979, it was dated 25 June 1979, while Roy was still alive, so I’m not sure what the occasion was. Towards the end of the speech, Tom mentions that Roy was in care and quite unwell.
The rest of this page is all in Tom Casey’s own words, although I’ve added some images where they were relevant.
The Roy Casey Story – By Tom Casey, 25 June 1979
Roy Vincent Casey, or as he was actually christened, Vincent Roy Casey, was born at Gundaroo on 3rd August 1896. He was the youngest of 11 children, eight boys and three girls.
Roy Casey front row and second from the right, circa 1902
His parents were Thomas Casey and Caroline Casey (nee King). The Caseys at this time held a selection of prime sheep country of several hundred acres at Tallagandra, which is situated between Gundaroo and Hall.
He attended school at Tallagandra, with the younger members of his family and with several cousins, principally from the Reid family, who lived not far from the Casey homestead.
Roy Casey, Tallagandra School, second row first boy on the left, 1901 (aged 5)
Roy Casey, Tallagandra School, fourth from the left in the second row from the front, 1909 (aged 13)
Roy spent much time with the Reids, as this became a second home for him when his own mother died at the age of 51 in 1901, when Roy was five years old. The eldest girl of the family, Ada, who was twenty years older than Roy, broke off her marriage engagement, to look after the younger members of the family.
Ada was Postmistress at Tallagandra, and young Roy, from the age of twelve was a familiar figure as he drove horse and sulky to Gundaroo in order to pick up the mail and deliver it as he returned home. He was so reliable and punctual that he had an understanding with all the farmers on his trip that he picked up messages on his way to Gundaroo and delivered the articles as he returned. Thus bread and meat and stamps etc. were assured, and Roy's help saved many a farmer an unnecessary trip.
Roy was always interested in sport and showed far above average ability in several sports. At this time of his life while still at Tallagandra he teamed up with his brother George and this combination at tennis proved almost unbeatable. He was still playing competition tennis at the age of forty, while in later gears he was resident in Sydney.
He played football for Sutton, near Canberra, with his brothers and I would venture to say that any teams that had players of the likes of Jack, Barney, Austin, George and Roy Casey would have to prove quite formidable. Roy was never very big and any football skills would have been far out‑shadowed by the brilliance of his elder brother Barney, who was a strong and very fast winger.
Cricket was so popular with these Caseys that they had actually put down their own concrete wicket near the homestead in order to practice and to play as a family team. This never eventuated, as the family began to break up, and in 1915 the farm was sold and is now in the possession of the Reid family, cousins of Roy. As a cricketer Roy made quite a name for himself, mainly as a wicketkeeper, in the Temora and Condobolin districts. In the style of Rent Oldfield, he stood always over the stumps, and never retreated from this position even against fast bowling. His nose, with prominent bumps, as a legacy of those days. From conversations I have heard I would say that Roy was a very gifted wicketkeeper, with quick and accurate reflexes
With the selling of the farm in 1915, several of his brothers moved to the Cootamundra district as sharefarmers. Jim and Barney and Harry and Jack were share-farming at Dirnaseer just near Junee Reefs, and they were later joined by Roy and his father. Shortly after corning to Dirnaseer, Roy's father died at the age of 82 years and the Casey family soon split further. Thomas Casey was buried next to his wife at Gundaroo, and this could have been the very last time that his family were ever all together.
In 1920 Roy followed his brother Barney to Pucawan near Temora, where Barney was share‑farming.
Roy, circa 1920, aged 24
Soon Roy took a job with Arthur Sanderson at Pucawan for one pound a week and his keep. This was evidently a very pleasing and happy period in his life as he was highly thought of by Arthur Sanderson and neighbours, and he played the sport in the district which he enjoyed so much - cricket, football and tennis. He brought many a smile and a glad heart to people with his ever ready courtesy and pleasant manner. Be it known that Roy Casey was never a man who was subject to moods. He would flair up at unfairness or injustice, but he was never the victim of depression. One of the most common and still talked about events during these years was his singing as he ploughed on the coldest and bleakest of frosty mornings. You couldn’t see him, but his singing voice could be heard for hours on end. For many people it made just such a morning that little bit more pleasant.
Roy had a very true tenor voice and was often in demand to sing at dances and concerts in those times. He was a real entertainer and could perform at most forms of entertainment. Apart from a very pleasing tenor voice (and he always loved to listen to Richard Crooks or Richard Tauber) he could tap-dance, recite poetry, play the piano or mouthorgan or just tell an amusing story. At dances he was always in demand to play the piano while the band was resting and to Roy's own tunes and tempo, the dances would continue. One tune came to be known as Roy Casey’s tune - and I think it resembles in many ways the old "Fairyland" that many people might still remember. I have often heard Roy’s grandchildren trying to pick out "Roy Casey’s tune" on the keyboard. His playing was noted for its rhythm and ordinary dancers found it easy to dance with his timing.
His memory for reciting old poems was truly amazing. He required no prompting and once he started on a poem, he could recite it to its finish. I remember as late as 1971, while with him in Brisbane he recited a poem right through which Mollie, his wife, had never heard him recite before. He told me that he had learnt it at school some sixty years before. In my opinion, Roy had an amazing gift of memory. In short, Roy was always very popular at family get‑togethers, at dances etc, amongst his own brothers and sisters, but more so, amongst his nephews and nieces in later years.
In 1926 he began share‑farming with Arthur Sanderson and now began to think seriously about marriage. For some years now he had become very friendly with Miss Mary ("Mollie") Agnes Doyle who was living on the "Linton" holdings at Pucawan. Roy spent quite a lot of time at Linton where Mollie lived with the Mackinlay family, which to her had really become her own family. Nell and Jack Mackinlay were really the only parents she could fully remember. The story is told that one old timer who saw Roy's horse tied up at the fence (and it seemed to be tied up there for hours on end), was heard to remark that no wonder the horse was poor as it was being fed on posts and palings.
Howsoever the horse fared, Roy and Mollie were married in the Sacred Heart Church at Temora on 30th June 1927.
Roy and Mollie on their wedding day, 1927
Roy and Mollie continued to reside at Pucawan and lived in an old Pisé house while Roy continued to share farm for Arthur Sanderson. Two sons were born during these years at Pucawan, Tom in 1928 and Brian in 1930.
The depression began to be felt in the Temora district so that soon there was no room for the sharefarmer and Roy and Mollie moved to Condobolin in 1931. These were difficult years as the banks had closed and money promised for wheat that was sold was never paid. Many farmers were simply forced off the land through their necessity. Roy attempted to make a living with some of his relatives and shared farmed on Jack and Ada Burke 's property at "Poplar Farm".
Sharefarming with him were George Mackinlay, Paul Doyle and Frank Duffy but the floods and then droughts from 1932 to 1934 ruined any chance of survival for the sharefarmer. Margaret and Mick were born to them during this period. Shortly after the birth of Margaret tragedy nearly hit the family as Mollie was admitted to the Condobolin hospital with double pneumonia and a temperature of 106 degrees. Roy with his simple and trusting faith, and through his daily and constant prayer, never really believed that she would die, even though doctors had given up all hope. Mollie did recover and just over twelve months later, Michael was born. An attempt to sharefarm at "The Kars", Yarrabandai, was futile in the face of poor wheat prices and depleted crops. In 1935 the family moved to Sydney and settled in Enfield.
Work at this period was impossible to find but Roy would not go on the dole. A day's work at the new Trocodero site nearly killed him as earth had to be shovelled from deep trenches into lorries. He never returned on the next day. He later joined a gang employed in preparing the Cooks River for concrete pouring and worked one week in three. It was at this period that Kathleen was born. Her birth was rather sudden as Roy had rushed off to bring the doctor and he found her born on his return. The doctor was taken completely by surprise but the earlier timely arrival of a nurse making her daily checks obviated any complications.
Since work in Sydney was unsatisfactory Roy moved down to Wollongong and stayed with his sister Ada, now married to Mick Darcy, who was living at Balgownie. Roy bought out a milk run in the West Wollongong area and took to delivering milk in the early morning. This was not entirely satisfactory either as people could not pay for milk delivered, children stole milk while he was inside delivering, and maybe the comment of one customer proved to be the final straw. This good lady complained that she found some manure in the milk. Roy's reply was that if she stirred the milk up a bit she might find the cow. And so the milk run was sold.
In 1936 the entire family moved to Wollongong, and resided at 86 Atkinson Street, a house that Roy was buying on time payments. Odd jobs were the only work he could find though he travelled down to Port Kembla Steel Works for months on end. And so did hundreds of other men who waited to be picked, and on some mornings only about six men would be taken on. At last after some seven months Roy made a contact, was selected, and never looked back. He worked on the blast furnace for a few years and then with the start of war was moved to the newly appointed electric furnaces where he became a leading hand. His work was a top priority job as he was engaged in producing gun barrels, tin hats and other top priority armaments for the war effort. Never one to be bullied about, a wrestle with one man at the works caused a serious shoulder injury which had to be hushed up as such conduct could result in curtailment of employment. This injury was officially sustained as a work injury. Such official lies were necessary in those hard times.
Air raids were the fear of those days, as Port Kembla was a prime target area for any enemy planes. One night in 1943, an air raid siren was sounded as a Japanese submarine was sighted off the coast at Corrimal. The men were ordered into the shelters provided at the Works. At home, the rest of the family, now living at Balgownie, did not retire to the shelter when the air raid sirens sounded. Roy had built a family shelter into the side of a slight gully, being L shaped, but Mollie would not go near it in this emergency. The danger was soon over as the submarine was sunk. It is interesting to note that an unidentified plane flew over the area that same night, which, after the war, was confirmed as a Japanese reconnaissance plane. It was while the family were living at Balgownie that Barry was born in 1939.
The sixteen weeks strike of 1941 saw the energy and resourcefulness of this man. There was no strike pay so Roy cut down trees, sawed them into given lengths and sold them to the local. baker. This was hard and demanding work as he undertook to meet a certain contract with the baker. He was assisted in this by Ray Casey, a nephew, who was also caught up in the strike at the Steel Works. On one evening, while splitting timber, Roy reached out to collect the pieces of wood, and Ray at the same moment, brought down the axe. It was just short of a miracle really, that Roy's arm was not severed. The axe struck in two places on his left arm, cutting deeply but no permanent damage resulted. It is in such instances as this that I feel that our family has been specially blessed. I can remember Roy, on this evening, arm pouring blood, covered in bandages, awaiting the ambulance, and never a complaint or a moan.
These were the years of shift work, 1937—1949, when Roy often had to make up his sleep in the day hours. Maybe this was difficult for him with a large young family but none of us can remember being too much harassed over this matter. His simple faith and personal generosity were again evident in 1943 when Brian left home to enter the Priesthood and a year later in 1944 Tom left home to join the Christian Brothers.
In 1950 there was a return by the whole family to Pucawan, to the Mackinlay farm at " Linton". A lease was taken on some 1200 acres, and the family, except Tom, returned to its starting point. The boom years in the early 1950s assisted Roy in getting on his feet. Brian and Mick attempted to make a living at sharefarming, but finally Roy had to go it alone as the property was not large enough. He was back at his first interest and that was farming, and they were good years to him. The farm was greatly run down, and his plant was quite old and second hand, but hard work brought results, and while not really flourishing, the family was content.
In 1952 the silver wedding anniversary was held in old "Linton" at which a large gathering of friends and relatives attended. Following this, one by one, the family married and the grandchildren began to arrive. In all there are twenty-seven grandchildren, and recently, one great grandchild.
The occasion of the birth of the first grandchild, Leo Casey, was a proud day for Roy. This same grandchild, while still young, christened Roy as "Davey" and to most of his own family and friends he has been Davey for the past twenty years.
In 1961 Davey retired and left the farm to his son-in‑law, who has since bought the farm, and still resides on this same property. A house was bought in Temora for retirement at 160 Loftus Street. This house was sold in 1979 as both Roy and Mollie are now residents at Greenstone Lodge. Roy is in nursing care at the Home as he now suffers from "total breakdown of the muscular system".
Much could be said of this man. He was not however, a public figure, and in terms of community involvement he was not a prominent figure. But in terms of participation and generous contribution, he always gave what he could afford. He was a true Casey, insofar that he would give up his last dollar to a friend in need. His word was his bond. His honesty was known to all who knew him and his faith was what he truly lived by.
A write-up of the life of Roy Casey would not be authentic without mention of his interest in racehorses. For almost sixty years he was a visitor to one of the city racecourses, his preference being for Randwick. No win at a meeting ever occurred without others sharing in the good luck. We would never know how many doubles Roy has taken over these sixty years. A win on the doubles was for him a tremendous satisfaction.
Thus, we of the family have learned from him how to enjoy life in a simple and authentic way and have learnt from him much of our worthwhile values while the faith which we have received in his great gift to us after that of life itself.
Roy and Mollie celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1977. Present at this was the entire immediate family together with many relatives and friends. The occasion was for all who were present an instance of the very high regard that all who knew Roy and Mollie have for them.
And so finally, I can truly say that many people are the better for having met and known Roy Casey. I certainly am one of these.
Tom Casey
Written by Tom Casey and Rob Landsberry, last updated 18 May 2023
History of Betty Viazim, Milliner - Bill’s Niece
As I mention in the Frequently Asked Questions, the O’Brien Clan website is mainly focused on fanning out from Bill and Irene in two directions – their antecedents and their descendants. So in general the site doesn’t go too “wide”. That is, unless we find a particularly interesting character that fits into the wider O’Brien family. Such is the case here.
When I was a kid, I can remember my Mum (Gwen) talking about a famous relative - Betty Viazim. I didn’t really get the family connection at the time, but I knew she was a milliner, although I’m guessing it wasn’t until later that I discovered a milliner makes hats.
Now that I’ve had a bit more time to dig into our family history, I found out some more about Betty, what she did, and where she fits into the O’Brien Clan.
Bill O’Brien’s older sister was Laura Agnes O’Brien. Laura was ten years older than Bill, having been born at Cowabbie on the 24 of July 1878. As an aside, Laura died the same year as Bill (1974), at the ripe old age of 95 – which means my claim that Mum (Gwen) - who died aged 92 - had lived the longest of anyone in the O’Brien tree is now completely debunked. Thanks Laura.
But I digress. Laura married George Barnes Arnold in 1908 in Temora. They had 5 children, with Elizabeth Emily Barnes Arnold being the first born. Elizabeth was generally known as “Betty”. Elizabeth is one of those names that has a heap of variations, including Tibby, Bess, Elsie, Eliza, Liza, Lizzie, Libby, Betsy, Beth, and of course, Betty. So, Betty was Bill O’Brien’s niece and my Mum’s first cousin. And if you consult with this article about how cousins work, that means she’s my first cousin once removed.
Laura and George lived in Temora until the untimely death of her husband, George in 1922 – he was just 46 years old. Laura moved to Coogee after her husband’s death, taking her four children with her – sadly, one had died. Their ages would have ranged between 7 and 13. They lived in a house called “Eastbourne” in Neptune Street, Coogee. And it was here that Laura and Bill’s parents (Margaret and Tom) celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1922, and where Thomas William O’Brien died just 3 years later – you can read more about these events here.
Betty married George Viazim in 1939, and they moved to a place in Dulwich Hill. Their only child, Maree was born in 1944, and Betty and George divorced after 11 years of marriage, in 1950.
I believe that’s when Betty and her six year old daughter Maree moved to the house that had been belonged to Margaret O’Brien, her grandmother, which was at 41 Robert Street, Marrickville. That said, I need to check this with my cousin Tony Strachan (Mary’s son), as he lives just around the corner and has more details.
By this time, Betty was 42, and was already making a name for herself as a milliner.
Betty had begun her apprenticeship as a milliner with Mark Foys, Sydney's premier fashion department store. She was the last apprentice to be trained in the old methods of hat making, before electric sewing machines revolutionized the millinery trade.
I’m guessing I may have visited her when I was young, but I can’t remember. My sister Kate definitely visited, and Bill’s daughter Mary stayed at the house with her husband Arthur, and their three children, Tony, Tim and Garth – Betty would have been 51 and Maree 16 at the time.
In 1981 Betty was awarded The Order of the British Empire Medal (Civil) for services to the Performing Arts.
Betty Viazim in her millinery studio
Betty died on Christmas Day 1997, with her place of death shown as Marrickville…so it seems she died at home. Her daughter Maree was 53 years old at the time of Betty’s death and married to Terry Blanchard. I believe they moved into the Robert Street house and lived there until Maree’s death in 2015 (aged 71).
Betty donated her whole hat collection and hat blocks to the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA).
The following article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald shortly after Betty’s death in 1997.
Hat's Fantastic Betty
Karen Davey – Sydney Morning Herald – 4th January 1998
IT was while filming the outback classic We Of The Never Never that a hungry horse took a chomp out of a straw hat worn by actor Angela Punch McGregor.
In a panic, the director telephoned Betty Viazim from the remote town where they were filming to get a replacement hat.
Viazim, Australia's top milliner, didn't have enough straw to make another hat, so the damaged hat was urgently couriered to Sydney for a patch-up job.
"My mother repaired the hat and sent her last six inches of straw back to the hungry horse," Viazim's daughter, Maree Blanchard, recalled yesterday.
Viazim, who died on Christmas Day at the age of 88, was best known for the hats and headpieces she created for film, opera, ballet and theatre in a career spanning almost 75 years.
Actors Judy Davis, Wendy Hughes, Robin Niven and Liv Ullmann all wore Viazim's creations, and last week her coffin was draped in the huge black and white hat she made for Audrey Hepburn when she starred as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Audrey Hepburn and the hat Betty Viazim designed for her for the race day scene in My Fair Lady
The hat was draped over Betty’s coffin at her funeral
Viazim began her career as a 12-year-old under-age apprentice for Mark Foys department store, where she was trained as a milliner in "the correct way".
It was before electric sewing machines, and apprentices were instructed to sit on a stool, keep their shoulders back, their elbows in, their back straight and balance their hands with their little fingers.
"I trained for 48 hours a week for five years," Viazim told The Sun-Herald in 1993. "Now it's six easy lessons."
As an apprentice, Viazim never went anywhere without a bag containing a circle of fabric, a needle and a spool of thread so she could practise "fly-running" stitch.
"At the cinema, as soon as the lights went out, I'd start to practise," she said. "I'd just sew around the fabric and pull the thread out and start again. I wasn't allowed to look at what I was doing."
At the height of her brilliant career, Viazim designed for Moray, which created many exclusive fashion winners for the Melbourne Cup, as well as the Queen's Coronation visit to Australia in 1954. The front cover of the first issue of Australian Vogue featured a model wearing one of her hats.
A Betty Viazim hat on the front cover of the first edition of Australian Vogue, 1960
It was in the 1960s, when exclusive millinery waned as women stopped wearing hats to church and the beehive hairstyle became popular, that Viazim began making hats and bonnets for theatre and screen.
She made the headdress for the Opera House's opening ballet, Sleeping Beauty, as well as for films such as Careful, He Might Hear You, and musicals such as A Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Betty on the cover of the Film Australia magazine
"My mother wasn't a mother," Mrs Blanchard said. "She was incredibly creative all the time. She could pick up something people thought was rubbish and turn it into something valuable."
During World War Il, Viazim turned to making soft dolls from material left over from the manufacture of women's underwear.
Every week she produced 144 dolls - called Betsy Maree - which she sold through Farmers department store (which is now Grace Bros).
"Mum bought a bale of offcuts and made these soft dolls for babies to clutch and cuddle," Mrs Blanchard said.
"I guess we live in a pin-free zone now."
In 1982, Viazim was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the performing arts, and her work is on permanent display at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Kensington and the Powerhouse Museum at Darling Harbour.
- KAREN DAVEY
My cousin Tony believes Maree Viazim/Blanchard (his and my first cousin twice removed) was a dancer at the Tivoli in Sydney. She was also an artist, as you can see in the article below.
This is what’s written here about Maree on her death on 27 February 2015.
BLANCHARD, Maree Gregovna (nee Viazim)
Passed away peacefully February 27, 2015. Late of Marrickville. Beloved wife of Terry. Loving mother and mother-in-law of Anton and Melissa, Jeremy and Claire. Sadly missed by all who knew her. Aged 71 years. Outstanding woman, performer, artist, quilter and friend. MAREE'S family and friends are warmly invited to attend her Funeral Service to be held in its entirety at St Brigid's Catholic Church, 392 Marrickville Road (cnr Livingstone Road), Marrickville on Thursday March 5, 2015 at 1:30pm. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation at the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
Written by Karen Davey and Rob Landsberry, last updated 27 May 2023
References:
Sydney Morning Herald of 4 January 1998
Daily Telegraph of 3 March 2015
https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/blanchard-maree-gregovna-nee-viazim/4721896/