Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Joseph Mahoney, known as Joe, was the third son of Richard and Annie (née Conley) Mahoney, of Grafton Lodge, Washdyke, formerly of Albury. Richard and Annie had married on 21 April 1891 at the Roman Catholic Church, Timaru. Joseph was born on 29 August 1896 at Albury and baptised (Joseph Harold Mahoney) on 21 October 1896 at The Timaru Catholic Church. Richard’s parents, Robert (of County Cork, Ireland) and Mary Mahony [sic] had also settled at Timaru, as had his brothers Joseph and Robert and his sister Mary Ann Frances. William John Mahony, the fourth son of Robert and Mary, died at Brisbane, Australia in 1900, aged 35. The older Joseph Mahony, who was prominent in public life in Timaru, died in 1912, aged 51. In May 1893, Mr Richard Mahony put up a blacksmith’s shop beside the stables at Albury. Soon after he won the coursing match. He also competed in dog trials. In 1897 Mr Mahoney applied for a section in the Albury Estate. In March 1898 Richard Mahony, blacksmith of Albury, was faced with bankruptcy. ‘The first meeting of creditors . . . . was held yesterday morning at the Deputy Assignee's office. . . . . The bankrupt's property consisted of the thoroughbred horse Ravenscraig, valued at £50. The bankrupt, in his examination, said that he had been a blacksmith at Albury for five years, beginning with a capital of £30. He held a lease in perpetuity of one of the Albury sections. He had 37 acres m wheat and oats, but owing to the drought and the winds the crop turned out almost a total failure. The land, cropping, etc., had cost him £64 15s; the crop produced £17 6s, the loss being £77 9s. Serious illness had also occurred m his family, causing him an expense of £100, and his wife was still ill m Christchurch. He had lost £30 by the horse Ravenscraig. It was agreed that the Assignee should have the stallion Ravenscraig sold at the Albury sale on the 28th inst. It was proposed . . . . and carried: — “That the bankrupt be allowed to retain for his own use the stock-in-trade valued at £5.” It was further resolved . . . . :— “That this meeting expresses its sympathy with the bankrupt in his misfortune and recommends that he be granted his immediate discharge.”’

Mrs Annie Mahoney died at her father’s residence at Addington, Christchurch, on 28 March 1898, leaving Richard with three little sons and a six-week old daughter. Annie was buried at Timaru. Joseph was not two years old when he lost his mother. Richard married Mary Elinor McQuillen in 1899 and had nine more children. In July 1900, Richard Mahoney was elected to a committee which was formed to procure “cheap railway fares on the Fairlie line, especially on Saturdays, which was practically the farmers’ market day.” When the Albury Tenants’ Association was formed in early 1901, Mr R. Mahony was to be secretary. “We learn from our Albury correspondent that Mr R. Mahoney, the well-known Albury stud master, has purchased from Mr J. Wilson, of Allandale, Fairlie, the Clydesdale stallion Prince Victor, bred by . . . . Breeders in the Albury and surrounding districts should welcome the advent of a horse bred on the above lines, as hitherto they have had few opportunities of securing the services of a really first-class sire.” (August 1902). At the horse parade, held under the management of the Timaru Agriculture and Pastoral Association in September 1902, Mr R. Mahony of Albury showed for the first time his Prince Victor – it was said “his prospects of a first rate season are very good. His breeding is of the best, and build, action, and colour are all m his favour.” He won prizes for his horses at the Mackenzie County Show in April 1903.

Mr Richard Mahoney sold his farm, Ascot Vale, in July 1903. At a presentation held at Albury on 10 August, the chairman ‘in a neat speech referred to the many excellent qualities displayed by Mr Mahoney as a neighbour and as a citizen. A large gathering of representative farmers and others testified in like manner, and it must have been flattering indeed to the recipient to find that he was held in such high and general esteem. The evening's entertainment consisted of speech, song, and story, and the warmth and cordiality of the social spirit displayed in the midst of such depressing circumstances broke up at midnight with the singing of “Auld lang syne.”’ In September 1903, Mr Mahoney purchased a farm at Levels, containing 50 acres, plus house and premises. “In the class for mares for breeding weight-carrying hacks, Mr R. Mahony showed a shapely and good quality mare by Hanlan, with foal at foot by Deerstalker.” This was in 1906. “Mr Richard Mahony, the well-known farmer of the Levels, has been laid up by an accident which befell him on Wednesday last. He was driving home in a trap a horse which he had just purchased in town. On nearing the Washdyke, something startled the horse and it bolted. Instead of getting clear over the Washdyke bridge, the vehicle collided with the abutment pillar, and was capsized and smashed, the horse getting clear away but little hurt. Mr Mahony was thrown clear, but being a heavy man, he had a bad fall, and was severely shaken. He was picked up and driven back to town and attended by Drs Thomas and Gibson. It is expected that he will be laid up for three or four weeks as the result of the accident.” (January 1907)

Early in 1906, Mr Mahoney sold his farm at Levels and held a clearing sale, which included a number of first-class horses, as well as “cattle, pigs, traps, harness, saddles, etc”. Every lot was sold, with the exception of two blood horses, “which were of exceptionally good quality and high breeding”. The family moved to Washdyke (Mahoney’s Hill). While Richard Mahoney produced some of the best thoroughbreds in the Dominion, this did not make him immune to the by-laws. He was charged with driving a horse at Gabites corner, at a greater speed than four miles an hour. He admitted the charge and was fined10s and costs. (October 1913.) In November 1921 he was charged with allowing a horse, cows and calves to be at large on a public road. In May 1917 Mr Richard Mahoney purchased the blacksmithing business, Stafford St., North. “Mr Mahoney’s long experience in the trade and his numerous friends in the district should enable him to secure a fair share of patronage, and he trusts by strict attention to business and by employing good workmen to keep up the reputation of the establishment.”

Joseph started at Albury School when he was five years old, leaving there for Washdyke when the family moved. He had another stint at Washdyke in 1909 Perhaps he too had been to Kerrytown. His father had been elected to the Albury School Committee in 1896. Joseph may well be the Master J. Mahoney who won second prize for his Scotch Terrier in the Sporting Dogs category at Timaru in October 1910.

A good number of recruits for the Tenth Reinforcements were dispatched from the South Canterbury district on 16 November 1915. Among those for the Mounted Rifles was Trooper J. Mahoney, Southburn. Joseph was just 20 years one month old when he enlisted. He was 5 feet 5½ inches tall, weighed 140 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 33-35½ inches. His complexion was fair, his eyes grey and his hair brown. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his hearts and lungs normal. Being free of diseases, illnesses, slight defects and fits, he was in good bodily and mental health. Joseph named his father as next-of-kin – Richard Mahoney, Washdyke, near Timaru, Canterbury. Joseph was a farm labourer for Mr Scott at Southburn. He was single and Roman Catholic.

This young man did incur his share of punishments, starting on 2 February 1916 at Featherston when he spent four days confined to barracks and lost two days’ pay for overstaying leave. On 9 December 1916 at Abbassia, he was confined to barracks for two days for absence from 6.15 parade. On 20 February 1918, again at Abbassia, he was absent without leave, losing two days’ pay and enduring 14 days Field Punishment. Seven days’ Field Punishment was the penalty on 16 January 1919, while on his transport home, for leaving his hammock on deck.

Trooper J. Mahoney left with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles of the 10th Reinforcements, embarking on 4 March 1916 at Wellington and disembarking on 8 April at Suez, Egypt. On 8 May 1916, just a month after being taken on strength at Moascar, he was admitted to hospital (VD). He was discharged twelve days later. Trooper Mahoney was transferred from the Canterbury Mounted Rifles to the New Zealand (Anzac) Camel Corps on 22 July 1916 in Egypt and taken on strength. But, again, he was admitted to hospital, sick (VD), on 5 October. As of 29 October 1916, he was with the NZ Imperial Camel Corps in Egypt. On 13 November he was transferred to the Australian Reserve, before re-joining the Camel Corps from hospital on 19 December. He was still with the Camel Corps in Egypt on 31 July 1917. When in the Field on 16 September, he was sent to Rest Camp at Marakeb. On 22 November 1917 he was admitted to hospital, with septic sores, and discharged to duty from the Casualty Clearing Station on 2 December. After being posted to Strength on 4 December, he was admitted, sick, to No. 7 Hospital at Choubra on 13 December 1917 and to the Military Infectious Hospital at Choubra on 15 December, afflicted with tonsillitis. His condition was satisfactory. On 29 December he was again admitted to the Military Infectious Hospital, with diphtheria. He was improving. On 11 January 1918 he was admitted the Aotea N.Z. Convalescent Home at Heliopolis, still affected by diphtheria, but improving.

He was to be discharged, fit, from the Aotea Convalescent Home on 26 January; and to go out, fit, on 9 February. On 12 February 1918 at Cairo, he was discharged to duty from the Aotea Convalescent Home. He was again transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps in the Field. On 22 April 1918 he was admitted to the No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar (VDSC) – satisfactory. On 11 May 1918 he was admitted to the No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar, with VDSC – satisfactory. As of 1 June, his condition was still satisfactory, and he was discharged to duty a week later. Almost three weeks later he was posted to the Reserve Depot at Ismailia, on 31 July transferred to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and on 25 August detached to Supply. On 7 October at Cairo, he was sent to hospital, sick, and a week later he was admitted to the 27th General Hospital from the Casualty Clearing Station. He was admitted to the Aotea Convalescent Home at Heliopolis on 24 October. On 9 November 1918 he was discharged from Aotea to go home to duty, convalescent. The Aotea Convalescent Home in Egypt was staffed by 8 New Zealand nurse volunteers who cared for soldiers recovering from wounds and/or sickness.

Trooper Joseph Mahoney, of Washdyke, returned home to New Zealand, invalided, per the “Wiltshire” (Draft 210), embarking at Suez on 26 December 1918 and due to arrive at Wellington on 31 January 1919. The Draft brought seventy invalided soldiers for Canterbury and the West Coast, due to reach New Zealand in late January 1919. They had come via Perth, Australia and did not berth until 1 February, when they had been inspected by the Health Department officers and held up for 24 hours on account of the epidemic there. The South Island portion of the soldiers arrived at Lyttelton on 2 February and were conveyed to Christchurch. Those not belonging to Christchurch were taken for a motor ride and given afternoon tea at the Returned Soldiers' Association rooms. On a Friday evening in March, the Southburn residents met to extend a hearty welcome home to Trooper J. Mahoney of the 8th Reinforcements and two comrades, all three having been on active service on the western front. In presenting each with a gold medal, the chairman of the local Patriotic Society expressed the pleasure of all to see them safely back. appreciation of their services to the Empire, and the hope that they would have a long and happy life.

He had given three years and 188 days of service, the majority overseas in Egypt. Trooper Mahoney was discharged on 22 May 1919, in consequence of being no longer physically fit for War Service on account of illness contracted on Active Service, namely malaria and debility. On applying for the War Pension in August 1919, he was granted 30 shillings per week for six months, then 15 shillings per week for six further months. In February 1920, the allowance was increased to 40 shillings while he was in hospital in January, then to revert to the previous grant for the meantime. Trooper J. Mahoney had been “Medically Boarded” at Christchurch on 24 November 1919, the documentation issued being forwarded (Proceedings of Medical Board, Medical File, War Pensions Form). As of December 1921, the War Pension was declined to his wife.

Joseph and two other returned soldiers were involved in a serious motor car accident in mid-January 1920, when they were driving from Timaru to Temuka. On the Man North Road, near the Arowhenua Hotel, something went wrong with a front wheel and, as the car somersaulted, they were thrown on to the road. Fortunately, Joe suffered only bruises, abrasions and a severe shaking. All three were taken to Timaru Hospital by ambulance, the driver in a more serious condition. In August 1920, a public demonstration of a new tractor was given on the farm of Mr J. Mahoney adjoining the Seadown railway station. “The tractor will be hauling a three-furrow Carlyle plough and farmers should not miss seeing this modern machine at work.”

On 31 May 1921, while he was living with his parents at Washdyke, Joseph was the victim of a serious assault by an employee of his father. Joe took a whip from the accused who was knocking a horse about and objected to his swearing in the presence of his (Mahoney’s) sisters. The accused seized Joe by the neck and struck him with a rail. Mahoney suffered a head wound, bleeding and gravel rash. When the doctor arrived, he was in a “stupid, dazed condition.” The wound kept Joseph in hospital for a week. Bernard Mahoney, the 11-year-old brother of Joe, witnessed the incident. Another witness held the accused until the police arrived. Two others of Joe’s siblings, Peter and Mary, also witnessed the attack. The accused was found guilty by the jury.

Joseph married Mary Josephine McKenna in 1921. Their son Basil Joseph Mahoney, who was born on 11 June 1922, was just twelve days old when his father died. Joseph Mahoney died on 23 June 1922 at his Seadown residence, aged 25. His death was the result of tuberculosis, consequent on his war service. “(Late of the Tenth Reinforcements.) - Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on his soul. - Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for him.” read the family notice in the New Zealand Tablet of 3 August 1922. Joseph was buried at Temuka, his grave marked with a services stone. His medals – British War Medal and Victory Medal - were sent to Mrs J. Mahoney, Seadown, Canterbury. He was eligible for the plaque and scroll. Mary lived on at Seadown, a widow for over 43 years. Dying on 10 July 1965, she was buried at Temuka with Joe. She was survived by their son Basil, his wife and two sons. Basil, who moved to Wellington, served in World War Two. Joseph Mahoney signed his last will on 2 November 1921. He bequeathed all his property to his wife and appointed her sole executrix. Probate was not applied for immediately after death, as it was doubtful whether the estate would prove solvent. In October 1928 a true copy of the will was produced by his widow, whereupon she was granted administration of the estate. Joseph had acquired a Crown Leasehold property of 65 acres at Seadown under the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. Mary Josephine Mahoney carried in farming operations but was unsuccessful. After the sale of the property by the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the settling of rent arrears and interest, there was a credit of £170. The Grant of Probate was sought, to enable the transfer of the money.

Joseph was a brother of Gordon Richard Mahoney who was killed in action in 1917, and a cousin of John Maurice Mahony, who also served in World War One. His name is inscribed on the Timaru Memorial Wall, the Albury War Memorial and Mackenzie War Memorial, Fairlie (2016 additions). The names of Joseph Mahoney and Gordon Richard Mahoney were added to the Albury War Memorial in 1995, after an entry was found in the school committee minutes, which offered the committee’s condolences to the family on the loss of their son. The Washdyke memorial was unveiled on 10 June 1923, but it had been designed and constructed too soon for Joseph’s name to be included.

“Three thoroughbred stallions were paraded and the veteran owner of thoroughbred flesh, Mr Richard Mahony, had the honour of carrying off the first prize and the championship ribbon with his recent purchase, St. Petersburg. . . . he was brought into the ring yesterday at the top of his form. . . . . he looked a champion all over, and in the hands of his enthusiastic owner carried himself like the aristocrat that he is. . . . . South Canterbury is fortunate in having a horse of his calibre.” The takings at the show helped the war fund. (October 1918.) Mr Richard Mahoney, of “Grafton Lodge”, Washdyke, maintained his interest in horses. In 1931 he published “a little volume of reminiscences, covering over half a century of close association with racing and breeding in South Canterbury and New Zealand. Mr Mahoney possesses a remarkable memory for men and horses and he has drawn on this freely for his little book.” He had a part too, in the pedigree of the famed Phar Lap. Richard Mahoney died in 1943 and Mrs Mary Elinor Mahoney in 1954, but not before suffering considerable sadness. His second son, Gordon Richard Mahoney had been killed in action in 1917. Then Joseph was to die in 1922 from the effects of his war service. Their son, Vincent Robert Emmet Mahoney died in 1926 at the age of 22, and their youngest son, Edmund Archibald Mahoney, a 14-year-old schoolboy, died of an illness at the hospital in 1930. His eldest daughter, Monica Mary Duncan, also died in 1930, two months before Edmund. Monica was the little baby born just before their mother’s death. She lived with and nursed her grandmother Mary Mahony, who was an invalid for many years until she (Mary) died in May 1916.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [26 July 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5544 0077041) [10 June 2016]; Temuka Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [26 July 2013]; Timaru Herald, 24 June 1922, 12 July 1965 (Timaru District Library) [21 August 2013]; NZ BDM historical records (Department of Internal Affairs); Timaru Herald, 23 April 1891, 4 May 1893, 30 April 1896, 8 & 30 March 1898, 9 August 1900, 23 January 1901, 28 August 1902, 29 September 1902, 14 April 1903, 26 October 1906, 22 January 1907, 28 October 1910, 13 November 1915, 26 May 1916, 2 June 1916, 1 November 1918, 25 January 1919 [x 2], 29 January 1919, 17 March 1919, 17 & 19 January 1920, 12 March 1920, 10 June 1921, 27 July 1921, 18 November 1921, 24 June 1922, 11 June 1923, 3 & 13 March 1926, 14 October 1929, 21 November 1930 [x 2], 2 December 1930, 5 August 1931, Star, 29 March 1898, South Canterbury Times, 22 April 1897, 12 July 1900, Otago Witness, 12 August 1903, Temuka Leader, 12 September 1903, 6 & 13 March 1906, 17 January 1920, 7 August 1920, Press, 22 January 1919, 3 February 1919, 17 January 1920, 11 June 1923, Otago Daily Times, 22 January 1919, Feilding Star, 23 January 1919, Evening Post, 31 January 1919, 1 February 1919, New Zealand Tablet, 3 August 1922, New Zealand Herald, 27 June 1931, Nelson Evening Mail, 6 April 1932 (Papers Past) [17 November 2014; 26 October 2015; 06 November 2017; 27 July 1920; 16 December 2020; 17 & 18 September 2021]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG); Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [17 June 2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au); Fairlie Accessible, Issue 12-11, 5 June 2021 (Google search); A Home Away From Home (A Home Away From Home | WW100 New Zealand) [20 September 2021] ); Timaru Catholic Baptism Index (Christchurch Catholic Diocese CD held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [22 September 2021]; Timaru Baptism confirmed from original record (Custody of Holy Family Parish, Timaru) [23 September 2021]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• MAHONEY Joseph - newspaper clippings (pdf, 171.5 KB updated 29-Sep-2021)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS