Dr Ignatius Joseph Flynn (1869-1944)
Ignatius Joseph Flynn was born in Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland, on 10 May 1869 (reference; reference). His parents, John and Julia Mary Flynn nee North, had Ignatius baptised into Catholicism on 20 May, ten days after his birth (reference).
He completed his initial M.B. Medical Studies at the Royal University in Ireland in 1893 (reference). He then emigrated to Fremantle, where he sought and received his registration as a medical practitioner for the Swan River Colony in June 1894 (reference; reference). A year later, in 1895, he returned to Dublin to complete his Doctorate in medicine at Trinity College (reference). After graduating, he returned to Western Australia in 1898 and settled in Bunbury (reference).
Dr Flynn volunteered to serve in the Australian Army Medical Corps during the Boer War (reference; reference; reference). He served overseas in South Africa as a Captain of Unit 5 Medical Staff from 6 March 1901 to 17 May 1902 (reference; reference; reference). On 14 April 1904, he was now a Lieutenant and resigned his commission from the Australian Army Medical Corps (reference; reference).
After returning to Bunbury from the Boer War, Dr Flynn was appointed as Justice of the Peace for the Wellington District (reference). He was also appointed onto the Magisterial Bench of Western Australia for the Wellington district in 1906 and 1907 (reference; reference; reference).
He also continued his work as a medical practitioner in Bunbury (reference). As a doctor, he attended many medical emergencies and sometimes arrived too late, with the patient having already died (reference; reference; reference). In other cases, he had to identify deceased bodies or perform post mortems to determine the cause of death (reference). In some instances, he had patients rushed to the Bunbury hospital, but they died on the way there (reference). He also had to provide evidence in court cases regarding injuries sustained by victims (reference; reference).
During his career as a doctor, he served as the Commonwealth Medical Officer and the District Medical Officer (reference).
In 1907 he returned to Ireland to find a wife as the Bishop of Bunbury had made it clear that the colony's women preferred to be attended to by a married doctor (reference). While in Ireland, he met his future wife, Mary Josephine O'Ryan, an Irishwoman, who was twenty years younger than him at nineteen years old (reference; reference).
By 1912 Mary had already given him three children (reference). They sailed from Ireland to Bunbury in that year, where they stayed for the remainder of their lives (reference). The family expanded to twelve children, who all grew up at their large home on Stirling Street, which he had built for his growing family (reference; reference). Their children were were John Michael (1908-1980), Daniel Joseph (1909-1978), Michael Francis Patrick (1913-1997), Francis Ignatius (1915-1974), Leonard (1917-), Mary Teresa (1918-1912), Ursula Mary (1919-2002), Margaret (1921-), Ignatius Joseph (1923-1942), Carmel (-1932), Clare Juliana (1926-) and Kathleen (1929-2011) (reference; reference; reference).
Mary passed away on 23 February 1935 at 48 years old (reference).
Dr Flynn passed away on 29 August 1944 at the age of 75 at the St John of God Hospital in Bunbury (reference; reference). He had practiced medicine his entire adulthood and served as a doctor until he died (reference). He is interred at the Bunbury Cemetery in the Roman Catholic section with his wife, Mary (reference). The R.S.L. Bunbury Sub-branch posted in the South Western Times "In the passing of Dr Ignatius Flynn, we take this opportunity of paying deep and reverend tribute to a true campaigner, who to the very end of his days never relaxed in the cheerful rendering of more unselfish service of others" (reference). The South Western Times also wrote an extensive article dedicated to Ignatius after his passing (reference):
Bunbury Loses Valued Citizen after 50 Years of Service
"Father Time is not always a hard parent for though he tarries for none of his children he often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well, making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour. With such people the gray head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent lifetime."
When Dickens wrote these lines he might well have had in mind such men as our old friend Ignatius John Flynn, who has now passed on after more than half a century as doctor, soldier, citizen and churchman. He was a part of Bunbury for truly it can be said that his good works will live after him. In many homes in our town and district, untold kindly deeds of the old doctor will keep his memory green. For the doctor was a very bad bookkeeper, especially to those whom he considered could ill afford the expense brought through sickness and death.
While the years brought to Dr. Flynn pride and pleasure in his boys and girls, great sorrows came to him also. The death of his loved wife nine years ago took from him a partner who shared in his works and who is still today remembered with affection by Bunbury residents, while just recently his youngest son Joe, of the R.A.A.F., was killed in England.
When the deceased doctor first visited Bunbury, after his arrival in this State he was so impressed with the green fields and the undoubted prospects of development that he forthwith decided that Bunbury was to be his home.
If Bunbury exercised such a strong attraction for him, it must be said that he, on his own part, served it well, with untiring loyalty and skill. He was one of those men who gave more than he expected to receive.
The late Dr. Flynn was actively engaged in his profession right to the time of his death. As late as the Friday before his death, the deceased doctor was on his usual medical rounds although looking ill and apparently suffering from a considerable strain. As always he placed the interests of others before his own, and thought only of those who needed his skill and attention.
Although he had not done a great deal of medical work during the past few years, he still attended to his official duties as medical officer of health and offered his help readily wherever it was needed. The cause of death was heart attack which came on over the week-end, and the end came suddenly Three sons: F/O Frank Flynn and Sergt. Michael Flynn (of the R.A.A.F.), and Mr Leo Flynn, who is studying to be a priest—hurried to Bunbury on receiving news of their father's condition and remained for the funeral which took place on Wednesday morning of last week. Requiem Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral prior to the funeral ceremony, which was attended by a particularly large and representative gathering. Another son, Dr. John Flynn, is still serving in the army. To these and other relatives the deepest sympathy and condolences of the entire community are extended, for all sections of the community have reason to feel keenly the passing of one who has earned their affection and esteem and whom they can so ill-afford to lose.
Fifty Years of Service
He is well remembered in Bunbury as far back as 1912, and people still recall how unceasingly he worked and the invaluable services he rendered in connection with the smallpox scare which broke out here a little over 20 years ago. Actually the late Dr Flynn had been in Bunbury for about 50 years, coming out to this country from Dublin at the age of 25 years. Shortly after his arrival in this country he paid a short visit to Bunbury and was immediately so attracted by this district that he forthwith resolved that Bunbury was to be his home.
The late Dr Flynn returned to Dublin in 1893 when he took his degree of M.D., and returned to Bunbury. A break came with the advent of the Boer War when he enlisted and served for two years with the Western Australian Contingent under Col. D'Oyley Forbes. He returned to Bunbury about 1901 and spent some years in partnership with the late Dr. Simon Joel. He again went home to Dublin in 1907 when he married bringing his bride back with him to Bunbury, where she died in February 1935.
The late Dr. Flynn is survived by a family of five sons and five daughters. One son, Mr. Dan Flynn, is doing Government research work in Melbourne, having been released from the defense forces for this purpose. Of the five daughters, whose ages range from 14 to 26, two are in Melbourne, where one is a nun and the other engaged in teaching.
The funeral took place last Wednesday morning the remains being laid to rest in the Roman Catholic portion of the Bunbury cemetery, in the presence of a particularly large crowd who gathered to pay their last respects to one who had given such outstanding service to the community over such a lengthy period. Father J. Hogan conducted the last rites. Funeral arrangements were carried out by William Brittain and Son."
After he passed away, he left £28,321/12/7 to his children (reference; reference). His son Dr John Michael was the executor of the will (reference). As part of distributing the estate, the portions of Wellington Location 1, being Rural Lots 50 and 51 on Clifton Road, had to have a new Certificate of Title issued as the original had been lost or destroyed (reference).
Many thanks to Mary Flynn, Dr Flynn's granddaughter, for the family photographs.