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James Gormly was born on 24 July 1836 in Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland and arrived with his family in Sydney as a bounty immigrant in February 1840. Four years later the family moved to Nangus, along the Murrumbidgee, and later settled at Gundagai in 1849. In the 1852 Gundagai flood, most of the Gormly family perished, except for James and his brother Thomas. The following year the Gormly brothers enjoyed some success, selling stock at the Victorian markets and finding gold on the Victorian goldfields.
James Gormly settled at Wagga Wagga in 1854, met and married Margaret Jane Cox at Holbrook in 1858 and successfully operated a government mail run until 1872. Margaret was born the daughter of Jospeh and ? Cox of "Livingstone Gully" on 26 November 1838. The Gormly family's pastoral interests continued when James bought land at The Rock in 1873, leased "Coronga Peak" in the Bourke district in 1875, then selling and taking up "Wilga Downs", at West Bogan. After selling "Wilga Downs" for a nice profit, he returned to Wagga Wagga in 1882, bought urban real estate and led an active political life.
After serving as a Wagga Wagga Town Alderman (1883-1885) and Mayor (1884-1885), James entered State politics as the Member for Murrumbidgee in the Legislative Assembly (October 1885 - June 1894). He was subsequently re-elected in the seat of Wagga Wagga in July 1894 until he resigned in June 1904. He then served in the Legislative Council from August 1904 until his death in May 1922. A member of the Public Works Committee (1894-1895) and strong advocate of the protectionist cause, James' career included representation in the Wagga Wagga Free Selectors' Association, the Mechanics' School of Arts, the Murrubidgee Pastoral and Agricultural Association, the Murrumbidgee Turf Club, the Wagga Wagga and District Horse Breeders Associaton and the Library Association of Australia. He had a great love of horses and was one of the marathon jockeys who participated in the infamous "Ten Mile Race" held at Wagga Wagga on 20 November 1868. Before his death in Wagga Wagga on 19 May 1922, James wrote many articles on the district's history, which were then gathered together in the publication "Exploration and Settlement on the Murray and Murrumbidgee" (1909). He was also the author of "The Discovery of Yass Plains" (1921), "The Flea-bitten Grey" (1921) and "Exploration and Settlement in Australia" (1921).
His son, Richard Joseph Ernest Gormly, was born in the family home at Marshall's Point, Wagga Wagga, on 12 June 1868. The third son in a family of six boys and three girls, Richard was educated at St. Ignatius' College, Riverview, but spent most of his early life in Wagga Wagga. An avid sportsman and chess player, Richard also took an interest in the public affairs of the town. He served two terms as alderman on the Wagga Wagga City Council (1900-01, 1922-25). After his first term, Richard relocated to Cootamundra and then to Wallendbeen, but returned to Wagga Wagga after World War One. An officer of the Department of Lands, Richard worked for approximately 30 years, before retiring at Pymble in 1925.
Like his father, Richard enjoyed researching the local and district history of Wagga Wagga. He published many articles in Riverina newspapers, and was planning to publish his own history of Wagga Wagga. Richard's extensive card index is currently held in the Mitchell Wing of the State Library of New South Wales, where, after his retirement, he spent an average of 50 hours a week on his research. Richard died in Sydney on 23 August 1961 at the age of 93. The Gormly Avenue in Wagga Wagga was named by Richard in memory of his family's contribution to the local area.
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Nangus, NSW.
Gundagai, NSW.
Wagga Wagga, NSW.
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Authority Record created 6 April 2019. J Kohlhagen.
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Agency History compiled by James Logan. Updated in 2019 by Jillian Kohlhagen.
Sources :
Buxton, Gordon, 'James Gormly (1836-1922)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 4, 1851-1890, D-J, pp. 273-274;
Radi, Heather, Spearritt and Hinton, Elizabeth, Biographical Register of the New South Wales Parliament 1901-1970. ANU Press: Canberra, 1979;
Sherry Morris, Wagga Wagga: a history. The Council of the City of Wagga Wagga, 1999;
The Daily Advertiser, 26 August 1961;
Gormly family history papers, Gormly Family, RW98/11, CSU Regional Archives.