John Byrne

John Byrne immigrated to Moreton Bay in 1853 with his family on the ship 'America'. The voyage from Liverpool which took five months and three weeks was recorded as being terrible, with passengers receiving not being provided with adequate provisions. John described landing in Brisbane with 'not a pannikin of water on board, and with scarcely a morsel of provisions'. The owners were heavily fined for running an unseaworthy ship.

He was immediately engaged by Joseph Fleming and was employed at the Bremer Mill and Boiling Down establishment, where he worked for thirteen years. He accompanied Joseph to his stations on the Balonne. After leaving the Bremer Mills, John moved to his farm near the Six-mile Bridge on old Brisbane Road, where he stayed until after the 1893 flood. He moved to higher ground and resided in Goodna.

Known as 'The Grand Old Man of Goodna', John died at the age of 108 in 1906. The Catholic Press said he was the oldest man in Australia.