born circa 1870 New Zealand
died: 26 July 1938 Mount Gambier, South Australia
Brother Albert was born John O’Connor and was reared on a farm in New Zealand. He was a practical farmer and prior to joining the Marist Brothers he had been engaged in teaching and farming at several schools in New Zealand. Before coming to Mount Gambier, he spent several years at Mittagong, the Agricultural College at Campbelltown New South Wales, St Joseph’s College and East Brunswick, Melbourne. Although he had no attachment to the teaching staff at the College in Mount Gambier, during the three and half years he was at the college he was well known and respected by the students. His sympathetic understanding made him a firm favourite with the younger generation. Brother Albert also enjoyed a considerable acquaintance with the farmers of the district and his opinion on agricultural matters and dairy herds was widely respected. A brother who survives is Rev Brother David, a member of the staff of the Marist Brothers’ Novitiate in New Zealand. Two surviving sisters are nuns, one in the Community of Nursing sisters in New Zealand and the other in the Convent of Mercy.
Rev Father Fahey celebrated the Requiem Mass, which was attended by Rev Father Daly of Mount Gambier, Rev Father I Kelly of Millicent, Rev Father E Ryan of Casterton, Rev Father L Roberts of Naracoorte and Rev Brothers, Norbert, Aelred and Kiernan of the Mount Gambier Marist Brothers College together with ex-students. Pupils from St Josephs and St Paul’s convent formed a guard of honour at the church while students from the Marist Brothers College marched ahead of the funeral cortege on the way to the Lake Terrace Cemetery
Source:
Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889-1954) Friday 5 August 1938 page 15
Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861-1954), Tuesday 26 July 1938 page 1
