William & Mary Ellen Conlon family
William and Mary Ellen (née McNamara) built a little stone cottage down the creek in a location which is approximately in the middle of what is now the Frank Smith oval. They had 9 children, including Helen and Michael, and in addition adopted 2 others. In later years they built a new house on Turners Ave and on the property ran cattle chickens, pigs and other animals to provide for their needs. This sets the scene for many tales.
Siblings Helen Fairley (née Conlon) and Michael (Mick) Conlon were interviewed in 1979 by Dianne Burchell and Lisa Watson about growing up in Coromandel Valley and shared their recollections of life over the years.
Their stories were transcribed and collated by Maxine Conlon in 2024 and can be read in the attached document.