Piccadilly Hill Coopers Shoot Byron Bay
Est. May 4, '1882 by
James Hogan
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Have to start with the Hogan's Bluff Curse of Piccadilly Hill Coopers Shoot Byron Bay - Hogan's Ghost. Actually Ghosts - 3 consecutive generations - 3 murders. James Hogan (Peter Hogan's Great Grandfather) was one of the original pioneers that came into Byron Bay when it was opened up in '1882. He was murdered in '1899. Shot over a cattle dispute when things came to a head, an argument with a neighbour. They were standing on top of Hogan's Bluff... Then Jame's youngest son Martin Hogan gets murdered in '1942 he was just 50. Again this involved Hogan's Bluff... Just recently (in '2008) Martin's son Matthew James Hogan gets murdered. That happens just when Peter Hogan was doing long interviews with his father (Matt) an investigation into suspects in the case of the Hogan's Bluff Curse. The curse will never stop until a Hogan returns to BallyHogan ...And now it's 3 Hogan's Ghosts that are wondering the moors of BallyHogan unable to find peace until there is a Hogan descendant back on BallyHogan. Just like Heathcliffe in Wuthering Heights.
The story of the Hogan's Bluff Curse will also be featured in Peter Hogan's upcoming "Australians of Arabia The Movie" (hot on the heels of Baz Luhrmann's "Australia") and Amazon Kindle eBook "The Hogan's Bluff Curse - The Fisher King of Byron Bay", along with video interview with his father Matthew Hogan and the Truman Capote ("Cold Blood") styled investigation at Byron Bay, etc. |
BallyHogan, bottom left, on a Selector's Map of '1887
(click to enlarge)
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Hogan's Bluff Curse The Fisher King of Byron Bay There will be nothing but back luck Until a Hogan returns to The Bluff Piccadilly Hill Coopers Shoot Byron Bay "The great wild bull is lying down Never to rise again The Billjim-Bilgames is lying down Never to rise again..." Matt Hogan was not a famous man Just a Fair Dinkum Australian That's all A man of the North Country A boy fishing with his father Martin On the rocks at Broken Head Or waking on 7 Mile Beach "Where is the old bugger?" By age 10 had his own Bullock Team And 4 Rifles Loved his Mum Ada "Go fetch your father" Into Bryon Bay town Yell from the door of the Great Northern "Dad!" Old horse and sulky knows the way home Both fall asleep all the way to the front gate That old tree stump with the hollow Couldn't resist putting the hand in Sshhhiiiit! Swang it against the fence post Bloody crow wouldn't let go Martin taken out like James Hogan's Bluff it was And the Black Ships But no one knows that in this country '1942 nonstop funerals Kevin on Hospital Ship Centaur with munitions in the hull (Everyone knew that's why the unions refused to load her) Only 15 Gotta put down Uncle Mick's dogs Trick 'em down to the creek Bit of food in one hand, axe in the other Loved his beer Slip down Coopers Shoot to Byron Bay town Schooner with Town Godfather Marty Gooley at the Bowling Club Meet up with mates at The Great Northern Saturday night dance and who knows your luck (Every 10th one'd say "Yes") A fight out the back Nightcap at the Railway Pub with mentor Fred Poolman Errands for old Mary up on the Piccadilly Hill section Until Father Extortium Scott Bangalow Catholic Church Ltd Sells her a ticket to heaven What do you mean "No money" woman Just put your mark on this piece of paper Opium of the People "Alas We are the stuffed men Leaning together Headpiece filled with straw The Hollow Men Mistah Hogan he dead" Three generations from the '1882 Establishment Of blood sweat and tears Still in the soil of BallyHogan Dispossessed of our land So the Hogan's Bluff Curse began Until a descendant returns Did his best With the Euchre cards he got dealt Stuck at the same bloody table the whole night Drew the crow all right Leant a helping hand to many Shafted in return They know who they are or soon will for "Did you see the one whose corpse Was left lying on the plain His shade is not at rest in the Netherworld Overwhelmed by the enemy Pete unable to retrieve his body And bring it home for burial at Tintenbar Unburied phantoms haunt their old homes Increasingly restless and malevolent If not appeased renders a home unlivable The scribe consulted Gilgamesh 12th tablet Tis a bad omen indeed Sennacherib must return the capital to Nineveh" BallyHogan our Tara calls Back again now in the North Country Standing there arms on hips on top of Piccadilly Hill (Indeed "On Top of The World" Says the Guest House Accommodation Real Estate ad Only $3,000 a week Or buy one for only $4,250,000 To stay on your own land No takers Ay Couldn't be the Curse could it If only they had a Hogan around the place) Gazing out over the great Pacific Back home now on BallyHogan Pete With James, Martin and faithful Rowdy 3 Hogan's Ghosts The squalling southerly busters Howling up Midgen Flat swamp In the dead of the night No rest for you bastards now The "Fisher King" curse stays Until a Hogan returns to the The Bluff 
Martin ('1892-'1942) and Matt ('1926-'2008) c. mid '1930s
Grandad and Tara (b. 31/12/02) |
Hogan's Bluff - Topographical Map of Byron Bay
(Click to enlarge)
Google Maps
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The BallyHogans 100 years ago
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Taken on the Piccadilly Hill section c.'1902
BR: Michael (after James' father), Matthew, John Edward (about 15, '1887 - '1938, founded El Arish south of Cairns), James. FR: Mary Ann (nee Hayes), Martin, George Johnson (father of the 2 infants in photo, he married Kitty) [An interesting email from George's side of the family indicates surname mispelling on photo] (missing brother, Patrick - was probably down in Sydney working as chauffeur for Uncle Patrick) [Thanks to Geraldine Draper, Manunda, grand-daugther of John, daughter of Dennis Hogan] James Hogan was already dead - murdered in '1899 (got shot over cattle dispute - see Hogan's Bluff Curse detailed research). James (b. '1833, father: Michael Hogan, mother: Anne, nee Fitzgerald), came to Australia with brother Patrick, '1861. James ended up near Tamworth (mid-western NSW) married Mary Anne Hayes ('1850) in '1869. James was almost 50 when heook up his selection at Byron Bay in May '1882. They had 10 children, first 3 children were girls, the boys born at the time of clearing BallyHogan were quite young. The photo was taken about the time when Jack, Jimmy and Matty and ventured north and pioneered areas of the Atherton Tablelands. Jack named and settle El Arish (near Mission Beach south of Cairns) in honour of his WWI experiences. Mick and Martin ('1892 - '1942, sitting on ground - grandfather of Peter Hogan) split BallyHogan. Patrick ended up in Sydney. The man behind Mary is probably a son-in-law (Johnson). |
The Hogan Homestead
(Apparently the second house, probably
after the proverbial slab hut)
Official Surveyor's Map of '1884
(click to enlarge)
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Post Office Directory '1892-93 Extracts
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Tintenbar was once a lively place in the Byron Bay hills.
James Hogan c. '1833 -'1899 grave is located at the old disused settler's cemetery at Tintenbar. His brother Patrick Hogan has 3 entries: two for his Sussex Street office and one for his Allison Street Randwick residence. Patrick was a Mayor of Waterloo, his name is inscribed in a plaque above the old Waterloo Town Hall entrance in Elizabeth Street:
In any event, the bulk of both estates disappeared, extorted by the catholic church - their old trick, namely, selling sure-fire guaranteed, bona fide tickets to heaven, sold by the local priests to the old, frail and scared of the possibility of an after-life. All that's left of James and Patrick Hogan's decades of toil is the proverbial catholic church consolation prize a plaque somewhere in the local church. For James it's at Bangalow catholic church, it appears under the crucifix / calvary groups behind the altar (extorted from Mary). For Patrick it's at Randwick catholic church (Avoca St) in a window (aptly above the confessional box LHS) and unnervingly includes the words "FOR FAVOURS RECEIVED". (How many Hogan families / descendants, let alone other gullible Irish Catholic familes are walking around now, still in the lower classes, working in lower class jobs and houses, like we just got off the immigrant boat, thanks to the catholic church?! One day we should all get together on this webpage forum and bring a class action against the catholic church for stealing our family estates, and force them to pay compensatory and punitive damages by selling prime church realestate acquired with blood money.) Mary died in the mid '1954 right on the time Father Scott happened to find the money to build his fancy presbytry which looked classier than even the competition denomination's wooden churches. To Do List - check Public Records office of NSW - look for Police report about James being shot - try to dig up and access any Wills under Freedom of Information Act. |
(ref. "James Hogan died June 4, '1899 aged 66
Mary Ann Hogan died December 16, '1924 aged 74
Tintenbar Cemetery
(on Tintenbar Hill)
Patrick Hogan MLA NSW Parliament
(Member Legislative Assembly)
 Kevin Hogan was collateral damage of the American Pacific War ('First Cause': Admiral Perry's Black Ships in '1853 forced Japan, a closed country for 300 years, to open up to buy American goods - so the Japanese modernized, fast. Then they challenged American colonial dominance in their backyard, particularly in China, by first taking on the Russian colony there. "Kami-Kaze" pilots were named after the divine wind which halted a Chinese armada intent on invading raping and pillaging Japan centuries earlier - they say the Japanese distort the way history is taught in school, not to mention the Opium Wars where the British we trying to force opium trade down the throats of the Chinese people and won, thereby annexing Hong Kong...) So it was bascially American big business bullets which act as a catalyst for exposing BallyHogan - the deaths of the 3 main Hogans in the space of a year, making it an easy target for the catholic church ticket sales to heaven. Pig Iron Prime Minister Bob Menzies was going to let the Japanese come as far as the Queensland border (where they promised to stop). So the angst levels were raised in the north. Martin Hogan got done in May '1942, aged just 50, a few months after Pearl Harbour. Matt, then 15, tells the story of Father Scott coming around not long after extorting money from Ada and old Mary told Scott "To get the hell off our propery!" 
Not just a church window but the cente-piece effectively confirming a huge 'donation', a catalyst in the demise of the Hogans of Piccadilly Hill Coopers Shoot Byron Bay. Particularly during the Great Depression, a blatantly wasteful and ill-conceived white elephant given the already population shift to Byron Bay township. And then a need for another new church there. But Father Scott was hellbent on outdoing the other denominations - kept exorting money from families struggling to feed, clothe and educate their kids. The irony is that the historian wonders why three of the main families of Byron Bay literally died out! Mick, the eldest brother, went in August. Matt again tells the story re having to grow up fast - Mick had a lot of dogs, they could not keep. Matt (15 remember) lured them down to the gully with bread and axed one at a time - he said he never got over having to do that. Kevin was a conscietious objector, he knew the war was about big business on both sides. He ended up an ambulance driver - got assigned to board the hospital ship "Centaur" - unions refused to load it because it was violating the Geneva convention by carrying weapons in the hull - still got loaded - everyone knew including the Japanese, they sank it of the coast of southern Queensland. Kevin Hogan followed his father exactly a year later, 14 May '1943. Matt remember his fathers favourite pub in Byron Bay was the Great Northern Hotel, sometimes he was ordered by Ada to go into town to fetch him home (no wonder that pub got burnt down twice). Seems the old horse (and sulky) knew the way home. At a young age Matt had about 4 rifles. Funniest story he ever told me was about a big bird that had a nest in a hollow of some tree stump. Oneday couldn't resist putting his hand in. Bird got a hold of his finger and wouldn't let go, so Dad was repeated slamming this bird on the stump... |
The Hogan's were a key family in the development of Byron Bay
and are thus featured in "Time & Tide" History of Byron Bay
Centennial '1884 - '1984 Maurice Ryan - some extracts:
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BallyHogan Byron Bay Lineage:
1. James Hogan b.'1833 - d. 6 June '1899 2. Martin Hogan b. 21 Feb '1892 - d. 14 May '1942 3. Matthew James Hogan b. 15 December '1926 - d. '2008 4. (Matthew) Peter Hogan b. 26 July '1956 5. Tara Hogan b. 31 December '2002 |
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Other bits and pieces for followup:
- Denis Hayes (probably Dennis Hogan, John's son, El Arish, named after this maternal grandfather) - Mary Ann's father - was bringing across furniture from Tamworth (property area name) using a dray - lost horse - when he finally got to BallyHogan - they couldn't get rid of him... - When James Hogan takes up selection in '1882 he had to get a loan from the Bank of NSW (Australia's oldest back, now Westpac). At this time Patrick was already Mayor of Waterloo, and rides the back of James to step up to NSW Member of Parliament for the Byron area - Member for Richmond and Macleay, though residing in Sydney. Why didn't Patrick provide the loan - did James and Patrick form a partnership, initially own BallyHogan together... Always been family talk that James would send down produce to Patrick, who also had a commission agent business in 23 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (office later demolished for construction of access to the Harbour Bridge), and Patrick sells it, makes a tidy sum, but did not pass on the money - just sent up not-needed farm materials, like a saddle or something, no much need cash. Probably some sibling rivalry between James and Patrick - James may have been an uneducated Irish hothead type - re the story that he got shot over a cattle dispute. Patrick and wife Brigit (both James and Patrick got married late, in mid their 30s, in the same year '1869, James first, was that copycat sibling rivalry again) only had one child, a daughter, Minnie - story of her going along to each of their terrace houses in Raglan Street, Redfern, collecting rent and putting it into a secret pocket in her skirt. Minnie moved from their family mansion (Avondale) in Alison Road Randwick to a smaller place nearby - why was that? Not having a son, and James having 6, why didn't he groom one them. Patrick his namesake and nephew (who ended up in a Terrey Hills Sydney grave plot without a headstone) did work for him as some kind of stablehand and coachman for a while. Mary, the first born of James and Mary Ann (b. circa '1870) ended up with Mick's Piccadilly Section of what was left of BallyHogan on his death in August '1942. She was then about 72. She moved to Bangalow township. Most of that part of the estate seems to have been sucked dry by Father Scott (pissed off back to Ireland at one stage, but unfortunately for us he swam back) especially for the building of his white elephant new Bangalow Catholic Church (Byron Bay was by that time usurping Bangalow). Remembering the last brother left on the estate, Martin, dies a few months before. Ada (nee Fuller) Martin's wife lasted till 1950. Her son Matt, remembers her pushing her guts back up between her legs - no doubt vaginal prolapse (a hernia - which the writer knows all about...). With failing health later moved to Byron Bay township (61 Carlyle St, then later to 42 Browning St - left in Ada's Will to Jack and Matt - for a while they were in a cottage where Byron Bay Swimming Pool now stands). Martin and Ada had 5 children: Jack ('1917 - c.'1996), Kevin ('1919 - '1943), Margaret (b. '1921, ended up in Melbourne - John & Tilly Lawrence), Patricia (b. '1923, ended up in Canberra - sons, Denis and Jeffrey Mitchell) and Matthew James Roger (b. '1926). Of the sons that went to pioneer north Queensland, Jim, Jack and Mick, only Jack, who founded El Arish, had children. His son, Denis Hogan (born circa '1926) had a son who may have died in an accident and least 2 daughters, Geraldine Draper of Manunda (who supplied the BallyHogans photo) and the other daughter lives in Penshurst, Sydney. She has the trowel presented to Patrick Hogan on laying the foundation stone of Waterloo Town Hall (as Mayor). There was some talk that when James and Patrick came to Australia in '1861 (from Thurles, Ireland) other brothers went to North America, and that there may be a link to Ben Hogan, the golfer. Matt remembers something about old Mary (b. '1870) writing to relatives in America. |
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Hogan's of Byron Bay - History Research Summary
Firstly the Hogan genealogy stretches back to when Michael Hogan married Anne Fizgerald probably in Thurles, County Tipperary. One of the sons, James (my great-grandfather) born c. '1834, came to Australia (with his brother Patrick - other brothers supposedly went to North America) c. '1861. James later pioneered Byron Bay, northern NSW (as above). A commemorative public notice marking the Centenary (June 4 '1899 - June 4 '1999) of James Hogan's death was printed in the "Byron Echo" June 1 '99 issue page 32 (Acrobat PDF). And the Editors kindly printed the piece below in the following week's issue (June 8, p8): Echo Archives (echo_14.02) or Echo Acrobat viewer. Respecting Ancestors One thing I picked up the importance of, from living in Japan for most of the 90s, is respecting the deeds of ancestors. The Japanese return to their ancestral home towns every year for the O-Bon Festival in August. The ritual includes a visit to the ancestral grave plot and giving the spirits sake and rice. So when I came back this time to the Bay and took the drive up to the original settler's cemetery in Tintenbar I was particularly moved by the inscription on my great grandfather's headstone: James Hogan Died June 4 1899... And realised the centenary was coming up. What to do - how could I mark the event, do something to tip my hat? Then I heard an 'Echo' and knew I had to put a public commemorative notice in the local Echo classifieds. According to records James was the sixth pioneer into the area (then known as Cavana), taking up his selection, 'BallyHogan', on May 4, 1882. The only remnant of his toil is the marking on local maps for a rather eerie geographical formation in the heart of the old estate called 'Hogan's Bluff' (out Cooper's Shoot way). Current and original selectors' maps can be found on a special commemorative web page on the Internet... Unfortunately, for all his toil, research indicates that the local catholic church ended up with most of the estate. (Old Father Scott got his hands on it to build his pet white elephant church in Bangalow - way too extravagant for the parish size, hich was later to prefer the Bay church anyway - the only remaining evidentiary hint being the brass donation plaque from the Hogan family, under the main statue configuration.) And it was one of James Hogan's six sons, John, who went to WWI and came back and named El Arish in Northern Queensland in honour of the greatest cavalry victory in modern military history - the liberation of Palestine in 1918 from 400 years of Turkish rule - spearheaded by the Billjims (Australian Light Horse). Unfortunately, Hollywood and the spinmasters later gave the credit to Lawrence of Arabia, and assigned the Australians the fiasco at Gallipoli instead. I recommend researching your family history and putting up a free web site at GeoCities too, for time immemorial. Don't you think we owe them that much? Peter Hogan Note: Echo Letters 6/22 page 35 - a reply, "The Home of Homo Sapiens" Echo Publications Pty Ltd www.echo.net.au |
Peter Hogan
"Hogan" Genealogy
Contact
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Hogan's Bluff Curse - cover up. The bad luck that happens to people that live on the cursed Hogan's Bluff estate of Byron Bay that runs from Piccadilly Road Coopers Shoot Bangalow / Newrybar northern down Midget Flat Road eastern border heading toward Broken Head and Suffolk. James Hogan always thought there was something funny about Hogan's Bluff. The way it just drew him in when he first came up that creek from Ballina past Tintenbar. The Jungian Sycncronicity of being right smack in the middle of the Selection. Anybody who sees Hogan's Bluff for the first time has the same eerie shiver running up their spine. People get sucked into buying land on Hogan's Bluff ...funny things start happening ...now 3 Hogan's Ghost roaming around can't find peace until a Hogan returns have bad luck then they try to sell it. Funny thing is Peter Hogan was in Kings Cross and overheard 2 guys talking about Hogan's Bluff 141 Piccadilly Hill Coopers Shoot Byron Bay being up for Auction on 6 December '2008 ...Matt Hogan December Birthday - he was murdered in '2008 ...the last time we spoke he said "remember what I said about Hogan's Bluff and the rock at the base, the one he showed me that time..." Bad karma what goes around comes around.
Real Estate Agent Property For Sale Rent Holiday Accommodation Guest House Bed and Breakfast Piccadilly Road Coopers Shoot Byron Bay 141 Picadilly Hill Rd Coopers Shoot Byron Bay You will feel like you are on top of the world! Originally built as an artist's home and studio, the home is truly unique with plenty of character and charm. It has a rustic Tuscan feel with a combination of timber finishes, polished cement and terracotta tiled floors. The house is designed around two interlocking pavilions. In the first pavilion there is a huge living area with 5 metre high ceilings, a fire place, and a loft bedroom. The second pavilion contains a large dining/lounge room with an open fire place and a second bedroom and walk in robe. There are two bathrooms and a new modern kitchen. Auction: Saturday, 6 December '2008 Contact: Mark Kinneally Lois Buckett Real Estate 1300 558 476 3/76 Ballina Street PO Box 10 Lennox Head NSW 2478 Coopers Shoot $4,250,000 Property Type: Rural Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Car Spaces: Add to shortlist ' Piccadilly Hill ' Lismore Real Estate Piccadilly Hill Home - Coopers Shoot $4,250,000 119 Piccadilly Hill Road Coopers Shoot Property Type: Rural Bedrooms: - Bathrooms: - Car Spaces Property ID: 2007329910 When it comes to wonderfully secluded premier costal positions with glorious ocean views nothing surpasses Piccadilly Hill at Coopers Shoot. A private, hibiscus lined sealed driveway welcomes you to this master built family home. From the moment you enter, you feel the warmth and comfort of a country lifestyle. The home features 4 bedrooms, walk in robes, ensuites and spacious main bathroom, plantation shutters and bay windows, formal and informal entertaining areas with great views and a real family feel throughout. A stunning glass atrium flows from the informal living spaces and overlooking the infinity edge swimming pool. Soaring vaulted ceilings and a huge country style timber kitchen with walk in pantry, combine to ensure the feeling of light and space. Mixed hardwood polished floors and ornate plaster work feature throughout the home. The formal living room, with an inviting wood fire place and large picture windows, opens on to an impressive study. Piccadilly Hill has been run as as successful Bed and Breakfast and has been designed with separate two bedroom and bathroom accommodation for guests. These rooms can easily be integrated with the main house to form a substantial family home. Each bedroom has an ensuite and built-in wardrobes. There are also approved plans for a separate guest dwelling. The home is well placed overlooking the inspiring panorama with 75 acres of magnificently manicured farmland and beautifully established gardens. Land area: 30.3500 hectares Contact: Elders Byron Bay 1300 761 569 56.56 = 26 July '1956 Egypt Curse Suez Cairo Jillong AYM |