Gordon, Newport, Daylesford, Iona, St. Kilda East, etc, Vic

Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, p 119:

Cusack, John J. (Sen.), Irish
Big Father Cusack, So-Called
The name and face revive childhood memories. Father Cusack was the first priest I saw at the altar in the local church, St. Michael's, Springbank, or, as known then, Ormond. His bearing was impressive (at least I thought so) and, judging by the reputation that he left behind in the parish of Gordon, he was the kindly Shepherd in command. With very few exceptions the whole community went to Mass — the more affluent in nothing better than T-model Fords, others in drays, buggies or gigs, some on horseback, and the less affluent on shanks's ponies — some of whom came 6 miles and fasting for the 11 am Mass. There was a community spirit in the Mass gathering and no one thought of driving elsewhere to carry out the Sunday obligation. Posh cars were not yet in vogue to break up the country church community! The only problem that His Reverence had, was that a fraction of the locals headed for the pub across the way when it came to Communion time and the sermon. But Big John was able to cope by wording up the Catholic licensees! But what impressed a five-year-old more, was that in visiting our home he lifted me into the pony's saddle, something beyond a beginner's capability.

Family esteem was partly due to the same origin — County Clare, God help us! In John's case the town was O'Brien's Bridge where he was born in 1856. The parents were Michael and Eileen (nee Clancy) and probably the John Cusack (Jun) that follows was a cousin. Education was received at St. Mary's, Dundalk, and at All Hallows, Dublin. In due course he was ordained on 24 June 1886, arriving in Melbourne on the 'Potosi', 10 September following. First appointment was to St. Patrick's Cathedral, then to St. Francis' in the years 1887-8. After two years at St. Mary's, West Melbourne the responsibility was thrust on his shoulders to pioneer the new parish of Drysdale, formerly a part of Geelong. Close on ten years of service there followed by appointment to Gordon, where the habits of predecessors were not what the Irish-orientated community thought they should be. Cusack was the right man to bring the place out of the doldrums, especially on the building level. Two brick churches at Springbank (Ormond) and Ballan bear witness to his initiative, along with a brick presbytery opened in 1913. On transfer to Newport (a new parish) in 1916, he again turned to the building of a new presbytery which was opened in 1917. The reign at Newport was long and the going hard. At some period or other a fire-bug succeeded in burning down the parish church, but fortunately the Blessed Sacrament was removed before the building's collapse. Curate at the time, I understand was Fr. Bernard Stewart (now Bishop of Sandhurst). John Cusack lived to see his Golden Jubilee of Priesthood, but from hearsay I learn that the last years of life were clouded by the dotage of old age. Date of death is recorded on the tablet in the Priest's Mortuary Chapel in the Carlton General Cemetery as 11 February 1937. Two differing records are given of his age: 89 and 81. If the former is correct, the date given of his birth in All Hallows records must be incorrect.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 5)

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N.B. This obituary points to confusion over the appointments of Revs Cusack Snr and Jnr by Linane: Death of Rev. J.J. Cusack, Williamstown Advertiser, 22 September 1917, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87751233. Further research required.