Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev Francis A F Dunham, d. 2 Mar 1905

Born in England, Dunham studied at All Hallows College in Dublin. He served in Liverpool and Brisbane and died at age 68. He was appointed the ADM of Roma in 1873 and was still on mission there in 1877. Pugh's list him as serving in Roma from 1874 until 1881.
(Ref. Linane D106)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

---

Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 119-120:
Fr Francis Augustine Fitzwilliam Dunham

Francis Augustine Fitzwilliam Dunham was born to Samuel Ashley and Maria Isabella (nee Chandlery) Dunham at Highgate Middlesex on 17 September 1837. He was the sixth child and youngest son of nine children. His father who died at the age of 48 in July 1858 was a distinguished historian and intimate friend of the Laureate, Robert Southey, and Dr John Lingard.(1) His mother died in October 1862 aged 62.

Francis entered All Hallows Missionary College in 1857 from Westminster via Dublin's Stillorgan minor seminary. He was ordained for the Liverpool mission on 14 June 1863. He served as a curate at St Vincent's Liverpool and Fernley and as the first pastor of All Saints in Golborne from 1864 to 1871.(2) An elder brother, Robert, was a priest and two younger sisters, Edith and Elizabeth Isabella, were Dominican nuns.(3)

Fr Francis arrived in the colony of Queensland aboard the barque Polmaise of 812 tons on 18 September 1871. On board the same vessel were his brother Fr Robert Southey Dunham and four Italian priests for the Brisbane mission.(4) He was registered for marriages on 22 March 1872.

Fr Francis sailed via Rockhampton to the north on 22 July 1872. He was in Charters Towers in early January 1873.(5) In mid-June 1873 Fr Robert left Rockhampton for Clermont/Copperfield to be succeeded by his brother Fr Francis Dunham.(6) Both brothers served the large area of Queensland. By mid-1873, Francis had decided to approach the territory from the south, as administrator of the Roma mission... Prior to his arrival the Roma district had been under the supervision of Fr Horan, of Warwick.(7) The press reported in June Fr Dunham returning from a trip where he went to Bulloo, instead of St George.(8)

Fr Francis Dunham was in charge of the Maranoa mission until 1881. The mission, based in Roma, extended far to the west and north. His curates were Fr Denis Fouhy from 1873 to 1875; his brother Fr Robert in 1887 and 1888 and Fr Michael McKernan in 1879 and 1880.(9) In November 1878 Fr Dunham paid a visit to Tambo and attendance at his service was good.(10)

Bishop O'Quinn was angry when he arrived, with a priest of the Redemptorist congregation who was to preach a mission in the district, to find that Fr Dunham was absent. On 11 June 1880 the bishop replaced Fr Dunham with Fr Peter Capra as priest-in charge of the mission.(11) Fr Dunham celebrated his last baptism at Roma in late June 1880, before moving to Blackall/Tambo.

The Rev Father Dunham, who intends to reside permanently in this district, has at length received substantial promises of support towards the erections of churches in Tambo and Blackall.(12)

In November 1880 he celebrated Mass in the Blackall public hall.(13) In April 1881 it was reported that Rev Father Dunham is on his way to Blackall, from the North West and expects to hold services here during the first week of May.(14)

Dunham visited the Catholics scattered throughout far western Queensland. Fr Kevin Condon cm records that Fr Dunham is mentioned in Mary Durack's book Kings in Grass Castles.(15) Father Dunham's name is commemorated in Dunham Towers, a holding on the Diamantina, and Dunham Station and the Dunham River in the Kimberleys.

By June 1883 Fr Dunham was back in Brisbane. Dr Chris Hanlon details his very active ministerial life in the Brisbane church during those years when he was residing at Fortitude Valley. On 6 July 1885 he was a victim of influenza which left him in a semi-invalid state which developed into a paralytic stroke. In 1886 he had another stroke.

Returning from treatment in March 1887 he purchased at house in Wooloowin not far from Holy Cross Church and the Magdalene home. His last appointment was as priest-in-residence at Holy Cross Wooloowin. In 1884 Patrick Durack had built a colonial home, Mary view, at Albion Heights living there for some years.(16) Fr Dunham was now near his old friend. By August 1890 the Duhig family had moved to a home house in Stoneleigh Street Albion in Holy Cross parish. Young James, later Archbishop, served as a catechist in Fr Dunham's parish training the children for the first confirmation to be administered in Holy Cross.(17)

Fr Dunham celebrated the Solemn Requiem High Mass for Mother Vincent Whitty in March 1892. In 1903 he suffered a stroke and died on 2 March 1905.(18) James Duhig became administrator of St Stephen's on 18th of that month.

After an illness extending over two years, during which time he was unable to discharge any of his sacred duties, the Rev Father F A Dunham, of Holy Cross Church Wooloowin died on last Thursday evening. The deceased priest was born in England on September 17, 1837, and was ordained at All Hallows College, Dublin on June 14, 1863. … The deceased priest was a great sufferer, having been troubled with asthma for many years. Worshippers at St Patrick's Church, Valley, will remember his beautiful discourses on the Passion of Our Lord, which was a favourite subject with him. The late Father Dunham was gentle and cultivated to a degree, and many, by his death, have lost a true friend. The body was removed to St Stephen's Cathedral on Friday evening, and on Saturday morning a Solemn Requiem Mass was offered for the repose of the good priest's soul. Father Burton of Toowoomba was the celebrant. The funeral took place immediately afterwards, the remains being interred at Nudgee Cemetery.(19)

Rev Dr Chris Hanlon's article in the Proceedings of Brisbane Catholic Historical Society, Vol Sixteen, pages 29-39, presents a fuller picture of this interesting priest.

Footnotes
1. Age, Brisbane Jun 2, 1904, p. 6.
2. Kevin Condon cm, The Missionary College of All Hallows 1842-1891, student no 512, p. 310.
3. Ancestry.com. Dunham family tree.
4. Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, Ipswich 30 Sep 1871 p. 3.
5. Rev Dr Chris Hanlon, Proceedings of Brisbane Catholic Historical Society, vol. 16 p. 35.
6. Freemans Journal, Sydney, 21 Jun 1873, p. 7.
7. Rev Dr Chris Hanlon, op. cit. p. 36.
8. Brisbane Courier, 16 Jun 1874, p.2.
9. Rev Dr Chris Hanlon, op. cit. p. 36.
10. Queenslander, Brisbane 23 Nov, 1878.
11. Rev Dr Chris Hanlon, op. cit. pp 41 & 42.
12. Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, 25 Jul 1881, p. 2.
13. Western Champion, Blackall/Barcaldine, 3 Nov 1880, p. 2.
14. Ibid. 29 Apr 1881, p. 2.
15. Kevin Condon cm, op. cit.
16. Denise Sweeney, Holy Cross 1886 to 1986, 1986, p. 12.
17. Thomas P Boland, James Duhig, 1986, pp. 37 and 38.
18. Queenslander, 12 Mar 1892, p. 524.
19. The Catholic Press, Sydney, 9 Mar 1905, p. 26. [No doubt repeated from Brisbane Catholic paper; the Age].

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.