Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 166-168:
John O'Brien

In the 1870s and 1880s, Maytown was the centre of the gold diggings on the Palmer River in North Queensland. There were over 30 'hotels' - the slab and bark variety with the ant-bed floors, several banks and a railway line being constructed from Cooktown. The railway reached about 60 miles to Laura in 1888 when the Government halted funding because the alluvial gold was now scarce and the miners were moving on. The Augustinian priest from Cooktown travelled about the district and one of the babes he baptised in the year 1888 was John Richard O'Brien of Maytown.

John was educated at the local State School, which may well have been the only schooling he had in his boyhood. Later on, he qualified as an accountant and worked as an auditor. In his mid-twenties, he decided to enter the priesthood.

After studies at Springwood and Manly, he was ordained with Max Irvine and Vince Cleary in All Hallows Convent Chapel by Archbishop Duhig in 1921. In the photo, he is standing next to Fr Max so perhaps they remained mates always.

Fr John O'Brien spent three years at Goondiwindi, short periods at Wynnum and Enoggera and then was made Parish Priest of Nambour, 1928-1936. He then went to Bulimba, his last appointment.

Because he was a qualified accountant, it seems he was sent to places which, due to the depression, were in financial trouble. When 'the burden on Nambour was relieved', he was sent to Bulimba where the new St Peter's and Paul's Church needed paying off.

Despite continued ill-health, Fr O'Brien was successful in every way, for not only was the Church pulled out of debt, but also the schools were improved, and spiritually the parish flourished.

Some Archive-held boxes of John O'Brien's papers preserve a glimpse of his private life and the parish problems of his times. A parishioner writes complaining because he is cranky in the pulpit. His doctor has diagnosed a stomach ulcer so he is warned against eating curries and spicy foods. Sister 'Superior' happily handed him over £200 from a school fund-raising function. She was highly indignant when, two weeks later, she was refused a request for a few shillings to buy two new brooms for use around the school. Having been an accountant, there are pages of neat figures. But John decided to escape from it all and go overseas for 12 months. He typed a letter to the RACQ explaining why he was paying his one guinea membership fee in advance and that he was 'laying up his Buick 8 in the garage at St Peter's and Paul's' until his return. Nothing to hide in all of this!

Archbishop Duhig praised his exemplary life and high sense of duty, adding, 'When he realised his own years of active life might not be long, he desired to provide for a priest to fill his place, so he had denied himself and saved £1000 which, some short time before his death, he handed to me for the Clergy Education Fund so that his wish might be carried out.'

Fr John O'Brien died on 6th November 1951. He was buried at Nudgee. The Requiem Mass was celebrated by his brother, Fr Thomas O'Brien, an M.S.C. of Kensington who had come up to Downlands College when John was dying. Sr Francis (Mary O'Brien) RSM, a sister, was also able to be present.

So, two priests and a nun, is the answer to the question: 'Can any good come out of that place [Maytown]?' Not one building stands there now - nothing but a few headstones and iron railings of the former town's cemetery.

Note: There were several Fr O'Briens in the Archdiocese -
Fr Thomas O'Brien who died in Bundaberg in 1878 and is buried in St Mary's at Maryborough.
Fr John K O'Brien who had been Parish Priest of Boonah, 1911-1920, but died on holidays in Ireland in July, 1920.
Fr Arthur O'Brien.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)

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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 John R O'Brien, died 6 Nov 1951

John O'Brien was ordained a Priest on 8th December, 1921. A sister became a Sister of Mercy, and a brother, Thomas, became a M.S.C. Priest and was stationed at Downlands during the 1950s. Fr John O'Brien served in the following places: Assistant Priest Goondiwindi (3 years); Wynnum (1925-1926); Administrator Enoggera (11months); Parish Priest Nambour (1927-1936) and Bulimba (1936-1951). As a qualified accountant, he was able to considerably reduce the debt outstanding on Bulimba Parish. He died in 1951 and was buried in Nudgee Cemetery. His brother, Thomas, was celebrant of the Mass.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.