When Arthur Carney visited Gunnedah for the first time last May, his primary focus was the newly forged association between the Sydney law firm, Carneys Lawyers, and the Gunnedah firm, Walker Beer. Little did he know that he was about to discover a great deal of information about his family history from a Sister of Mercy, Sister Judith Carney.
Arthur, and another Carney's lawyers, George Hoddle, visited Sister Judith at the convent, where he learned for the first time that they share a common ancestry, with their great-great-grandfather having travelled from Ireland to settle in Cudal near Orange in NSW.
Arthur was intrigued to learn about his family history and how Sister Judith's grandfather had taken his seven sons to settle near Coonabarabran, where Sister Judith was raised.
"I was deeply interested and amazed to learn a small part of the life stories of Sister Judith's father and his six brothers and I am keen to learn more about our family history," Arthur said. Sister Judith celebrated her Diamond Jubilee as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in Gunnedah on July 21.
Sister Judith was the principal of St. Mary's College, Gunnedah, from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1964 to 1974.
"Finding Sister Judith was the highlight of my first visit to Gunnedah," Arthur said. "When I was in Gunnedah two weeks ago we had a wonderful dinner together and I was able to congratulate Sister Judith on her Diamond Jubilee. "My life has been enriched by this recent contact with my cousin who has led a most remarkable, giving and loving life serving the Gunnedah community."
Source: Namoi Valley Independent, Thursday, August 4, 2011 (pg 11)