Gow
DESCRIPTION
NameGowDescriptionDuncan Gow was born in Perthshire, Scotland about 1821. He arrived in Australia about 1859 and settled in Shellharbour.
He married Frances Ball (nee Atkinson) in Sydney in 1865.
Frances Atkinson was born in County Wexford, Ireland, to Christopher and Eleanor Atkinson (nee Godkin). The Atkinson’s arrived in Australia abord the ‘Formosa’ in 1840, with their two children, Joseph aged 14, and Frances ‘Fanny’ aged 4. The Atkinson’s were one of the families who settled at Shellharbour, in 1843, under Caroline Chisholm’s immigration scheme.
Christopher and Eleanor had several more children in Australia;
Margaret b.1842 (married William Hobart Smith 1859, Kiama)
Evelina b.1844 (married Jabez Buckman 1886, Berrima and Alonzo Griffiths 1874, Newcastle)
Christopher b.1846 (married Anna Maria Land 1881, Shellharbour)
John b.1848 (married Ann Isadora Lidbury 1872, Newcastle)
Eliza b.1849 (married George Hellier 1871, Berrima)
Eldest son Joseph Atkinson, married Mary Colville at Wollongong in 1859.
When Duncan married Fanny Ball (nee Atkinson), she was a widow with two children. Her husband Thomas Ball died at Shellharbour in 1863.
Their children were;
Mary Jane b.1860 (married George Watson)
Ellen b.1863 (married John Denmeade & Charles Domnick)
Duncan and Fanny had five children together:
William b.1867 (married Minnie Baldwin 1889)
Catherine/Kathleen b.1868 (married Edward Kennedy 1892)
John b.1870 (married Matilda Coughran 1893)
Duncan b.1873 (married Annie Falson 1904)
Janet b.1876 (married John Jones 1902)
The Gow family farm "Cedar Grove' was on Pioneer Drive (formerly Tongarra Road), the site of the current Seacrest Estate, Flinders. The fig tree that marked the site of the family farm is in the entry way to the estate.
Fanny Gow, along with other pupils of Shellharbour Public School, planted two fig trees in the 1840's near James McCoy's residence at Shellharbour.
Duncan and Fanny’s son John Gow, married Matilda ‘Tilly’ Coughran. She was the daughter of Andrew and Mary Jane Coughran (nee Keys), born at Shellharbour in 1867.
External LinkTo Let by Tender 'Fox Gully' 1874Marriage Watson - Ball 1882Kiama Police Court 1885Shellharbour Rifle Club 1901Wedding Gow-Jones 1902The Late Mrs Gow 1904Obituary Mrs Duncan Gow 1904Mrs D Gow 1904Obituary Mrs George Watson 1908Obituary Mr Duncan Gow 1909Mr Duncan Gow Senr 1909Accidents at Jamberoo 1913Deaths Mr Duncan Gow Jnr 1914Mr John Gow 1930Mr John Gow 1930
He married Frances Ball (nee Atkinson) in Sydney in 1865.
Frances Atkinson was born in County Wexford, Ireland, to Christopher and Eleanor Atkinson (nee Godkin). The Atkinson’s arrived in Australia abord the ‘Formosa’ in 1840, with their two children, Joseph aged 14, and Frances ‘Fanny’ aged 4. The Atkinson’s were one of the families who settled at Shellharbour, in 1843, under Caroline Chisholm’s immigration scheme.
Christopher and Eleanor had several more children in Australia;
Margaret b.1842 (married William Hobart Smith 1859, Kiama)
Evelina b.1844 (married Jabez Buckman 1886, Berrima and Alonzo Griffiths 1874, Newcastle)
Christopher b.1846 (married Anna Maria Land 1881, Shellharbour)
John b.1848 (married Ann Isadora Lidbury 1872, Newcastle)
Eliza b.1849 (married George Hellier 1871, Berrima)
Eldest son Joseph Atkinson, married Mary Colville at Wollongong in 1859.
When Duncan married Fanny Ball (nee Atkinson), she was a widow with two children. Her husband Thomas Ball died at Shellharbour in 1863.
Their children were;
Mary Jane b.1860 (married George Watson)
Ellen b.1863 (married John Denmeade & Charles Domnick)
Duncan and Fanny had five children together:
William b.1867 (married Minnie Baldwin 1889)
Catherine/Kathleen b.1868 (married Edward Kennedy 1892)
John b.1870 (married Matilda Coughran 1893)
Duncan b.1873 (married Annie Falson 1904)
Janet b.1876 (married John Jones 1902)
The Gow family farm "Cedar Grove' was on Pioneer Drive (formerly Tongarra Road), the site of the current Seacrest Estate, Flinders. The fig tree that marked the site of the family farm is in the entry way to the estate.
Fanny Gow, along with other pupils of Shellharbour Public School, planted two fig trees in the 1840's near James McCoy's residence at Shellharbour.
Duncan and Fanny’s son John Gow, married Matilda ‘Tilly’ Coughran. She was the daughter of Andrew and Mary Jane Coughran (nee Keys), born at Shellharbour in 1867.
External LinkTo Let by Tender 'Fox Gully' 1874Marriage Watson - Ball 1882Kiama Police Court 1885Shellharbour Rifle Club 1901Wedding Gow-Jones 1902The Late Mrs Gow 1904Obituary Mrs Duncan Gow 1904Mrs D Gow 1904Obituary Mrs George Watson 1908Obituary Mr Duncan Gow 1909Mr Duncan Gow Senr 1909Accidents at Jamberoo 1913Deaths Mr Duncan Gow Jnr 1914Mr John Gow 1930Mr John Gow 1930
Photograph
Map or Plan
Family
Back l-r: Herb Hockey, Dan Gleeson, .?, Joe Byrne, Bill Hazelton, Dan Condon, Denny Kelleher, Bill McCoy, Charles Bursill, John Seymour, Duncan Gow Jnr, Sid Bursill, Jack Toohey, Bill McEnroe, Ted McInnery, Jimmy Rose, Joe Martin, Tom Stewart, Police Officer Denman, Ted Hazelton.
Front l-r: Percy East, .?, Bill Hambly, Tom Murphy, Jim McCabe, Maurice Galbon, .?, Ted Biggs, Henry Atchison, Mick Synnott, Ned Bonsor, Paddy King.
CONNECTIONS
CollectionFamiliesFamilyCoughran (Andrew Branch)LocalityShellharbour City LGAFlindersPlaceFlinders Fig TreeSea Crest Reserve
Gow. Shellharbour City Council, accessed 12/12/2025, https://discover.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/9524






