Patrick Michael Byrne

Patrick Michael Byrne (1856–1932), also known as Paddy or Pado, was an Australian telegraph operator, anthropologist and natural scientist who worked at the remote Charlotte Waters telegraph station in central Australia for 50 years. He was a keen self-taught scientist who collected specimens and corresponded extensively with biologist and anthropologist Walter Baldwin Spencer. He also worked with anthropologist Francis James Gillen at Charlotte Waters, and was a friend of and advocate for the local Arrernte people.

The scientific name of the small marsupial known as the kowari is Dasyuroides byrnei, in recognition of his work.

Life

Early life Byrne was born in Limerick, Ireland, son of a Catherine Byrne (née Hayes) and Michael Byrne. After his father's death in about 1864, Patrick's mother Catherine emigrated to Melbourne. It is not known whether she took the young Patrick with her, or he followed at a later date.

After commencing work at the Charlotte Waters telegraph station as a telegraphist as a teenager, he worked there for about 50 years, nicknaming the place "Bleak House", which he used in his letterhead.

Byrne has been identified as the man on the right in the photograph of a group of people outside the telegraph station.

Career He was step-brother to Amelia Gillen, wife of Francis (Frank) Gillen, who was also stationed at Charlotte Waters from 1875 to 1892. Both men largely educated themselves by means of reading prolifically. Byrne is mentioned in Erlikilyika's biographical entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography as appreciating his skills and talent, and Erlikilyika proved himself to be a true research assistant, being the only one who understood the local Kaytetye language.

Later life Byrne grew old at Charlotte Waters. Following his retirement, he supervised the bore water pump, until his right hand had to be amputated as the result of an accident with the machinery, after a four-day trip to get to the hospital at Oodnadatta. Whatever the past hides, the present of the unfortunate Aborigine is sufficiently miserable, Native food of any description is almost non-existent, and ... the rations issued to the old natives are insufficient... In addition, our Missionaries undermine their authority, and ridicule their traditions, we take from them everything that makes life worth living, work them until they can work no longer, and then hand them over to the police, whose main endeavour is to work things as cheaply as possible, and thus please a Gov't that has neither knowledge nor conscience. It is a despicable crime. Byrne died on or before 8 March 1932, in the Northern Territory.

Legacy

Spencer named a small marsupial found by Byrne and known locally as the kowari (also known as Byrne's marsupial mouse) Byrne is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of Australian gecko, Lucasium byrnei.