Bernard O'Reilly
Encyclopedia
Bernard O'Reilly (born Alfonso Bernard O'Reilly) was an Australian
author and bushman
of Irish descent. He was born and raised in the Blue Mountains about 50 km north-west of Sydney and later moved to the McPherson Range
near Beaudesert
in South East Queensland
, Australia
.
On 20 August 1931 Bernard O'Reilly married Viola Gwendoline King in Brisbane.
of a Stinson Model A airplane, the VH-UHH Brisbane, and the organization of rescue crews that retrieved two survivors. After finding the wreck on the second day of his search he trekked 16 km to get help and return the next day with rescuers. The rescue operation gained national headlines with reports broadcast live on the radio.
At a ceremony in Sydney, O'Reilly was presented with a plaque and a cheque raised by public subscription. At the ceremony he paid tribute to the two survivors and one of the five victims, Jim Westray, who died trying to get help for the others. In years afterward, O'Reilly's nephew, Peter O'Reilly, organized bush tours recreating his uncle's
"remarkable feat."
, which lies inland from its east coast and is where he lived: Green Mountains (1942), Cullenbenbong (1945), and Over the Hills (1963). Green Mountains includes his own account of finding the aeroplane. The Australian philosopher David Stove
has written a short appreciation of his life and books.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
author and bushman
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
of Irish descent. He was born and raised in the Blue Mountains about 50 km north-west of Sydney and later moved to the McPherson Range
McPherson Range
The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border between the states of New South Wales and Queensland. Further west of the...
near Beaudesert
Beaudesert, Queensland
Beaudesert is a town located on the Mount Lindesay Highway, some 64 km south of Brisbane. It is possibly named after Beau Desert Park, the property of Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey in Staffordshire, England...
in South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
On 20 August 1931 Bernard O'Reilly married Viola Gwendoline King in Brisbane.
Plane crash rescue
He is best known for the discovery of the 1937 crash site in Lamington National ParkLamington National Park
Lamington is a national park in Queensland, Australia, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border...
of a Stinson Model A airplane, the VH-UHH Brisbane, and the organization of rescue crews that retrieved two survivors. After finding the wreck on the second day of his search he trekked 16 km to get help and return the next day with rescuers. The rescue operation gained national headlines with reports broadcast live on the radio.
At a ceremony in Sydney, O'Reilly was presented with a plaque and a cheque raised by public subscription. At the ceremony he paid tribute to the two survivors and one of the five victims, Jim Westray, who died trying to get help for the others. In years afterward, O'Reilly's nephew, Peter O'Reilly, organized bush tours recreating his uncle's
"remarkable feat."
Published works
O'Reilly wrote three books on the theme of Australia's Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, which lies inland from its east coast and is where he lived: Green Mountains (1942), Cullenbenbong (1945), and Over the Hills (1963). Green Mountains includes his own account of finding the aeroplane. The Australian philosopher David Stove
David Stove
David Charles Stove , was an Australian philosopher of science.His work in philosophy of science included detailed criticisms of David Hume's inductive skepticism, as well as what he regarded as the irrationalism of his disciplinary contemporaries Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Imre Lakatos, and Paul...
has written a short appreciation of his life and books.