Elizabeth (born Elizabeth Kelly) was commonly known as Eliza, and later Gran, or Granny, Minogue. According to Des Sykes, the Minogues had a son who was killed at the age of five, in an accident at Tara. He fell from the dray and was crushed by a wheel. (All unacknowledged quotes that follow are from Des Sykes)

During her years as a midwife Granny adopted two children. First was Richard (Dick) Lowrey. Wentworth Historical Society found a reference to him in a book called "Early Wentworth District People before 1914": "Richard Lowrie, Storeman, W. Bowring Coy., later Mildura and Bessie Lowrie, sister of Richard, later Mrs. Black, Mildura". He also had a brother George.

Des says he became manager of Bowrings in Mildura some time in the early 1900s. It seems he had no children, and died during the first World War. The second child adopted by the Minogues was Christina Power (1879 - 1925).

Granny Minogue is remembered in the history of Wentworth as a midwife of great skill. "Granny" was a term used in that era to give status to elderly women of note, especially midwives.

An Anglican mission had been set up in 1855 at Yelta (over the river from Wentworth). Eliza Minogue worked there as a midwife between 1862 and 1869. William also worked there. It closed in 1869, lasting less than 15 years, like several other settlements in Australia which attempted to Europeanise the natives over the next 50 years.

In 1866 she must have been busy; there were 50 births in Wentworth. In 1873 she laid out the body of the second priest in Wentworth, Father Michael Fitzsimmons, after he drowned at Euston.

Maud Crang wrote: I am one of a family of eight children, all born at home, and my mother's estimation of Granny Minogue was of an exceptional person and a skilled midwife. My mother knew that Granny was highly thought of by the local Doctor, Dr C C Cocks. He once reproved my fussing father with the words "Granny will know if she needs me, Mr Crang."

Maud Crang was born in 1915, so Granny Minogue was 81 when she delivered Maud!
Mrs Vera Clarke …was (also) delivered by Granny Minogue in 1907, and is very proud of the fact.

In 1870 there was a record flood (33 feet) down both the Darling and the Murray. They were said to be higher than the 1956 level, and the Minogues moved temporarily away from Tara to higher ground about three miles northwest of the town on what used to be the old road to what is now Coomealla and on to Gol Gol. This small rise is still known as Minogue’s sandhill.

Another account states that ‘Minogue’s sandhill’ was a mile or so away from Tara (in present day Curlwaa) that had the name Minogue’s corner. The sand was all carted away to improve the soil of Curlwaa blocks and is now an orchard. The site was a dairy, or an extra dairy site for Mrs Minogue who delivered milk for Wentworth in the early days. A cottage there may have been a refuge for the family during the another major flood in the 1890s

The Post Office Directory of 1872 (Greville’s) includes Mrs Minogue, and gives her occupation simply as ‘dairy’. Curiously, it gives her residence as Gol Gol. The directory also lists ‘W Wilkes’ (no occupation given), living at Gol Gol (this is very likely to be Frederick William Wilkes, who would marry Christina Power/Minogue, Eliza’s adopted daughter, seven years later).

Des described Eliza as having a slight build: A “devout Catholic” and extremely energetic, she weighed about eight stone and was about 5 feet 4 inches tall. William Minogue was an educated man. The family read well, and they had quite a library, which was something in those days. William drowned before 1879 crossing horses and a dray over the Darling river where the bridge now stands. His burial place is unknown.

Each day there was Mass in Wentworth, Eliza would walk to Wentworth dressed in a black bonnet and black bombazine clothes, up till the age of 80 or so.

Eliza died in 1920 aged 84 and is buried in the Wentworth cemetery (see photo to right). Cause of death was noted as heart failure, exhaustion and bronchitis.