The Kite Brothers
Six of seven Kite brothers were born at Temora and were shearers.
Alfred “Foley” Kite was born in 1885, Francis A Narraburra Kite was born 10 June 1887, Luke Thomas Kite was born 2 February 1891, and William George “Billy” Kite was born 12 June 1893, all at Temora, New South Wales. The family had six additional children who did not make their way to Lightning Ridge.
Billy Kite with Les Taylor at the Nine Mile. Photograph: Les Taylor, Lightning Ridge Historical Society collection.
Foley, Frank, Luke and Billy mined opal and lived at the Nine Mile. Billy turned 16 on his way to Lightning Ridge in 1909. Billy was a highly decorated veteran of World War I.
“Private (Pte) William George Kite DCM, MM, MID, 2nd Reinforcements, 56th Battalion, of Narraburra via Temora, New South Wales, aged 22 years. He embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Ceramic on 14 April 1916. Pte Kite performed feats of bravery during First World War where he worked as a runner for Australian Infantry, carrying messages between the trenches in France. After the war he returned to his previous employment as a rouseabout and opal miner. He passed away at age 70 in 1966 at Lightning Ridge.”
Billy Kite. He rode this pushbike from Moree to Lightning Ridge. Photograph courtesy of Nola Kite.
In 1914, Frank and Luke went shearing in America, and Luke won an international shearing title in 1916.
Frank married Jack Murray's daughter Anna May in 1919.
Alfred Kite passed away 1 September 1974. Francis Kite passed away 19 January 1967. Luke Kite passed away 26 May 1971 at Southport, Queensland. Billy Kite passed away 27 August 1966.
Article: Research by Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Lightning Flash Newspaper, 15 June 1978, 25 March 1993, 30 June 1994; A Journey With Colour: A History of Lightning Ridge Opal 1873-2003, Len Cram, 2003, pp. 175-176; The Lightning Ridge Book, Stuart Lloyd, 1967, p. 34; Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, p. 75; The Book of Opals, W. C. Eyles, 1964, pp. 178-190; Walgett Spectator, 18 September 1919.