In 1870 he then acquired land at on north bank of the Albert River at Tamborine (around Plunkett Road today) which he named Villa Maria in honour of his wife.

[2][3] On 2 May 1866 Plunkett married Maria Ryan[1] (died 1939)[4] at St Stephen's Cathedral[2] in Brisbane and together had four sons and four daughters.

[1] In September 1913 he died at the residence of one of his daughters at Sandgate and his body was taken to South Brisbane railway station to be transported to Logan Village railway station after which he was buried in the Tamborine Catholic Cemetery (which was on land on Plunkett Road which he had donated to the church for a cemetery).

[3][5][6] Plunkett won the new seat of Albert at the 1888 Queensland colonial election,[7] but was defeated by Robert Collins in 1896.

His son, Thomas Flood Plunkett, was a long serving member of the Queensland Parliament having represented the seats of Albert and Darlington.