Tag Archives: albany cemetery

Ganger callous of danger

1898 – Veteran railway workers appear to become callous of danger, the coroner said as he closed the inquiry into George Searson’s unnecessary death. Searson had been a ganger in Victoria for nearly 40 years but had been run over by a railway trolley and killed. The incident occurred after two train trucks had beenContinue reading “Ganger callous of danger”

Pyjamas led sailor to final sleep

1898 – W Satterley died for the sake of a pair of pyjamas. He was a carpenter on the cargo ship Cornwall, which was moored at the Albany wharf. It was on its way to London with frozen goods including beef. As he shook a quilt over the side of the boat in the earlyContinue reading “Pyjamas led sailor to final sleep”

Father couldn’t save drowning son

1903 – Grazier Andrew Muir was unable to save his son when he got caught in the surf off the south western Australian coast. In fact, he had to be rescued himself. Mr Muir, his third son Melville and another man George Arber, all of Mt Barker had gone to visit his cattle run atContinue reading “Father couldn’t save drowning son”

Children’s stones tell sorry stories of early days

The gravestones of the children in the Albany Pioneer cemetery tell some fascinating tales of the dangers of childhood. “Died of convulsions”, “died of ant sting” and “accidentally injured while playing” … read some of the more obvious stones. There was no story to be found on Catherine Runciman, who died convulsing aged two inContinue reading “Children’s stones tell sorry stories of early days”