australian cemeteries – Page 2 – Way to go Australia

Third death was looming

1934 – The superstitious around Forsayth were only too well aware that there had been two deaths in the community in the past months, and were crossing their fingers against a third. But luck was firmly against Alex Lavercombe, (age unknown but probably younger than 45 based on his parents’ year of marriage) who wasContinue reading “Third death was looming”

Inaugural races a success – apart from the deaths

1900 – The Mount Garnet races were held on Saturday, last, and proved a great success in every way, begins a newspaper report on the first ever such event at the Far North Queensland mining town. It’s not until the end of the story that the story mentions two deaths and one serious injury. GrantedContinue reading “Inaugural races a success – apart from the deaths”

Help came too late for starving traveller

1901 – The Mount Garnet coach driver wasn’t so curious about the man he had seen several times sitting outside a tent on the side of the road outside Herberton. But when he realized he had not seen the man on several of his trips, he decided to investigate further. Unfortunately it was some timeContinue reading “Help came too late for starving traveller”

Great flood takes eight lives during fruitless rescue

1894 – Albert Cummins and the Buchanan family refused to leave their houses when the waters rose. They changed their minds when rescuers came, only to drown before reaching safety. The highest floods yet recorded at Ingham in Far North Queensland came early on a Sunday in April. The town had already had 111 inchesContinue reading “Great flood takes eight lives during fruitless rescue”

Fell from his horse and drowned

1886 – “No-one was better known or more respected in Gladstone than James Hawthorne”, a newspaper declared when he suddenly met his end. While death notices described the 42-year-old as a saddler, a James Hawthorne was mayor of the town some years earlier and it can be assumed it was the same person. James wasContinue reading “Fell from his horse and drowned”

Reputation trashed after explosive death

How do I choose which historic death to investigate? There is no database of “fascinating cause of demises’’. What I do is trawl through cemeteries. I walk around, tripping on rabbit holes and the like – because I’m walking and quickly scanning headstones at the same time, until I find a headstone with the wordsContinue reading “Reputation trashed after explosive death”

Shooting game leads to tragedy

1929 – Two little boys playing with guns, both thinking they weren’t loaded. One was wrong. Alfred Fenton, nine, had an air-gun and his friend and neighbour William Brown a 22-calibre pea rifle. It was a few days after Christmas – perhaps one or the other was a gift. Fenton pointed his air-gun at Brown and fired, butContinue reading “Shooting game leads to tragedy”

Great flood takes eight lives during fruitless rescue

Innocence protested at gallows

1901 – Charles Beckman declared he did not kill Alfred Anderson, even as he stood on the gallows at Brisbane’s Boggo Road Gaol awaiting hanging for the crime. “I am now going to my end, and before my Maker, and I know it, I know this is my end, and again I say I amContinue reading “Innocence protested at gallows”

Step of fate killed driver

1917 – Shunting driver Alfred “Leonard” Breeding was working at Cockburn on the border of NSW and SA, when he got the heel of his boot stuck between two rails and was run over. That is what initial newspaper reports of his death claimed. But there was no mention of his foot being stuck in theContinue reading “Step of fate killed driver”