Deaths in the Aussie frontier
1926 – “Harry, I am in flames,” Florence Muir cried. She had just put a pot of apples on the stove, and while walking to the table smelt something burning. She looked down and saw her dress on fire, the flames quickly growing. Her husband, Harry was having a rest as he waited for hisContinue reading “Settler’s wife burns while cooking dinner”
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1880 – Henry Yelverton was considered the most experienced timber merchant in the colony of Western Australia. Yelverton was the man responsible for supplying timber for and constructing the Busselton jetty, the 1.8k heritage-listed landmark and major tourist attraction. He was certainly one of the richest men in the region. As well as his timberContinue reading “Amputation saved life – briefly”
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It was commonly known as the Wills massacre, but the history of the battle which took place at Cullin-la-ringo near Springsure in Central Queensland is being slowly reshaped. The 1861 attack, in which 19 European men, women and children were killed, was the single largest massacre of colonists by Aboriginal people in Australian history. ButContinue reading “Massacre sign does not tell full story”
George Kembery (also called Kimbery by the newspapers) was an off-duty engine driver who fell asleep on the railway tracks at the Bogantungan Railway station. This obviously wasn’t a clever place to sleep, especially at 3am on a Sunday morning when the goods train from Emerald was due. The first anyone knew of his presenceContinue reading “Cowcatcher kills engine driver”
Saturday night motorcycle racing at the Claremont Speedway was one of the most exciting things to do in Fremantle in the late 1920s. Daring young men would fling their motorbikes around the dirt and cinder track, thrilling the spectators. Percy Mulligan’s proud parents were there the night of March 2, 1929 when he became theContinue reading “Love for speedway takes bonzer chap”
Fremantle – The handcuffs on notorious Western Australian bushranger Joseph Bolitho John’s final resting place symbolize a lifetime of imprisonment – and of persistent escapes. It can only be assumed that he didn’t escape from this final confinement. His tombstone features a pair of handcuffs, a reference to his times in prison and his abilityContinue reading “Death a final prison for Moondyne Joe”
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1924 – Aviation in Australia was just out of its first decade when popular young pastoralist Samuel “Keith” Mackay died in an aeroplane accident at Port Hedland, Western Australia. Mackay, 24, had asked the pilot, Leonard Taplin, who worked for WA Airways and had been chartered for the flight to take Mackay home to hisContinue reading “Flying pioneers diced with death”
The Yalgoo outrage, the Yalgoo horror, the Yalgoo mystery. Thus read the many headlines in 1903 when Solomon Lowns became the recipient of Australia’s first postal bomb, which blew off his lower left arm. It was a far cry from the publicity when he died alone among his mining machinery near the remote Western AustralianContinue reading “The Yalgoo outrage”
Like ribs on a skeleton, the many aged gravestones of Albany Memorial Park cemetery protrude from either side of the highway as you make your way down the slope of Middleton Road towards the glistening Southern ocean. The cemetery covers about 2.5 hectares and has about 5000 graves, ranging from unmarked, through simple wooden markersContinue reading “Albany Memorial Park holds history in its bones”
1835 – Western Australian pioneering doctor Alexander Collie wanted to be buried next to his close friend and Aboriginal leader Mokare*. Mokare had travelled alongside Collie as he explored the south of the state, and played an important part in maintaining friendly relations between the land’s inhabitants and the newly arrived Europeans. He was aContinue reading “Colonial leader laid to rest – twice”
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Way to go Australia