Teacher-missionary Mary Earl must have been a remarkable young woman. She spent three years, from 1924-1927, in the remote Mitchell River mission in the Cape York peninsula, days travel away from the comfort she had probably grown up with. She taught 70 children from various Aboriginal groups during her three years at the mission station,Continue reading “Tetanus took young missionary”
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Gold mining ghost town cemetery tells of hard lives
It’s desolate and dry at Arltunga. It’s hard to see how people managed to live there, and very easy to see why they died. At 100km east of Alice Springs, even today it’s a long way from anywhere. Yet it was the first substantial European settlement in Central Australia thanks to the lure of gold.Continue reading “Gold mining ghost town cemetery tells of hard lives”
Pugilist dies after a fight
1880 – William Brown, a 29-year-old Englishman, was a well-known pugilist around Charters Towers. In the days before the Marquess of Queensberry rules were enforced by the legalization of boxing in the various colonies, watching and betting on illegal bare-knuckle fighting was a popular pastime. Brown and another fighter were arrested about four miles fromContinue reading “Pugilist dies after a fight”
Violin case causes death
Hughenden, 1926 – A newspaper carried this story about an innocent bike ride to school ending in tragedy. “Ida Harrison, aged 5½ years, only daughter of Mr and Mrs T. Harrison, of the Railway Department, met with a very sad accident on the 11th instant. “She was, with her brother, riding a bicycle to school when a violinContinue reading “Violin case causes death”
One turn of the windmill
Hughenden, 1928 – Fifty-year-old Charles John Burdekin Abbott had made sure the windmill was turned off before he climbed up to do some repairs. According to newspaper reports, he and a workboy were at his neighbour’s property Wyoming. His neighbour was in hospital, so he was doing him a favour. But a gust of windContinue reading “One turn of the windmill”
Fence the dams, the town cried
Charters Towers, 1885 – The drowning death of Nell Richards led for calls for the town’s dams to be fenced before any more children were lost. Elizabeth Ellen, known as Nell, was watching her younger sister bathe with several other children at Mr Mill’s dam at the top end of Mosman Street. Nell was onContinue reading “Fence the dams, the town cried”
Settler’s wife burns while cooking dinner
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”
Amputation saved life – briefly
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”
Massacre sign does not tell full story
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”
Cowcatcher kills engine driver
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”
Way to go Australia 