This little lady was a twin to Bernardo, who lived for just 24 hours. The twins were born prematurely. Two older siblings in this family also died at a very young age. They were Marianna, who died 8 July 1912, aged 2 days, and Eliza Elizabeth, who died 24 June 1913, aged 1 day. Both of these children are represented in this website. Both Bernardo and Lucia are buried in Plot 126 of the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery.
The deceased was accidentally struck by the Leonora to Gwalia tram and he was believed to have been unconscious at the time. At the inquest into his death, Dr Kerr, acting medical officer for the Leonora Hospital, sworn, stated that he held a post mortem on the body of deceased. He had a scalp wound about 2¼ inches long on the right side of the head, an abrasion on the face, and portion of the right ear was missing. There were bruises on both shoulders and body, whilst an examination of the head revealed a depressed fracture caused by some sharp substance, perhaps a piece of stone. There was a fracture of the inner table of the skull on the same spot which had caused some slight hemorrhage on the surface of the brain, otherwise the brain was normal. The lower jaw was fractured and the left side of the chest was crushed in, whilst the lung was punctured. The cause of death was injuries in the chest through shock and hemorrhage. In reply to Corporal Anderson, witness said that from his observations, he would say that the deceased had been drinking, but he couId not say to what extent. Further witnesses testified that he was slightly under the influence of alcohol at the time. James Evans, sworn, stated he was an engine driver employed on the Sons of Gwalia mine. He was on the tram for Leonora at 12. 5 a.m. when the accident occurred. After proceeding some little distance from the Gwalia terminus, he saw something like a parcel or some clothes some 3 feet from the line. On approaching closer, he noticed it was the body of a man. He called out to the motorman, who immediately shut off the power and applied the brakes. After going a short distance, he felt a pronounced bump as if the car had hit the body. In about 15 or 20 yards, the car was pulled up and he went back with the motorman, conductor, and a passenger named Gurr. The latter said he thought the man was dead. Witness went for the police and also for Dr McColl, who came immediately and pronounced life extinct. At the time of the occurrence the tram was going about three-quarter speed. The jury returned a verdict that deceased came to his death by an accidental blow from the tram car whilst in a state of unconsciousness, but there was no evidence to show how such unconsciousness was caused. They considered that that the tramway officials used every precaution to prevent the accident. The deceased is believed to have come from Broken Hill, New South Wales.
The child's parents were married in Boulder in 1921 (Marriage Registration 16/1921, Boulder). Little William George was their first born child. His siblings were: Ernest Donald, born 20 July 1925 (Birth Registration 13/1925, Mt Margaret) and Robert John born 1927 (Birth Registration 22/1927, Mt Margaret). Their father was born in Long Gully, Victoria in 1899. He died at 164a Boulder Road, Kalgoorlie, in 1988. His wife was born in Cornwall, England, also in 1899. She died in Perth in 1989. According to the Electoral Rolls, the family were still living in the Leonora-Gwalia area in 1943.
The deceased had spent 31 years living in New South Wales before moving to Western Australia. Mrs Prisk is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery, plot number 51.
Mathew Ernest Punch was born 28 December 1868 in Redfern, New South Wales. Rose Ann McCarty was born about 1871 in East Ballarat, Victoria (Birth Registration 290/1871, Ballarat). The couple married in the Mt Margaret district in 1906 (Marriage Registration 25/1906, Mt Margaret). Their family consisted of 2 boys and four girls. They were: John James Greenway born 1907; Mary Frances born 1909; Clare Grace born 1910; Margaret Domenica born 1912; Joan Zita Rose born 1915. Rose Ann died in Perth in 1946 and her husband on 9 October 1938. Both are buried at Karrakatta in the Roman Catholic portion, section AC, grave number 0359.
The deceased is buried in Plot number 273 of the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery.
Known as Tom.
The deceased had spent 23 years in other Australian states before arriving in Western Australia.
The deceased lady was admitted to the hospital and underwent an operation for an internal complaint. The operation was successful, but complications set in afterwards and the deceased passed away on Wednesday 16 June.
Mrs Quirk had been a resident of Gwalia for a number of years and was a former resident of Kookynie. On 21 February 1906, a fire took place in the Rose Dining Rooms at Kookynie. Sarah Quirk was the owner of the establishment at that time and her husband, Thomas Quirk, was the barman. After an enquiry into the cause of the fire, the verdict of the jury was: "We find that the fire that occurred in the Rose dining rooms was wilfully caused by some person or persons unknown." In late 1906, Sarah Quirk applied for a general publican's license at Koodynie under transfer, which licence was granted. In 1910, Thomas Quirk was charged by Sarah Quirk with using abusive language on May 2 and 4. The accused pleaded guilty and was fined £1 on each charge with costs, in default seven days imprisonment on each charge. The fines were paid. A further court case was held when Sarah Quirk was arrested, which she subsequently proved to have been a false arrest, after which she claimed and received a small amount of damages. Finally, Sarah owned and successfully managed a well-known Boarding Establishment, at the Sons of Gwalia Mine, Tower Street, Leonora, known as Quirk's Boarding House, for some years.
Although 'estranged' from her husband, he was instrumental in winding up her affairs after her death. Under a Letter of Administration, Sarah Quirk, left the amount of £534 to Thomas Joseph Quirk.
The deceased was working on the Sons of Gwalia Gold Mine, Leonora, at the time of his accident on 2 December 1911. "Joseph Ratcliffe, who met with an accident at the Sons of Gwalia mine on Saturday evening by falling through a stope, died at the Leonora Hospital on Monday morning." The deceased appears to have fallen whilst descending the stope, and was terribly cut about the body. No hope of his recovery was entertained from the time he was admitted to the hospital. An inquest was opened on Monday afternoon before Mr. R. Stewart, J.P., acting coroner, and a jury comprising Messrs. J. Hamley, L W. Carter and F. Milner. After the body and the scene of the accident had been viewed, the inquiry was adjourned. Upon being reconvened, the jury found that the deceased came to his death by an injury received on December 2 by falling down a stope at the Sons of Gwalia mine, and that the occurrence was purely accidental. Joseph Josiah Ratcliffe senior, was born 23 September 1836 at Muddy Plains, Hobart, Tasmania. Joseph's mother, Mary McGarrigle, was born in 1840 in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. She arrived in Melbourne on the "Oithona" on 7 December 1861, to work as a laundress. The couple married on 13 June 1862 at Tarraville, Victoria. The deceased was their third child and the eldest son of 9 children born between 1863 and 1879. The others were: Eva Susannah born 1863; Sarah Jane born 1865; John Stephen born 1868; Phoebe Elizabeth born 1870; William Marshall born about 1872; Llewellen (Lily) Austin born 1873; Robert born and died 1878; James Fergus born 1879. Mary McGarrigle died 1895 in Walhalla, Victoria. Her husband died 12 August 1914 at Melbourne Hospital, South Melbourne. The deceased married Julia Frances McCarthy, who was born 1864 at Sea, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia. All their children were born in Victoria. She died 4 December 1911 at Isabella Street, Kanowna. Their son, Michael Daniel, the younger twin to Ellen Catherine, died 19 June 1918 at Amiens, Somme, Picardie, France.
A Coroner's enquiry was held following a post mortem of the body of James Reid, with the result being that he died from thrombosis of the left coronary artery of the heart.
The deceased is listed as being buried in Plot 292 of the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery.
On the 4 September, a number of men were playing two-up at Gwalia. James Reilly was talking to John Peterson when Joseph Higgins approached and had an argument with Peterson. When Reilly tried to stopped the argument, Higgins struck him, knocking him to the ground, his head striking first. Reilly was taken to hospital where he died on the 6 September. At the enquiry into the death of James Reilly, Mr. Hunter, manager of the State Hotel, was permitted by the acting coroner to make an explanation, as it had been stated in the press that a "two-up" school was at the hotel. Mr. Hunter pointed out that the "school" was situated between the hotel and the A.M.A. office, and that it was impossible for the police to suppress it, seeing that there was only one constable at Gwalia, and the players had scouts stationed all round the place to give the alarm immediately a policeman was sighted. A large number of witnesses were summoned and Joseph Higgins was retained in the lockup charged with murder. At the magisterial inquiry concerning the death of James Reilly, at the Gwalia, evidence was given by several witnesses that they had seen Joseph Higgins strike Reilly on the jaw. The jury brought in a verdict that deceased met his death by a blow struck by Joseph Higgins, who was thereupon committed for trial on a charge of murder. At the trial on 30 November, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and added a recommendation that a heavy sentence should not be passed upon the accused. His Honour, who said that the circumstances in which death was caused warranted him in taking a lenient view of the case, bound the accused over on his own recognisance for £100. During the hearing of the case, Dr. Rowe, who made a post-mortem examination of the body of Reilly, was describing the condition of the deceased's internal organs when one of the jurymen fainted. On recovering, the juryman apologised to his Honour, and explained that the description furnished by the doctor had quite upset him. He was excused from duty and another juryman sworn in in his place. The deceased had spent 30 years in Victoria before moving to Western Australia.
Marjorie was the only child of this couple who were married in Leonora in 1903 (Marriage Registration 1019/1903 Mt Leonora). Martin was born in County Longford, Ireland, in 1866. His wife was born 25 DEC 1876 at Kilcummin, County Kerry, Ireland. Sadly, little Marjorie died on her mother's birthday, of acute colitis, convulsions and exhaustion. Martin died on 18 November 1943 at Mount Lawley and his wife died 8 August 1951 at Claremont. The couple are buried in the Roman Catholic portion of Karrakatta Cemetery, Section HA, Gravesite 218.
Mr Rho died from a bullet wound inflicted on the 19 October by George Marovich. George Marovich (33) was alleged to have shot Rho with a rifle after a heated argument on Sunday. Rho died In Kalgoorlie Hospital on the Tuesday night. Marovich was arrested on a charge of wilful murder.