Outback Graves Markers

Jean Emma TEDGE (more)

Cause of Death: Diphtheria, Heart Failure

Harry Tedge and Jane Hannah Pearce were married in Leonora in 1907 (Marriage Registration 4300001/1908, Mt Margaret). Their other twelve children were born between 1908 and 1922.  They were: John Thomas born 1908 in Perth (Birth Registration 100984/1908, Perth); Harry born 1911 in Gwalia (Birth Registration 4300061/1911, Mt Margaret); Alfred Edward born 1913 in Gwalia (Birth Registration 4300066/1913, Mt Margaret), died 1917 in Boulder, aged 17 months (Death Registration 700014/1915, Boulder); Margaret Lillian born 1915, Gwalia (Birth Registration 4300004/1916, Mt Margaret); Phyllis Edna born Leonora 1918 (Birth Registration 4300040/1918, Mt Margaret); Frederick born 1922 in Leonora (Birth Registration 4300013/1922, Mt Margaret); Nancy born 1924; Doris Joyce (Joy) born 1927; Elizabeth (Betty) born 1930; Dorothy born 1933; Roberta born 1935; Donald Robert born 30 July 1937. 

The children's father, Harry, who was born in South Melbourne in 1886, died 3 December 1871 in Maylands, aged 87 years (Death Registration 104546/1971, Perth).  His widow, who was born in Durham, England, in 1890, died at Maylands 28 March 1981 aged 91 years (Death Registration 101150/1981, Perth).

Kenneth Geoffrey TEEDE (more)

Cause of Death: Gastro Enteritis

The child's father, Norman Leonard Teede, was born 19 March 1893 at Bunbury.   His mother, Kathleen Sarah Gasmier, was born at Kalgoorlie on 19 September 1898. Kenneth was the first of their three known children. The others were Leonard Norman Teede born 1923, Perth (Birth Registration 1167/1923, Perth) and Margaret Mary born 1931, Kalgoorlie (Birth Registration 221/1931, East Coolgardie). The children's father died 30 March 1948 in Coolgardie. Their mother died at City Beach on 2 October 1981.

Bortolo TISI (more)

Cause of Death: Cardiac Hypostatic and Pneumonia

Bortolo is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery, plot number 165.

Giovanni TOGNI (more)

Cause of Death: Appendicular Abscess

Known as Jack.

Jack and his son, Peter, appeared in the newspapers quite frequently for various minor breaches of the law, including the death of a child after an accident in a sulky which Jack Togni was driving, in November 1913; ill-treating a horse in January 1914; and dealing in illicit liquor in August 1916. His daughter, Elizabeth, married in the Mt Margaret district in 1934, to Lorenzo Tongnali (Marriage Registration 16/1934, Mt Margaret).

Lucia TOGNI (more)

Cause of Death: Uraemia

Lucia Togni became a naturalized Australian citizen in 1925.

Pietro TOGNOLINI (more)

Cause of Death: Fractured Skull from car accident

The deceased died from shock caused by a fractured skull which he suffered in a motor accident on the Leonora- Gwalia Rd.

An inquest was held at the Leonora Courthouse on 10 May 1935 concerning the death of Pietro Tognolini, the victim of the motor accident on the Leonora-Gwalia road on 4 May. Constable Trekardo conducted the inquiry and Mr. G. T. Mofflt acted as coroner.

Dr. H. E. Clarke, who submitted the report of a post mortem examination, deposed that the deceased had died of
shock following a fractured skull.
Michael Omodei, the owner of the truck concerned, told the Court that he had been in Leonora on the day of the
accident in company with the deceased. About 5.30 pm, he left Tognolini in Leonora and went home in the truck. In the evening, he attended a picture show and was called out about 10.45 and told that his mate had had a bad accident on the Leonora road. He had not given the deceased permission to take the truck but on other occasions. he had used it, sometimes without asking. 
Alexander Testini, who was one of the two passengers in the truck when it capsized, stated that he and Bettini (the
other passenger) had met Tognolini in Leonora, and after having two drinks with him, they accepted his invitation to drive home with him. At the top of the rise about three-quarters of a mile from Leonora, where the road takes a
turn to the left, the truck was travelling pretty fast, ran off the road on to some rough stony ground, and capsized. Witness got up and saw the other two occupants oh the ground some 10 or 12 feet away from the truck. Bettini called out to him and, shortly after, another car came along and took Bettini to the hospital. Dr. Clarke arrived soon
after, and found that Tognolini was dead.
Antonio Bettini gave evidence on similar lines. On reaching the hill he told Tognolini not to drive so fast. The lights
were poor. Seeing the truck heading for a telephone post he grasped the wheel and turned the truck to avoid striking the post. This took the truck off the road and the driver moved his foot as if to apply the brake, but apparently stepped on the accelerator, for the truck immediately started to travel still faster, and capsized.
Constable Forward produced a sketch of the scene, showing the movements of the truck prior to overturning. From the marks on the ground, he thought the truck had somersaulted twice, and the positions of two of the victims seemed to confirm this.
After hearing all the evidence, the coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. 
Mr Tognolini was buried in Plot number 246 of the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery.

Battiste TOMASETTI (more)

Cause of Death: Inhalation of Carbon Monoxide at No 4 level Sons of Gwalia GM

Known as Bob,

 Apparently the deceased had descended the winze after coming on afternoon shift.  The day shift had fired the cut about an hour before, and had left a jet of compressed air turned on in the winze, to dispel the fumes. There was a short cross cut in about six feet from the bottom of the winze, and it was evident that a pocket of gas had collected in this crosscut.  The presence of carbon-monoxide would indicate that some of the blasting gelatine had burnt. There was no suggestion that the men had departed from the usual routine of work.

The inquest touching the death of Bob Tomasetti. an Italian miner employed on the Sons of Gwalia mine, was concluded at the Leonora courthouse before Dr. Clarke. J.P. acting Coroner, last Friday. The chief witness was Dr. Douglas Lee, who was on the mine at the time of the fatality, conducting the periodical medical examination of miners.   He said " ... about 5 minutes to five in the afternoon, a mine employee called at the Laboratory and asked me to come to the mine, as one of the men had been gassed. I hurried down and found. the man who, I was informed, was Bob Tomasetti, lying unconscious at the pit head. Several men were performing artificial respiration on him."
Dr. Lee, in giving evidence, said: "I was told that a cylinder of oxygen was available, and I asked for some to be administered to the patient."  Witness added: "The man presented the typical cherry-red appearance of a person suffering from carbon-monoxide poisoning, and was completely unconscious. I administered a hypodermic injection of strychnine without effect. Dr. Clarke arrived about 5.15pm and took charge of the case. Artificial respiration was continued and, in consultation with Dr. Clarke, I administered a further injection of strychnine, but without avail."
After a short consultation, the Jury recorded a verdict to the effect that Bob Tomasetti met his death in the 620 feet winze below the No. I level in the Sons of Gwalia mine on the 25th August, 1930, by misadventure, the cause of death being inhalation of carbon-monoxide according to the medical testimony, no blame being attachable to anyone.

Thomas TOZER (more)

Cause of Death: Fatty Heart, Cirrhosis of liver

The deceased is buried in Plot 179 of the Roman Catholic portion of the Leonora Cemetery.

Guiseppe TRINCA (more)

Cause of Death: Gelignite Explosion

Giuseppe Venosta and Giuseppe Trinca were killed by an explosion in Gwalia mine. They had fired a number of charges and returned to one that had missed. Whilst they were doing so, the charge exploded unexpectedly and both men were killed instantaneously.

John TYLER (more)

Cause of Death: Congenital Heart

Mary Mulligan and John Tyler were married in Ashfield, New South Wales, in 1900 (Marriage Registration 3246/1900, Ashfield). Some of their children were James Reginald Eric born 1903 Leonora; Grace Patricia May born 1905 in Leonora; Reginald born 1908 in Leonora; Veronica Susan born 1915.

Giuseppe VARISCHETTI (more)

Cause of Death: Silicosis

Known as Joe.

Mr Varischetti was considered to be one of the pioneers of the district.  He had suffered for some years from the occupational disease contracted at his work as a miner.   Married in Italy in 1908, Joe Varischetti came to Gwalia in 1910 and had lived there since that time.

He was one of the earliest employees on the Sons of Gwalia mine and was survived by a widow and grown-up family, two sons being in the A.I.F. The funeral on Saturday afternoon was largely attended and the burial service was conducted by the Rev. Father Hennebry.
When he arrived in Western Australia, Joe spent 1 year in Cue and 1 year in Lawlers before moving to Gwalia.   He never left the State after arriving in 1910.  At the time of his Naturalisation in May, 1925, he and Modesta had five children, whom he listed as "Rosie, Joe, Lui, Eneri and Vito".  He listed his only offence as being a "Breach of the Dog Act at Leonora 9/4/1919. Fined 10/- and 7/- costs."
Joe and Modesta Varischetti's son, Luigi, also appears in this website.  He died in Gwalia on 7 December 1920 of Tuberculosis and Tonsilitis.
Modesta died in Gwalia in 1960, aged 72 years (Death Registration 4300010/1961, Mt Margaret).

Luigi VARISCHETTI (more)

Cause of Death: Tuberculosis, Tonsilitis

The child's father, Giuseppe Varischetti, was born 1888 and his wife, Modesta, about 1889. They married in Gorno, Italy, 12 October 1910. Their family of ten included: Luigi born 1910, died Leonora 1920, aged 10 years (Death Registration 4300041/1920, Mt Margaret); Rosa Maria (Rosie) born 1914 in Gwalia (Birth Registration 4300030/1914, Mt Margaret), died 1945 in Leonora District Hospital, aged 30 years; Joseph Peter born 1915 in Gwalia (Birth Registration 4300079/1915, Mt Margaret); Luigi (Louis) born 1921 in Sons of Gwalia Lease (Birth Registration 4300012/1921, Mt Margaret) ; Henry born 1923 (aged 7 years); Victor born 1924 (aged 17 years); Peter born circa 1926 (aged 15 years); Mary born circa 1927 (aged 14 years); Stella born 1930 (aged 10 years); Deceased 1 male, 1 female

Giuseppe died 1941 of silicosis in Leonora and Modesta died 4 May 1961 in Leonora.  They both appear in this website.

Guiseppe VENOSTA (more)

Cause of Death: Gelignite explosion

Giuseppe Venosta and Giuseppe Trinca were killed by an explosion in Gwalia mine. They had fired a number of charges and returned to one that had missed. Whilst they were doing so, the charge exploded unexpectedly and both men were killed instantaneously.

Hugh VISTARINI (more)

Cause of Death: Peritonitis caused by a ruptured gastric ulcer

Mr Vistarini was found dead in his camp at Lawlers.  He had been prospecting on the Northern Goldfields for over 48 years.

The deceased had a brother, Emerico, who died at Coolgardie in 1946, aged 77 years.

The deceased's father, Hannibal Vistarini, was born about 1828 in Lodi, Milan, Italy.  In 1852, possibly in Piedmont, Italy, he married Hannah Gallimberti, with whom he emigrated to Australia in 1853.  The couple had six children between 1854 and 1863, including sons Achilles (Birth Registration 9124/1860) in Victoria and Emerico Ernesto, born 1863 (Birth Registration 16330/1863) in Victoria.  In 1869, in what is believed to have been a de facto relationship with Isabella Burton, a further 10 children were born of which Hugh was the third of 5 sons and 5 daughters.

Hannibal died  28 December 1908 at Alma St, Maryborough, Victoria.  Isabella died 07 June 1927 in South Melbourne,

Esau WANADJI (more)

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

Aka Wundagee.

This story comes from Penny, in Carnarvon, who is the daughter of Esau Wanadji: As a young man, he would go out to work but lived with his cousins, Topsy and Billy Shaw. When Penny was born, Topsy and Billy became her foster parents. "Esau joined the boxing team. They had a big truck. He used to come and visit me at New Norcia Mission where I was at school. He had to pay the nuns 1 Pound to get me out to go to the Royal Show for a week. He was working as a boxer at the Stewart’s Boxing Troupe. Esau won the Golden Gloves and belt for boxing. Later on I heard he had passed away at Leonora”. George Stewart ran the Stewart Boxing Troupe which toured around the country towns and featured some of WA's most renowned Noongar fighters. George Stewart was one of the toughest men around at the time. He was no shrinking violet and not one to take a backward step, which testifies to the tough life that Esau must have led in the Boxing Troupe.