Outback Graves Markers

John DAY (more)

Cause of Death: Fever and an internal complaint

Informant F McGowan, mailman, Halls Creek. Buried at the Argyle Police Station located on the Ord River-Wyndham road at Wild Dog Spring near the Northern Territory border. Witnesses present at the burial were John Bates and Police Constable Joseph Henry Hill (Regimental No.517). Author's Note: Argyle Police Station and Wild Dog Police Camp/Station are one and the same. "Mucking About" by Paul Hasluck p.238 states "At Wild Dog Gorge on the Mistake Creek side of Sugar Springs, there lie near each other, marking a grim jest, the last beds of men named Day and Knight." Walter Wilson was buried there in 1898, George Knight (at Argyle Station) in 1904, Hugh McKenna in 1905 and John Day in 1908. An old stockman told that 2 rather large mounds were at this police station near the mill and tank at Wild Dog Spring in the 1950's; also said to be the graves of Day and Knight. Could there have been more than 2 graves?

George Francis KNIGHT (more)

Cause of Death: Fever

Buried by Charles Grantham after he apparently died of fever.

Hugh MCKENNA (more)

Cause of Death: Speared by a Native

Died at 14 Mile Creek, Wild Dog (police station); Buried by Joseph J Wiltshire (Regimental No.743) at the 14 Mile on the Ord River-Wyndham road. He was speared by a native, while resting in the shade of a tree during the midday halt, while travelling from Ord River Station to Wyndham. His body was found by the teamsters Thomas Cleary and Richard/Rudolph Philchowski. A half civilised boy of about 18 years of age was arrested and confessed to the murder, saying he was egged on by the lubras, who taunted him with not being game to murder a white man. He was tried and sentenced to death, but because the evidence of identification sworn in the Lower Court was not produced in the Higher Court, he was liberated and sent back to his tribe to boast of his exploits. Further Reference: Sons in the Saddle by Mary Durack; Early Days - Journal of Proceedings of the RWAHS Vol 10, Part 1, 1989 (article "Monotony, Manhunts & Malice: Eastern Kimberley Law Enforcement 1896 - 1908" by Cathy Clement).

Walter WILSON (more)

Cause of Death: Fever and exhaustion

Informant Police Constable A Freeman (Regimental No. 192), Police Camp Argyle, East Kimberley. Buried by T Bywaters (Police Camp, East Kimberley).