Biography

Mr Burke fell 100ft down a shaft after falling from the ladder in the shaft of the Central Gwalia GM. The inquest concerning the death of William Alfred Burke, who was killed at the Gwalia Consolidated Gold Mine, was held at the Leonora Courthouse on the morning of 14 August. Dr,. Cameron gave evidence as to the cause of death. The deceased had a very bad fracture of the skull, which was quite sufficient to have caused instant death and his neck was also dislocated. Evidence was also taken from Robert William Berry, Harry Tedge, and Benjamin Rowe, all of whom were working at the shaft with the deceased. The whole of the evidence tended to show that the deceased at the time of the accident was descending the shaft by the ladder and must have slipped shortly after leaving the surface. The ladders used were good, with plenty of foothold and the requirements of the Mines Regulation Act were carried out on the mine. He had descended the shaft in which the accident occurred, by the ladder on different occasions and was of the opinion that the ladders were perfectly safe. The jury, after a retirement of a few minutes, brought in a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone. The deceased lived in New South Wales for 21 years before arriving in Western Australia.