Grace Adams was born at the 9-mile water station and maintenance camp, on the Cairns-Herberton Railway, North Queensland.  She was the third of six children born to parents: George Anderson Adams and Honora (Norah) Regan). George Adams was born 15 May 1862 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. He emigrated to Australia, arriving in Brisbane on 29 December 1883. Norah was baptised on 29 November 1862 in Drinagh, County Cork, Ireland and is believed to have arrived in Queensland in the mid-1880s.

George and Norah were married in Cairns on 10 August 1889 (Marriage Registration 1889/C/329). Their other children were Mary Isabella, born 22 October 1889 (Birth Registration 1889/C/11487); Catherine Anderson, born 3 March 1892 (Birth Registration 1892/C/2048); Grace, born 17 April 1895 (Birth Registration 1895/C/1813); Norah, born 21 May 1897 (Birth Registration 1897/C/1670); Charles George, born 29 September 1900 (Birth Registration 1900/C/1823); John James Jeremiah born 18 December 1902 in Redlynch (Near Cairns), North Queensland ( Birth Registration 1903/C/1145).

At the time of Grace’s birth, George was employed by the Queensland Railways as a lengthsman. His task was to check assigned sections of the railway track. The family lived trackside on the Cairns-Herberton Railway. On 20 April 1895, just three days after Grace’s birth, George was dismissed from his position. By 1898 the family was running the Redlynch Hotel, with Grace’s mother, Norah, as the Licensed Victualler. It is around that time that George first appeared in court for causing bodily harm to Norah. He went on to be arrested several times for further physical abuse and for drunkenness. As well as the concern and disruption this must have caused Grace and her siblings, a further sadness occurred on 2 January 1902 when Grace’s only brother at that time, Charles George, died by drowning when he fell down a well at the back of the Redlynch Hotel.

In April 1902, Norah filed a matrimonial petition for Judicial Separation in the Queensland Supreme Court, in which she documented each episode of abuse, several of which saw George Adams jailed.

On 21 March 1903 Norah and her remaining five children left Cairns for Fremantle, arriving on the Paroo in 1903. From there they made their way to the prosperous gold mining town of Kookynie.

There is strong evidence to suggest that Norah had established a relationship with a Jeremiah Moran while still living in Redlynch near Cairns. She and her children joined Jeremiah in Kookynie and from then on, she became known as Norah Moran.

On 6 October 1902, just 6-months after arriving in Kookynie, Norah’s youngest child, John James Jeremiah, died. Norah and Jeremiah gave birth to a child on 16 May 1905, also called John. 

Jeremiah and Norah and her children lived in various mining locations in the Northern Goldfields and, at one stage, they ran a boarding house in Desdemona. Jeremiah was killed in a mining accident on 18 June 1914 (Death Registration 4300026/1914, Mount Margaret), aged 58 years, and Norah died in Perth on 20 July 1925 (Death Registration 100947/1925, Perth), aged 62 years 8 months. George Adams died in Innisfail, North Queensland on 24 April 1923 (Death Registration 1923/C/1282).

Grace’s 9-month-old brother, John James Jeremiah, is buried in the Kookynie Cemetery. Her stepfather, Jeremiah Moran, is buried in the Malcolm Cemetery (Kookynie Road). Their stories also appear on this website.

A native of the Torrens River district in New South Wales. For some time he had been employed by the Malcolm Property Mine, Murrin Murrin. He became ill and was admitted to the Malcolm Hospital where it soon became obvious that he was suffering a serious heart condition. He was a resident of Malcolm and a prominent member of the Malcolm Cricket Club.

The informant of his death was James John Henry HISLOP, father-in-law. The deceased left the amount of £291 10s to his wife. He died from Injuries caused by a bullet wound self-inflicted while temporarily insane. The deceased had lived in Victoria and New South Wales for 34 years. Deceased was

Harry Arnold was brought to the Mt Malcolm Hospital by the Lawler's Coach from Diorite King. He was part of a prospecting party at Wilson's Creek and was proceeding there in a spring cart and two horses. It appears the horses bolted and he was thrown out. He managed to get as far as his mate's camp but was unable to speak. He was considerably cut about the face and nearly all the bones in his face were smashed. He was also suffering from a fracture of the skull. He developed pneumonia and lingered for 10 days before his demise.

Deceased suicided by placing an explosive in his mouth and exploding it. He had been prospecting in the district for some consider time and came upon payable gold. He then obtained financial assistance to take up a lease. He then came into Malcolm where he stayed a week, during which time it is said he got on a drinking bout and lost the money which he required to take up the lease. Sobering up, this must have played on his mind and led him to take the drastic action that he chose.

Deceased lived in Victoria for 20 years. He was engaged in removing some machinery, and to loosen the foundations was blasting with powder. For some reason or other one of the shots went off too soon. Bownan, who was standing some feet away, with the bag of powder in his hands, received the full blast. He was fearfully burned, and was taken at once to the Malcolm hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries after lingering five days. The jury returned a verdict that deceased met his death through heart failure subsequent to injuries received by an explosion of blasting powder. Bowman was a quiet young fellow, much esteemed by those who knew him.

Mrs Box had not been feeling well for some time. She enjoyed Christmas dinner with her husband and family but shortly afterwards, complained of illness and called in one of her neighbours. When the neighbour arrived, Mrs Box had lapsed into unconsciousness and never recovered, passing away at 5.45pm. Mrs Box came to Malcolm from Rylstone, New South Wales, 16 months prior to her demise. She left a widower and two little children, the youngest of whom, died in March 1902, aged 5 months.

The death of the child was registered by his father. Mother died in 1901 - see OGM No 0492.

John Braithwaite was a miner.