Up to a short period of time before her death, the deceased had been in remarkably good health but a little over a fortnight before her death, she was treated at Miss Sherrin's Hospital for a mild form of gastritis. Having recovered from the attack, she left the hospital and went about her daily work.
A few days later, she was seized with an acute internal disorder and was re-admitted to Miss Sherrin's Hospital. The violent symptoms of the complaint from which she suffered were successfully treated but the heart had been extremely weakened during the process. She rallied for the next 24 hours through the use of stimulative drugs but about 4 o'clock on the Saturday, she succumbed to her illness.
Miss O'Meagher was from New Zealand, where her father occupied a prominent position at the Bar. She was well known in Melbourne for some considerable time as a cyclist, having won a 15-mile road race for ladies. She also spent some time as a teacher at Mr MacRobertson's cycling school.
During her time in Menzies, on two occasions, Miss Meagher completed a journey to Coolgardie on her cycle but on her return journey the second time, she was unable to complete the trip due to extreme weather.
She was an immensely popular young woman and at such an age, will long be remembered.
At her funeral that same afternoon, a procession of 25 cyclists walked two abreast, leading their cycles, which all bore crepe on the handle bar.
The oak coffin, which was painted a light colour according to Miss Meagher's request, was covered with beautiful wreaths.
Miss O'Meagher had lived for 13 years in New Zealand before arriving in Australia.
The Informant of the death of this little girl was John Thomas BAWDEN, her adopted father, of Menzies.
Nora Hartigan and John Thomas Bawden were married in Coolgardie in 1896 (Marriage Registration 72/1896). They witnessed the burial of this little girl. The Bawdens had five children of their own between 1896 and 1905.
It appears that Mr Pearce may have been a Mining Manager for the West Australian Tin Mining Company, as one of his reports appears in the newspaper for 1890.
Herbert Pederick was admitted to the Menzies Hospital on Saturday 18 September from the Four-Mile. A native of Port Gawler, his father and brothers and sisters were still residing there when he died.
Patrick arrived in Menzies in March 1897 and began work for the Menzies Consolidated Mine.
In Gawler, he, along with other members of his family, was a member of the Gawler River Band of Hope, a religious group which highlighted the practice of temperance. They were Methodists by religion.
The deceased's father, William Henry Pederick, born 30 December 1830, in Devon, England, had arrived in South Australia 13 December 1840 with his parents and siblings from Plymouth. He married hIs first wife, Anna Benney CHIVELL, on 29 July 1852 (Marriage Registration 5/130, Adelaide), with whom he had five children before her death in 1864. William then married Emma Rose WHEATON on 14 March 1867 (Marriage Registration 70/583, Adelaide) and a further six children were born, of which Herbert William was the second eldest. His siblings were: Edith Victoria born 24 May 1868, Kate Elizabeth born 23 August 1872; Ellen Louisa 15 July 1875; Ernest Arthur Jeffrey born 20 October 1877; Frederick John Adams born 1 March 1880.
William Henry died 25 November 1904 at Gawler, South Australia. His wife, Rose, had predeceased him when she died 15 October 1891 at Pine Park, Lewiston, South Australia.
The child's death was certified in writing by Robinson Harland Peel, father of the child, at Menzies.
Robinson Harland Peel, father of the deceased, was born 6 June 1868, at Springdallah, Victoria. He married Theodora Dowsett at Charters Towers, Queensland, on 31 August 1892 (Marriage Registration 1892/C/1145). She was born in July 1873 at Pickering, Yorkshire North Riding, England and had arrived in Brisbane on 13 October 1888. In 1893, the first of their twelve children were born. They were: Jane Ann born 12 July 1893; Mary born 17 October 1874, died 17 November 1894. The family then moved to Western Australia, where the following children were born: Dorah 1899; Sydney Robinson born Menzies 29 May 1901 (Birth Registration 1616/1901); Lavinia born Menzies 12 December 1904 (Birth Registration 2092/1905); Thomas born 31 May 1906 in Menzies (Birth Registration 1900055/1906, North Coolgardie); Robinson William born 1908 at Menzies (Birth Registration 1900024/1908, North Coolgardie); Beatrice Gertrude born 27 April 1909 at Menzies (Birth Registration 1900045/1909, North Coolgardie); John born 1910 at Menzies (Birth Registration 1900048/1910, North Coolgardie); Doreen May born 12 May 1914 at Menzies (Birth Registration 1900016/1914, North Coolgardie); Dulcie Dowsett born 10December 1917 at Menzies (Birth Registration 1900002/1918, North Coolgardie).
Theodora, mother of this large family, died 2 July 1922 at Kalgoorlie (Death Registration 1800110/1922, East Coolgardie). Her husband died at Kalgoorlie on 27 December 1941 (Death Registration 1800308/1941. East Coolgardie).
The deceased had just arrived in Menzies from Lawler's, when he dropped dead in the main street near Menzies Hotel. He had come in with pack-horses for the purpose of procuring a load of provisions for his mates, who were working in the vicinity of Lawler's. At the time of his death, he was in the company of another man who had known him for years. The men had been working some 16 miles from Menzies on the Mt Ida road. An inquest held at Menzies on 4th November 1895 (as reported in the Police Gazette No. 47, 1895), by the Warden, Mr. F. Gill, Resident Magistrate, and a jury, when after the evidence of Dr. Collis and others had been taken, a verdict was returned that the deceased had died from Natural Causes. He had apparently arrived in Menzies from Lawlers with pack horses, for the purpose of procuring a load of provisions for his mates, who were working in the vicinity of Lawler's. At the time of his death, he was in the company of another man who had known him for years.
The deceased died intestate and subsequently, Letters of Administration were to be granted to Mary Ann Prior, his mother, a widow, of View Street, Bendigo. It is believed the deceased had a brother named Stanley.
John Morris' father, Johann Melchior Prior, was born 1843 in Merkel, Hesse Cassel, Prussia. His wife was born about 1845 in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, Wales. She arrived in Hobart on 20 January 1853 on the Derwent Water. The couple married in 1866 in Sandhurst, Victoria, where their twelve children were born. They were: Louisa born 1867; Emily Elizabeth born 1869; Wilhemina Edith born 1870; John Morris born 1871; Beatrice Elizabeth born and died in 1873; Maud Agnes Mary born 1874; James Ernest born 1876; Robert Norman born 1878; Adelaide born 1880; Gerald born and died 1881; Stanley born 23 December 1882; Irene born 1887.
John Melchior Prior died 12 March 1889 at View Street, Sandhurst. His widow died 24 September 1909 in Bendigo.
Mr Ridley had been suffering for 41 days before his death.
The child's father was born 6 January 1861 at Harcourt, Victoria (Birth Registration 22849/1861, Harcourt). He married Emily Jane Marshallsea in Victoria on 14 September 1886 at Castlemaine (Marriage Registration 3988V/1886). The couple had six children. They were: William James Marshallsea born 1887 at Yackandandah, Victoria (Birth Registration 25123/1887), died 1894 at Fremantle (Death Registration 343/1894); Isabelle Evelyn born 1889 at Yackandandah (Birth Registration 27571/1889), died 1894 at Fremantle; Ruth born 1892 at Fremantle, died 1894; Flora born 27 April 1895 in Perth; Emily May born 19 May 1897 at Menzies, died 23 May 1897; Leonard Marshallsea born 1900 at Yackandandah (Birth Registration 7589/1900).
Mrs Rutherford had spent 12 years in New South Wales before moving to Western Australia.
Jane was the eldest of six children born to Susan and Albert Wiltshire, in Gloucestershire, England. The couple were married in January 1875 at Redruth, Cornwall, England. Jane's siblings were Orlando Mitchell born about 1879, died 1895 in Newcastle, New South Wales (Death Registration 2178/1895, Newcastle); Ada Clare born October 1881, died 1904 in New South Wales; Alice born about 1895. These four children were born in Gloucestershire. The family apparently then migrated to Australia where the next two children were born in New South Wales. They were Richard Henry born 1887 in Glebeland (Birth Registration 31252/1887, Glebeland) and his twin, Ellen Grace (Birth Registration 31253/1887, Glebeland).
Jane's father, Albert, died in Newcastle, New South Wales, on 30 December 1888. His wife died on the same day, 55 years later, on 30 December 1943, at Kurri Kurri, New South Wales.
Jane is buried in the Wesleyan portion of the Menzies cemetery.
The deceased had been suffering for 2 days before his death.
He is buried in the Anglican portion of the Menzies Cemetery.
For six weeks, Mr Shepperd fought against the disease and, despite the best medical attention obtainable and the tenderest nursing his companions were able to give him, he expired on the 13th May. His parents, brothers and sisters had the sad consolation of knowing that though far away from home, strange but kind hands did all that was possible to soothe and alleviate his hours of pain.
Having known this young man for just a short while, his employer conveyed the following upon his death: "He was nearly six weeks ill. I stood near him and saw him pass away. No doubts or fears distressed him; he had a very peaceful end. I always felt greatly interested in him as he was just the sort of young man I needed here. He was straightforward in business and always helping me. He was greatly respected by all who knew him."
The deceased's parents were married in Queensland in 1867 (Marriage Registration 1867/C/120).
The deceased was the son of Mr John Sinclair of Rocky River and was at one time in the postal department in Menzies. The premature death of so fine and promising a young fellow is much to be deplored. Sincere sympathy was extended to the bereaved.
John Miller Sinclair's parents were married 21 June 1871 in Adelaide, South Australia (Marriage Registration 87/674, Adelaide). John was the eldest in the family. The rest of the family consisted of Christena May born 21 May 1876; Allen born 5 May 1878; Florence Agnes born 18 April 1880; William Malcolm born 17 April 1882; Jane Miller born 30 October 1884; Stanley Bruce born 18 January 1887.
Mr. Kennedy Smith, who had recently arrived from Oamaru, New Zealand, was stricken down with fever almost as soon as he arrived on the field; but recovering from the fever, he was then attacked by pneumonia and, in spite of the unremitting care of his friend, Mr Grenfell, and others, he succumbed to the attack and was interred on Tuesday.
The deceased's parents were married 31 October 1848 in Straiton, Ayrshire, Scotland (Marriage Registration 20/105, Straiton). Kennedy Jnr was the second youngest of seven children born to this marriage which produced 5 girls and two boys. His siblings were: Jane (Jeanie) born 8 August 1849; Elizabeth Brown born 10 June 1850; Barbara Rae born 19 December 1853; Robert born 26 November 1855; Helen born 17 September 1858; Kennedy born 1860; Mary born 5 April 1863.
Their father was born 26 May 1824 at Girvan, Ayrshire, and died 19 May 1870 at Straiton. His wife was born 03 April 1821 at Dalmellington, Ayrshire, and died 13 January 1903 at Dalmellington.
The deceased had lived in New Zealand for 5 years before arriving in Western Australia.
This little girl had spent the first 2 years and 9 months of her life living in Victoria with her parents, before moving to Western Australia. Her last nine days were spent suffering before she succumbed to death.
The child's parents were married in 1895 in Victoria (Marriage Registration 595/1895).
Seven children have been identified with this marriage. Sarah Cecelia was the eldest. Her siblings were: Eileen Mary born 1898 (Birth Registration 8231/1898, Ballarat); Alf born 1900 in Carlton (Birth Registration 1616/1900, Carlton); Thomas Henry born 1906 (Birth Registration 7738/1906, Ballarat); Raymond born 1909 (Birth Registration 16088/1909, Ballarat); Victor Michael born 1919 in Carlton (Birth Registration 32014/1919, Carlton).