Outback Graves Markers

David Ballentine WATSON (more)

Cause of Death: Typhoid Fever, Heart Failure

The deceased was born in Victoria, although the family moved to Young, New South Wales, at some stage of his early lifetime.  He was the fifth of eight children born to an Irishman who was born about 1832 in Armagh, Northern Ireland, and his bride, Rachel Greer.  The couple were married on 20 February 1857 in Carisbrook, Victoria.  Their family consisted of: Mary Jane born 1858 in Dunolly; Margaret born 1859 in Dunolly; James born 1862 in Dundas; Adeline Lavinia born 1864 in Dundas; David; William George Greer born 1869 in Dunolly; Thomas John born 1873 in Dunolly; Mary Georgina born 1876 in Dunolly.

David Ballentine Senior died 15 December 1890 at Young, New South Wales.  His wife died there in 1922.

George Ernest W WEBSTER (more)

Cause of Death: Exhaustion and thirst

The deceased died in January 1896 but his body was not found until months later.
Arthur Makin, a well-known prospector, reported to the police on Monday morning 4 May, that he had discovered the remains of the missing prospector, George Webster, the previous evening. It appears that Makin was engaged searching for his horses. At a spot about 5 miles east of Menzies, and about a mile from the Federal mine, he came across the corpse of a white man, which, on examination, proved to be the remains of the unfortunate man, Webster.  Accompanied by the police, Messrs C. H. Beaumont, F. A. Moss, and Dr Corlis, and jury consisting of Messrs Harris, Speight and Gregory, he journeyed out to view the body, with the object of identification.
The surroundings proved that the unfortunate victim to our waterless desert had lain down under the shade of a large tree, in utter despair and quietly met his dreadful fate. There were no signs of a struggle for life in his dying moments. Webster evidently had lost all reason prior to death, which may be gathered from the fact that he had divested himself of all his clothes, which were lying a few feet from the body.
Although it was exactly four months since Webster met his awful doom, his features were quite recognisable by those present. The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, but almost intact.  In the deceased's trousers were found a Bank of Australasian pound note, and pocket-book, in which were a number of papers and various other articles, which left no doubt as to their owner's identity.
All the things were in a perfect state of preservation.
An inquest was held before Mr K.Ballard, J.P., and a jury, which lasted about two hours; and eventually a verdict of 'Death from exhaustion or thirst,' was returned.
The deceased had only left the Coolgardie hospital, where he was suffering from a very severe attack of dysentery, when he started on his fatal journey much against the wish of his friends, who tried to persuade him to stay in town and recoup his lost strength.  But Webster was a man who detested to be idle, so stuck to his resolution to start on his what has now proved to be endless journey. The camel which Webster had with him returned to Menzies four days after leaving, which aroused fears as to Webster's safety. Besides exhaustive searches by the police, private parties and a party organised by the company for whom the deceased was employed, had been scouring the country during the intervening four months. By an accident, it is only now the world learned the actual fate of poor Webster. Mr E. A. Moss, acting on behalf of the Central Exploration Company of W.A, for whom Webster was employed at the time of his death, made all arrangements for the placing of the remains in their last resting place regardless of expense. The interment took place at the Menzies cemetery on Wednesday morning.

Tommy WHEELBARROW (more)

Cause of Death: Pneumonia

Also known as Thomas.

This young Aboriginal lad had suffered from pneumonia for 10 days before he succumbed.

Andrew WILLIAMS (more)

Cause of Death: Enteric Fever

Also known as Andrew COCKINGTON.

Andrew Cockington, also known as Andrew Williams, left an estate valued at £63 16s 6d to John Alfred Northmore.  John Northmore was the legal attorney for Mary Williams, mother of Andrew Williams/Cockington.  Mary Dolby married William Cockington at Carcoar, New South Wales, in 1858 (Marriage Registration 1608/1858, Carcoar). William Cockington died in Armidale in 1869 (Death Registration 2629/1869, Armidale).

Walter Samuel WILLIAMS (more)

Cause of Death: Died of Thirst

Walter Williams died three miles on the Mt Ida side of the Ghost Rocks. He is buried where he was found, 16 miles from Menzies on the Mt Ida road. A prospector at the Mt Ida field, at the time of the tragedy, Williams was a partner in the prospecting syndicate called "Glimmer of Hope". The other members of his party were Charles Prangle Wansbrough and Caleb William Massingham (Walter William's cousin). They had pegged a claim at Mt Ida and, being the first to find gold there, they were granted a reward claim. Owing to a lack of proper facilities for treating the ore, they were forced to temporarily abandon the claim. Walter Williams had decided to go for a trip to his home in Victoria and started off for Menzies, a distance of 67 miles on his bicycle. The weather was very hot and water scarce. Williams was found dead on the road between Mt Ida and Menzies, by two prospectors named Wilson and Daley. These men were passed by the cyclist, who was apparently full of health and vigour, just as he was leaving Mt Ida. When they reached a point some 40 miles from Menzies, they came upon his machine in the road and saw the tracks of where he had started to walk. Some miles further on, they discovered his boots lying the road and saw where he had eventually started to crawl on his hands and knees. A little further on, they came upon his dead body. The deceased was then only 16 miles from Menzies and the discoverers of the gruesome remains hastened there to report the matter to the authorities. The police left to bury the body and glean particulars as to how the deceased met his death. The Mt Ida Prospectors' Association erected a plaque in his memory in 1939. A railing was placed around his grave and a handsome headstone erected. Interestingly, in 1988, Martin Gole and Rob Hill, of the CSIRO Division of Exploration Geoscience, were working in the Siberia-Ora Banda-Menzies-Mt Ida area, looking at an extensive (35 by 130km), very thick (600-800m) lava flow of a type called komatiite. Such rocks are the hosts of the nickel deposits. North-west of Menzies, and at the base of the lava flow, is the grave of Walter S Williams. They used a photo of the headstone as the frontispiece in a geological guide book and have called the lava flow the "Walter Williams Ultramafic Unit" after this intrepid prospector. The name was approved by the Australian Stratigraphic Nomenclature Committee. Geologists name geological features for ease of reference. Williams' parents were married in 1866 in Victoria (Marriage Registration 737/1866). His sister was Margaret Benson born 1867 (Birth Registration 5088/1867, Walhalla). His father. living in Perth, a former farmer from Victoria, died 18 miles from Menzies (document Cons3458 item 1896/006 held at the State Records Office).

Harry WILSON (more)

Cause of Death: Acute Pneumonia, Collapse

Harry is buried in the Anglican portion of the Menzies Cemetery.

Henry WILSON (more)

Cause of Death: Dysentery; Exhaustion

The deceased had lived in Victoria for over 20 years before moving across to Western Australia.  At the time of his death, Henry was the accountant of the Menzies United Gold Mine Company.

Born in Yorkshire, Henry arrived in Australia on 28 June 1849 on the Caroline Agnes, into Geelong, Victoria, and married Mary Ellen five years later  She outlived him by a number of years when she died on 4 September 1929 in Camberwell, Victoria.

Anthony WOINAR (more)

Cause of Death: Congestive Convulsions

This little soul had suffered for 6 of his 8 days of life.

The child's parents were married in Menzies on 29 December 1896 (Marriage Reg.No.191/1896, Menzies). Nine children were born to this couple - 4 girls and 5 boys - of which Anthony was the first born.  His siblings were: Anthony Vincent 1898-1934, Bernard Aloysius 1901-1976, Amelia Josephine 19092-1980, Francis Joseph 1904-1965, Gertrude May 1906-1995, Lily 1908-1971, Stella 1910-1993 John born and died 1897.

Anthony Woinar was born on 6 May 1872.

Anthony Anglicised his name from Antoni Wojnorow. He was from Vilna, Poland, which is now Vilnius Lithuania. His wife was from Manchester, England. He was supposed to go to England but changed his fare at the last moment and came to Western Australia instead. The attached photograph is of John and Annie in the boarding house in Reedy. Anthony died on 14 August 1947 at Kalgoorlie. Annie also died at Kalgoorlie some years later, on 21 July 1958.

The deceased's brother, John, is also featured in this website.