Outback Graves Markers

John ABERNETHY (more)

Cause of Death: Rupture of the Brain

Deceased is buried in the non-conformist section of the cemetery, Section N.C Row S/21 Plot 7. He was found in an unconscious condition near the rifle range on the Sunday and taken to the hospital by the police, who believed him to have been either injured or suffering from the effects of drinking. On the previous Thursday night, deceased was very drunk near the National Hotel and he fell heavily backwards, his head striking the ground. Abernethy told his friend, William Swanson, that he was not well and that his head felt as big again as it ought to. Swanson said he appeared to be suffering a recovery of some sort. William Burtoli deposed that the deceased, whom he knew, stayed at his camp on the Saturday night. On Sunday morning, deceased complained of his head and said he never felt so bad before. He did not mention any accident or fall. On Saturday night, the deceased gave him £2 to take care of and he still held that money. Witness did not see the deceased alive after 10 am on Sunday. The deceased was examined by Dr Stead on Sunday night about 9.30 at the Black Range District Hospital. He was then in an unconscious condition and suffering from symptoms of compression of the brain. There were several abrasions on the face but they were not fresh. There were no marks of violence on the body. Abernethy died at 11.42 am on the Monday without regaining consciousness. In a post mortem examination of the body, Dr Stead found the cause of death was due to a rupture of the brain at the extreme end of the left side. Blood had escaped from the rupture and was pressing on the left surface of the brain. He also found in the scalp a large quantity of fluid blood, indicating a general bruising but there was no localised bruise. Further details of the post mortem examination were revealed the jury returned a verdict that John Abernethy came to his death by a rupture of the brain but there was no evidence to show how the injury was caused.

Robert Hamilton ALLEN (more)

Cause of Death: Self-inflicted or Accidental gunshot wound

Allen was found dead with the top of his head shot off and a shotgun on the ground in front of him. Mary Winifred Allen, wife of the deceased, said that on her application, her husband was placed on the prohibited drinkers' list. In conversation with her the next day he said that unless he could obtain beer, he would be an angel by the evening. She did not treat his remarks seriously and replied banteringIy to them, but shortly afterwards she was alarmed by the sound of a shot and, running into the yard, she found her husband with part of his head shot off and a shotgun lying nearby. She thought that it was quite likely that her husband intended merely to alarm her and arouse her anxiety and sympathy for him by firing the gun. Corroborative evidence was given by Allen's daughter, Elsie Irene Allen.

The verdict of the coronial enquiry was: "That deceased came by his death at Sandstone on April 4, by gun shot wound, but there was not sufficient evidence to say whether the wound was self-inflicted or caused accidentally." Robert is buried in the Presbyterian portion of the cemetery, plot number 19. The deceased's brother, Samuel William, died in Sandstone in 1944 and is also buried in the Sandstone cemetery.

Samuel William ALLEN (more)

Cause of Death:

Deceased is one of nine children born in Victoria to Elizabeth Maria and Sam Allen. The deceased's brother, Robert Hamilton, died and was buried in Sandstone in 1929 as the result of suicide from a gunshot wound. Mr. Allen came to Mt. Magnet at the age of 16. For thirty years he was engaged in business in that district as a contractor until he took up a pastoral property in the Sandstone district. Always keenly interested in local affairs, Mr. Allen was for many years a member of the Mt. Magnet Road Board and later of the Black Range Road Board, of which he was chairman at the time of his recent illness. He was also interested in various sporting bodies in both districts, particularly the Mt Magnet Racing Club and the Sandstone Sports Club. The chief mourners at his funeral were his sons, R. D. Allen, B. J. Allen and his daughter, P. H. Broadhurst. Deceased is buried in the Presbyterian portion of the cemetery.

Olive Maude BAILEY (more)

Cause of Death:

The deceased is buried in the Methodist section of the cemetery, plot number 13. The child's parents were married in the Geraldton district in 1908.

Henry BAKER (more)

Cause of Death: Heart Failure

Alias Edward Henry Baker.

The deceased is buried in plot number 25 of the Church of England portion of the cemetery. An inquest was held into the sudden death of Mr Baker and it was thought that the heart failure was probably caused and hastened by influenza and bronchial pneumonia affecting a weak heart.

Baker was an old employee of the Oroya Black Range mine and was much devoted to his family of two daughters and one son grown up. The deceased had been in Victoria for 40 years prior to arriving in Western Australia. He left an estate valued at £224 Os. 9d. to Constantine O'Hare.

Arabella Annie BAKER nee FRIEL, died on 20 February 1958 in South Perth, WA. She was recorded on the WA BMD as Gertrude Eva BAKER (Reg: 593/1958 Perth): parents - Patrick O’Friel(sic) and Ann Jane (nee BOYLE). The Metropolitan Cemetery Board has her recorded under the correct name. She is buried with her daughters, Beatrice and Eileen in Karrakatta Cemetery.

Of the couple's children, Eillen died in Rivervale, aged 86 years, Beatrice died in Armadale aged 89 years, Clarence died at Subiaco aged 87 years and Daisy Belle died in Perth aged 53 years.  All four daughters are buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.

 

Mary BALD (more)

Cause of Death:

The deceased is buried in the Wesleyan portion of the cemetery, plot number 8. The child's father was a well-known building contractor in the Sandstone area. In 1907, Mr John Bald's tender for erecting the State School at Sandstone for the amount of £533 ISs was accepted. He tendered for the building of the Shire Offices, supervised the building of a 165 ft x 69 ft stadium being built in the town and was the contractor for the erection of a new maternity ward at the Sandstone Hospital, the building of which was to commence in April of 1911, he having previously built the Sandstone Hospital Laundry in 1908. Interestingly, he had been the contractor for the hospital built at the old town (Black Range) which was removed from that place to Sandstone. He was also President of the AWA Brass Band in town. Mary's mother was Martha Stephenson, who married John Bald in 1905 at Cue (Marriage Reg.No.1063/1905, Cue). Mary's siblings were: William born 1906 (Birth Reg.No. 48/1906, Murchison); John born 1908 (Birth Reg.No.42/1908, Black Range); Alice born 1912 (Birth Reg.No. 31/1912, Black Range).

William BARRY (more)

Cause of Death: Unknown

William and his brother, Cornelius, were born in South Australia. Cornelius, the older brother by four years, was born while the family were in Mt Gambier. Sadly, in September 1922, Cornelius was found dead about 10 miles from Yalgoo. The brothers were timbering a well for the McKenna Brothers and William, concerned that Cornelius had been "strange" for the past week, imagining things that could not possibly have happened, had arranged with Mr E. McKenna to have his brother taken to Geraldton for medical treatment as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the next morning, they went to work as usual. Cornelius lowered William down the shaft, lowered timber and hauled dirt until noon, then went to put the billy on. After half an hour, with no sign of Cornelius, William climbed out of the shaft on the windmill pipe. After some time, with no sign of Cornelius, William enlisted the help of two natives from the homestead and eventually the body of Cornelius was found lying about 200 yards beyond the camp with a razor in his right hand and a deep gash on the left side of his throat. A verdict of "death from a wound, in the throat, self-inflicted" was recorded. However, there is no such detailed information as to how young William met his death just two years later, in Sandstone. The deceased is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the cemetery, plot number 32.

John BENNETT (more)

Cause of Death:

Known as Trouty.

James Vincent BLACKLOWE (more)

Cause of Death:

Known as Jimbo; late of "the Swamps' Northampton and previously of Sandstone. In 1978 he was living in Sydney. He had a mining tenement in Sandstone which he relinquished in 2016. At some stage of his life, it believed the deceased lived in Antwerp, Belgium. This has not been confirmed. Blacklowe's parents were married in Cootamundra in 1956 (Marriage Registration 26912/1956) and went on to produce 7 children before divorcing. Valda then remarried and had 1 more child.

William BOWMAN (more)

Cause of Death: Miner's Phthisis

The deceased is buried in the Methodist portion of the cemetery, plot number 12. He had worked in Sandstone about two years and came to the town from Day Dawn. His death was just one more to add to the grim record of the Great Fingail mine.

Paddy BUNGAN (more)

Cause of Death: Injuries from a fight

Bungan was injured in a fight with another Aboriginal Mendytical alias Jumbo, at their camp near Sandstone. Bungan was killed and Jumbo was injured. The deceased is buried in plot number 3 of the Aboriginal portion of the cemetery.

Eileen BURKHARDT (more)

Cause of Death:

The child is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the cemetery, plot number 17. The child's parents married at Black Range in 1910 (Marriage Reg.No.3/1910, Black Range). The child had 3 siblings: Mary E (known as Molly) born 1910 in Black Range, William John born 1914 in Black Range and Thomas born 1916 in Geraldton. Their father, William Henry, died in Geraldton in 1933.

James BURNS (more)

Cause of Death: Acute Bronchitis; Fibroid Pthsis

James Burns had been an inmate at the hospital for twelve months, suffering from phthisis and a chill recently contracted was the cause of his death. He was an old prospector and was well-known throughout the Murchison and Lake Darlot fields. In a final gesture of gratitude, James Burns bequeathed £50 to the Hospital Fund. He is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the cemetery, plot number 28. Probate was granted to Patrick Burns, of Kirkalocka Station, Yowergabbie, near Mount Magnet, who was a shearer and brother of James.

Reginald Murray BUTLER (more)

Cause of Death: Accidental discharge of rifle

Butler had left Perth three weeks previously with a fellow roo shooter, John Henry Lewis, who had been living with Reginald and his father, Harry.. On arrival at the station, at about 4 pm on October 20th, they stopped the truck and got out to speak to Harold Godbolt and James Pegley, inquiring if it was possible to get a telephone call through to Dandaraga Station, so that they could get permission to shoot on the property. When they got out of the truck they left a Savage rifle, leaning against the seat between where they sat. The rifle was loaded, but not cocked. Both men knew the rifle was loaded ready for shooting, but was not cocked. After a while, Butler headed back to the truck when Lewis, a little way behind him, heard a shot and saw the rifle fall out of the left side of the truck. He ran to the truck and said to the deceased, "Did that get you?" and he said "Got me," and at the same time grasped his shoulder, got out of the driver's seat and staggered towards the rear. Immediately the shot went off, Godbolt ran to the truck. The deceased was stumbling and they caught him as he collapsed. They took him to the station house and Godbolt and Pegley did all they could for him. He died about ten minutes after they carried him to the house and did not speak. The Coroner returned a verdict "That the deceased (Reginald Butler), came to his death from a gunshot wound accidentally inflicted, and that no blame is attached to any person or persons."

Patrick BYRNES (more)

Cause of Death:

The deceased is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the cemetery, plot number 36.