Biography

Also known as Borto. Borto Marinoni and Joe Marinoni left Anaconda Copper Mine, where they were employed, with the intention of visiting a relative who was in the Malcolm Hospital, the victim of a recent accident at the mine, who was very severely burned with copper slag. They set out about 10 am on bicycles and, as they had only 16 miles to travel, did not carry any water with them. Neither of them had travelled on the road before. They rode for some distance before turning off on to an old road which runs from Bummer's Creek to Dingo Creek and soon became lost. Their bicycles had broken down and Borto took off in search of water. The following morning he had not returned and Jo took a track which led to a camp about eight miles south-east of Malcolm. By 10am he reached the camp in a terribly exhausted condition to the point where he was unable to even take water. After being made more comfortable, bathed and gently revived, he was taken into the hospital. On the way, although his scant English knowledge made it difficult to understand him, he was able to explain that another man had been with him and was out there in the bush. After being admitted to hospital, a search was made for the man, who was found dead on the Bummer's Creek road. only about a mile from where the track turned off to the camp. And inquest was held the next day, at which the jury recorded a verdict that the deceased perished in the bush from want of water. They added a rider that they considered it would he advisable to have finger posts at all cross roads and junctions, stating where such roads led to and what distance it was to water. His death was registered by his brother, Palmiro Marinoni. A considerable amount of family and historical information is lodged at the grave of this man - a scroll of papers written in Italian.