Biography

The informant of the death was S.H.E. Leigh, manager, Ord River Station.

Shadforth's last words to his mate, Duncan McCauley, with whom he was out mustering at the time, were "see you anon".

His death certificate gave his occupation as 'packer'. His body was carried 40 miles on horse back to the homestead, by his mate Duncan McCauley. Duncan died 30 years later and his dying wish was to be buried at The Ord alongside his mate.

Shadforth worked as a stockman for the Duracks on Argyle and had decided on a change of stations. He had been warned of the danger of riding too close to the paperbarks when mustering along the Osmond River as the Aboriginals were notorious for running alongside the mustering stockmen, dodging amongst the trees and hurling insults and spears. He rode across the river but another native jumped up from tall grass and speared him. The spear travelled clean through his arm and into his side. He died as a result of the spearing.

Shadforth was one of a family of eleven, with six brothers and four sisters.  His mother was born in Plymouth, England, in 1839; his father in Parramatta in 1831.  The couple took their family to Queensland some time between 1778 and 1880, where their last two children were born.  Sadly, Louisa died on 4 May 1888 in Queensland when she accidentally drowned in the Gregory River.

He was a pioneer of Lilydale on the Gregory River, Burketown.  The family, having overlanded to the north of Australia, Tudor, the second son, was one of those who joined in the mad gold rush to Halls Creek in 1886.