Biography

The deceased was working at the Waroonga Mine, at the 300 foot level, cutting hitches for stulls to form a pass. After working for about three minutes, and using a quarter of a plug of gelignite, some ground fell from over the deceased's head and pressed him to the bottom of the stope on to a lath that was sticking up, catching him in the ribs. The amount of gelignite used was not thought to have been sufficient to dislodge any earth. The stone, later identified as being about a hundredweight, appeared to fall on the back of the deceased's head and shoulders. The most severe external injury was on the right arm. The bicep and tricep muscles were torn through but no bones were broken. There were other slight cuts and bruises about the head and face but not of any serious importance. The hip condition showed that there must be some-internal injury to account for the shock. A post mortem on the deceased found that he had a perforation of the ileum, the final section of the small intestine. There was no external bruise and it was the opinion of the Lawlers medical practitioner who attended the deceased, that death was caused by shock and secondly by perforation.

The deceased was a man who had been very saving, and is said to have had considerable property in Italy, which place he had intended visiting shortly.

Dellaqua had been working in WA for 13 years.  He was one of 13 to emigrate from Lombardy to Australia and, just prior to his death, told how 12 of those 13 had met death in various forms. Agostino Dellaqua's death made the party extinct. He told the nurse that early on Friday morning he would die. He appeared resigned to the fate which he himself anticipated. The hour came and he died as he said he would.

The deceased is buried in Plot 05, Section A, Roman Catholic section of Lawlers Cemetery.