Mine Workers Relief Fund: This is a statement made by Mrs Olivette Whitney, about her husband, Edward William Whitney. This family had so many personal family tragedies. Mrs Whitney was applying to the MWRF for a widows pension : She was refused!!!
1896:-
My husband came to Norseman in June of 1896 after prospecting about for some months. He started work at the St Agnes GM where he met with an accident and lost an eye, he got no compensation. He then went to the Princess Royal GM in Norseman as a Shift Boss. While attending a pump in the shaft he had his collar-bone broken, he also got no compensation. When he was better he then went to the Break O Day GM for a few months as a hand labourer underground. When this mine closed down he went back to the Princess Royal and went underground. He took over the operation of one of the first machines installed in that mine in the year 1900. He worked there till that mine also closed down.
Princes Royal Mine Norseman
He then worked as a Tributer in the Yuen mine for 4 months and then the Brown Mine for 6 months and then went to the Maroroa GM in 1914 where he worked underground on the machines. One the 23rd Dec 1919 he met with an accident and lost his other eye, he was blind! When he recovered he went to the ‘School for the Blind’ in Maylands where he learnt mat weaving until his health caused him to give it up.
This statement can be verified by Mrs Nulsen and Mrs Mahoney at Norseman and Mr Mathers of Western Mining Corporation Signed on 20th April 1937 by Olivette Whitney.
This poor man was to die only 6 years after his final accident at only 53 years of age.
From the Western Mail Newspaper – DEATHS 4th Jun 1925
WHITNEY-On May 23, at their residence, Belvidere Street, Bayswater. Edward William, dearly loved husband of Olivette and fond father of Mavis Ann (Mrs. Bursil, Bunbury). Thomas (Boulder), William (Noggerup), John, Rachel, Zelpha, Mary and Peace, fond brother of Albert (Port Pirie), Thomas (Narraui), Walter (Swan Hill), and John (Pinjarra).
Funeral Cortage
The couple married in Norseman in 1899, Olivette’s maiden name was Olivette Myrtle Violet OAKLANDS and she was the daughter of Robert Ernest Oaklands and Mary Ann WYATT. She was born in 1879. She and her husband were to have a stillborn male child in 1911. Their son Albert Edward Whitney died aged 4 months in 1900. Another son, Pryor R Whitney died in Norseman in 1914, the same year as his birth. All are buried in the Norseman cemetery. It is not known what happened to Olivette after she wrote the letter to the MWRF in 1937.
Post Script:- Since writing this article I have been contacted by two of Olivettes direct descendants and I have been told that Olivette died in Esperance WA on September 6th 1979, aged 97 years. She is buried in the Esperance Public Lawn Cemetery.
Application to the Mines Workers relief Fund by Olivette
Moya Sharp
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Olivetti is buried in the Esperance Cemetery. She made a recording in 1974 about her experiences, it may be available at the State library. Google same.
Olivette Whitney was listed as living in Norseman on the death of her mother in August 1944. From Death Notices in the Chronicle (Adelaide) on September 14th, 1944.
In the Electoral Roll of 1977 she was living at 11 Leake Street, Esperance with her son and daughter-in-law. Her name was listed as Myrtle Olivette Violet Whitney and it had been listed that way since the Electoral Roll of 1949 when she was also in Esperance. Prior to that she was on the Electoral Rolls as Olivette Myrtle Violet Whitney. Olivette died in Esperance on September 6th 1979, aged 97 years. She was buried in the Esperance Public Lawn Cemetery.
Thanks for posting this, it has been an interesting find!
John (aka ‘sleepy Jack’) Whitney was my grandfather though I never met him.
I did have the pleasure of knowing Zelpha (‘Billy’), ‘Bobby’ and ‘Doll’ which I think might have been Peace and Mary respectively, and Rachel. I did meet Thomas but don’t remember him well.