While recently doing my daily post on the WAVMM ‘The Western Australian Virtual Miners Memorial’ I found that it was the anniversary of a disaster that caused the death of three men at the Englishman GM in Kookynie on the 3rd February 1900. The names of the victims were:-
BOURKE John, Miner 3/02/1900 Age 35 Englishman GM Kookynie
MCKELVIC Joseph, Miner 3/02/1900 Age 31 Englishman GM Kookynie
PEACOCK Frederick, Miner 3/02/1900 Age 37 Englishman GM Kookynie
It brought to mind a research inquiry that I had received some 15 years ago ‘by mail’ which I have never forgotten. The applicant had been trying to locate his relative who was said to have died in Kookynie, Western Australia. He had searched all the usual places, Birth Deaths, and Marriages, Newspapers (the old way with a microfilm reader before TROVE). I said that I would do my best to locate him. The missing mans’ name was Joseph William McKELVIC. Allowing for possible spelling mistakes etc. I searched everything I could find and had to eventually admit defeat (I hate doing that!) and there we left it.
The Evening Star 8 Feb 1900
You will notice in the above article that the name of one of the victims doesn’t match the above list. The name of ‘Joseph Jackson’. So 15yrs ago I was browsing the microfilm edition of the North Coolgardie Herald newspaper (not yet on TROVE) looking for something else entirely and came across a heading stating ‘A Case of Mistaken Identity’ it detailed the story of the Englishman tragedy.
The Englishman GM
I’m not able to give you the exact wording (as the NCH is not yet on TROVE) but this is what it said:- Four men were involved in the accident (1 survived). When the men were finally brought to the surface the first to die was the man who had just started work at the mine, and this was his first day. When the shift boss asked his other workmates his name, he was told ‘Joseph Jackson’. It is not known why this name was given, the man himself had no reason to use an alias and no one at the mine knew anything of him but he may have had his own reasons.
Western Australia, the Legion of the Lost, either by by accident or design!
This name was accepted and recorded and would subsequently be reported in several newspapers, the burial records of the Niagara Cemetery, the Mines Department Annual Report, The Registrar General, and the Coroners records. Two other men who were working with him were also to die.
The relevant paperwork was completed by the mines inspector and the names were reported to the Registrar General all recording ‘Joseph Jackson’. The men were buried, all in the Niagara Cemetery, Bourke, Jackson, and Peacock. So that was that and it was forgotten about.
Fast forward to March of 1900. Somehow the ‘swag’ of ‘Joseph Jackson’ turned up at the mine. When they went through his belongings they found many letters from family and friends all addressed to Mr. Joseph McKelvic. Also were receipts, a telegram, and a workers union membership card. The management was eventually to realise that the man they had buried was actually called Joseph McKelvic. Letters were sent to the addresses on the correspondence.
In due course, Joseph’s brother, John, arrived in Kookynie. A reporter from the North Coolgardie Herald was quick to interview this, understandably, angry young man.
From the Kalgoorlie Miner 15 Mar 1900:- DEATH. McKELVIC.— killed with dynamite fumes in the Englishman mine, Kookynie, near Niagara, Joseph, eldest son of Alexander McKelvic, of Victoria.
Kookynie Cemetery
The following is an open letter sent to the editor of the ‘Westralian Worker’ by John McKelvic:-
Westralian Worker Friday 25 January 1901
FATAL ACCIDENT PAY.
Sir, I would like to ask the A.W.A. (Australian Workers Association) what they intend to do in the case of my brother, the late Joseph McKelvic, a financial member of that body who died from the effects of dynamite fumes in the Cosmopolitan Mine (Englishman) Kookynie, on February last. While working at the Hopes Hill mine, Southern Cross he was a member of that branch of the A.W.A., and when it closed down in January of last year he went out to Kookynie and started work in February with three men named Bourke. Peacock, and Llewellyn, the last-named being still at Kookynie, I believe.
The next day in clearing away the debris after the day shift firing, the fumes from burnt dynamite overcame them and my brother died the next day and Bourke a few hours after, Peacock dying on Tuesday morn. They were all strangers, and by some mistake, my brother was named and buried as Joseph Jackson, although he had letters and papers in his belongings to show who he was. I went to Kooyknie as soon as I could, and am sure that the man buried as Jackson is my brother.
Most of the people out there knew that the three deceased men came from Hopes Hill. I have applied to the A.W.A. for payment of the fatal accident money and was told to send a copy of the Registrar’s certificate of death. On application to the Registrar General, I was told that they couldn’t alter the certificate name from Joseph Jackson on any account. I sent a copy of the certificate as issued with all particulars to Southern Cross, and was told that sufficient proof had not been adduced to prove my claim. I wrote to Kookynie and sent a photo of my brother, but no one cared to swear to it, having only seen him once or twice. As I could not get much more information, I informed the Southern Cross secretary and asked him to get their representative at Kookynie to make inquiries.
Since then I have heard no more about it. My father and mother are living, and have left it to me to deal with it. In last week’s Worker, I read of a fatal accident at Lennonville, saying that if he had been a member of the AWA his mother would have had them to look after her. I would like to know what they have done in my brother’s case, and whether they have tried to clear up the mystery there surrounding. I am yours etc J. McKELVIC.
NOTE:- It is not known if the £50 was ever paid to the Mckelvic family but what is known is that the records of the Registrar General were never altered and are to this day as follows:-
| Jackson | Joseph | 31 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 692 | 1900 |
The Cemetery records were never altered and no new certificate was ever issued. This of course is why his relatives were also unable to find him.
Joseph Jackson AKA Joseph McKELVIE
So the case is solved and Joseph McKelvic is finally known to his family and his grave although unmarked by a headstone is now recorded at least on my website with his correct name.
The moral of the story is never give up, if you keep looking, you will eventually find!!!!
Addendum:- 26 Jun 2018- Danelle Warnock sent me the following photograph which she had taken in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, to say she had traced those mentioned on the headstone, one of which was Joseph McKelvic. She thought he may have died in Niagara and been buried in Kalgoorlie. After I informed her of the above story we realised that Joseph was indeed buried in Niagara (under Joseph Jackson) but was memorialised on the Kalgoorlie headstone along with his two brothers and a nephew. This is what she was able to tell me about Joseph.
Name: Joseph William McKelvie
Born: c. 1865 – Canada
Died: 5 February 1900 – Kookynie, W.A.
Father: Alexander McKelvie (married Canada)
Mother: Ann nee Willding
Two brothers had predeceased him:-
David (Dave) Archibald McKelvie died 3 Dec 1897 Age 21yrs, Kalgoorlie
George Willding McKelvie, died 15 Apr 1899, Age 26yrs, Kalgoorlie
Alexander Jack McKelvie died 6 May 1909 Age 7mths, Boulder, Father Alexander McKelvie (a fifth brother)
McKelvie Headstone, Kalgoorlie Cemetery – photo Danelle Warnock
It’s not known what the two other brothers died off, but it doesn’t appear to have been a mining accident. How tragic that this family was to lose three young men and a child on the Goldfields of Western Australia in such a short time. The parents, Alexander and Ann, must have been very reluctant to allow John to come to WA to sort out his brother’s affairs. I also wonder if Alexander Jr, who was the father of Jack, came here after or before the death of his three young brothers.
I have since presented all of this information to the Register General in Perth hoping that they would add this name to their information if only in addition to the record already there. However, I was told there was not enough information to make the change. I do intend to try again.
Moya Sharp
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