Charles Carkeek – graves tales

In 2008, I was working at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery office, filling in when the office manager was away. One of the duties was to help visitors with their inquiries. A visitor called Brian Morris called in to inquire about a very early grave of one of his ancestors. Charles Carkeek.

He was indeed able to find the grave and he took a photo of him and his wife standing in the same spot and the father and the brother of the deceased as they were standing in the photo below. We corresponded for some time as I was most intrigued by this very unusual name. He sent me the following photographs to share.

Grave of Charles Carkeek – Kalgoorlie Cemetery

Kalgoorlie Miner – 12 Apr 1898

Young Charles CARKEEK was only 23 yrs old, and had only been in Kalgoorlie for a few weeks, he was born in Gippsland Victoria. He had traveled here to join his father Martin Trezella Carkeek, and his brother William ‘Billy”Carkeek. He died in the Kalgoorlie hospital from Typhoid Fever on the 11 April 1898 and he was buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery on the 12 April 1898.

Memorial Card for Charles Carkeek

Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1950), Wednesday 13 April 1898, page 4

The remains of Mr Charles Carkeek, who died at the Government Hospital from typhoid fever, were conveyed to their last resting place yesterday afternoon. Fully 100 friends of the deceased marched in front of the hearse to the cemetery, and several mine managers paid their last tribute of respect by joining in the cortege. Deceased was a young man, 23 years of age, and he was extremely popular among his fellow employee’s on the Hannan’s Star mine, of which, his father, Mr Martin Carkeek, is manager. Another son of Mr Carkeek’s, a well-known cricketer, Billy Carkeek, is down with typhoid fever at the present time. The funeral arrangements were in the hands of Messrs A. and J. Kyle.

Martin and Eliza nee Sansum Carkeek : Charles Parents

Charles was a blacksmith and was employed at the Hannan’s Star GM in Kalgoorlie. His father Charles Carkeek was the Manager of the mine at the time. Charles and his sons only arrived in Kalgoorlie in May of 1896 so that he could take up this position. It was known in the family from letters back home to his wife, Eliza Carkeek nee Sansum, that he was heart-broken at the death of his oldest son and he feared for his surviving son William, so he returned to his home in Richmond Victoria in the August of 1898 with William.

The Hannans Star GM on the Golden Mile Kalgoorlie

William ‘Barlow’ Carkeek also contracted Typhoid at the same time as his brother Charles but he survived. William was a well-known cricketer in the Goldfields and when he returned home he went on to play cricket for Australia. In 1910 he was to return to Kalgoorlie to play in for Victoria as captain of the team.

William Carkeek earned the middle name of ‘Barlow’ because of his similar batting mannerisms to English batsman Dick Barlow. William was to tour England in 1909 as reserve wicket keeper for Australia and played six test matches against England and South Africa in 1912. :- Bush Cricket by John Terrell

William ‘Billy’ Barlow CARKEEK – 1910 – from Bush Cricket by John  Terrell

Martin Trezella Carkeek was born in 1836 in Redruth, Cornwall. He married Eliza Sansum in 1858 in Ballarat, Victoria. They had 12 children in 26 years. He died on 31 December 1908 in Richmond, Victoria, at the age of 72. Eliza survived him for 14 years and died in 1922.

Martin Carkeek

Charles Carkeek’s Grave in 2018- photo Danelle Warnock

NOTE:- from Len Cargeeg

One of the various spellings of Cargeeg. Also spelled Carkeeke, Cargeege etc. Quite a few in Victoria. Originally from the Cornish Tins mines

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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