Some years ago I posted the following photograph and although I said I had no idea who was the child buried in this sad little grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, it was shared many thousands of times. It evokes all the sadness of a family who were unable to afford a proper memorial so they used the babies own cot as a grave surround. I have often gone to see this little grave and thought how it represents all the many thousands of little ones who have died before their time in the years of high child mortality from both accident and illness.
Now thanks to the staff at the Kalgoorlie cemetery I now have the name and have found the story of little Allan.
Allan William Zadkovich – aged 5 months
Kalgoorlie cemetery, grave No 9678, Catholic section, interred 13 August 1943. Allan was a child of the Woodline, as the following article will show. His parent were Anton and Kate Zadkovich and he had two brothers, Anton Johnnie and Frank. The life on the Woodline, even in 1943, would be a hard one. It is not known what the cause of death was for little Allan. Could be an accident but more likely one of the possibly fatal childhood diseases.
Fate was not yet done with this little family. Kate (aged 52), Allan’s mother, was herself to die on the 1st Oct 1952 in Boulder. Kate was to join Allan in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, but not in the same grave. By this time the family were living at 50 Johnston St, Boulder.
The year after Allan’s death his father Anton applied for Nationality:
Kalgoorlie Miner – 9th Feb 1944
NOTE:- Should you wish to see this little grave you can walk along the pathway outside the Kalgoorlie cemetery towards Hammond Park (catholic section). Not far from the main gate and close to a large tree nearly on the boundary fence you will find it easily.
Moya Sharp
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