150kms north of Kalgoorlie, in fairly lush pastoral country, lies Yerilla Station. A few kilometers from the homestead are the remains of the old Yerilla townsite and its early gold workings. It is relatively unheard of in regards to gold production but is renowned worldwide for its ‘Green Gold’ Chrysoprase, one of the most valuable gemstones of the quartz family.
Yerilla Cemetery
The First Burial
Distressing Complications
From the Goldfields Morning Chronicle 26th March 1897 – On Monday morning 22 March 1897, Mr. Simon Elliott, age 63 yrs, manager of the Yerilla Claims died suddenly at GM Lease 64R. He was at work, but died as a result of a rupture of the heart and was buried the next day. Death certified in writing Hubert Elliott, his son. Mr. S Anstell, Mine Manager, and brother Freemason read the service at the grave in the Yerilla cemetery. Two shifts had been employed digging but the grave was only half-finished when the cortege arrived. Ten hours of work had then been done into an ironstone conglomerate. The ceremony was gone through and the coffin was placed in the grave which was finished later on. A doctor from Niagara arrived in the evening with instructions from Warden Owen that the body be exhumed in order that a post-mortem might be conducted.
(Note:- there is no mention made of a post-mortem being carried out on his death certificate.) Mr. Elliott’s two sons were with him, Hubert and John, and the rest of his large family remained in Ballarat. (Note: Simon’s wife Catherine and her family then moved to the Goldfields and lived at 59 Hanbury Street, Kalgoorlie before moving to her daughter’s house in Trafalgar where she died in 1917, she is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.)
Note: The ground in the original cemetery was very hard necessitating blasting. It took two men 1½ days to dig the first grave. Not much foresight was shown in the selection of this site for a cemetery and a new cemetery site had to eventually be chosen.
Death Certificate details – ELLIOTT Simon — 63yrs, d 22 Mar 1897, a mine manager who died from a ruptured heart. He was formerly the underground manager for the WA Gold Co, Born: Cumberland Victoria, Father: John ELLIOTT, at the age of 40 years, he married Catherine BELL nee MOORE in Clunes Victoria. At the time of his death, he had only been in Western Australia for 2 ½ years. Their children at the time of his death were – Victoria Alice 21yrs, John Moore 19yrs, Twins Violet & Hubert 16yrs, Margaret Mary Ruby 13yrs and Lillie 10yrs, Reg North Coolgardie 54/1897. Buried Yerilla cemetery.
Yerilla Town site map
Also buried at Yerilla Cemetery:
The second cemetery, Reserve 4587 of 5 acres, 2 kms North of the town- GPS:- 29° 28.29 by 121° 50.07 ‘3’ – Photograph By Jill Heather
BOASE unnamed male — d 18 Mar 1906, Stillborn, buried by father, Father: Philemon BOASE (Wood Carter), Mother: Ellen Elizabeth WOOSNAM. The couple had already lost a son, Philemon Boase who died aged 16 months in 1900, he was born in Gippsland VIC and is buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery. Their surviving children were Lucy born in 1896 in Daylesford VIC, William James born in Walhalla VIC 1897, John Born in Kurrawang WA in 1902, Annie Veronica born in Niagara in 1904. Mary born Coolgardie 1905, Thomas born Kookynie 1909, Philemon born Kookynie 1912, Ellen born 1914 Kookynie. Their last child was Dorothy born in Laverton 1918, Reg North Coolgardie 14/1906, Buried Yerilla Cemetery.
Ellen Elizabeth BOASE nee WOOSNAN – Photo Ancestry.com
MARSHALL Thomas John — 26yrs, d about 14 Feb 1899, 12 miles from Yerilla on the Griffithstown Rd on the Linden track – buried in the original Yerilla cemetery. Death certified in writing by William Marshall, his brother from Pendinnie. He was a miner who died of thirst having lived in Western Australia for 2 years. He was born in Richmond Victoria. Son of David Marshall (Labourer) and Ann Noble, Reg North Coolgardie 9/1899.
A swagman came across Marshall’s swag and billy-can on the road with a note attached reading:
’10th February – no water 20 miles from here’
His body was found some 15 km from the swag, the police went out and recovered his body which after an inquest was buried in the new cemetery.
MARSHALL Thomas d 1899- Photograph by Jill Heather
Coolgardie Miner – 17 February 1899, page 5
FERRIS William — d 12 Nov 1905, 42yrs, at Mt Catherine near Yerilla, Cause: Heart disease, Verdict of the Coroner, Born in South Australia but no family details were known. Reg North Coolgardie 50/1905, Buried Yerilla cemetery.
Evening Mail 17 November 1905, page 1
CAPON Tom — 84yrs, d 1 Aug 1968, was cremated and his ashes interred at Yerilla Cemetery. Tom was from England originally and was a returned soldier from the first world war. Father: George Stephen CAPON, Mother: Caroline Amelia KAY, He married Annie Wills HAYWARDS in 1910, Birling, Kent, England, and they had three children: Charlotte Annie (1911), George Stephen (1912), and Edgar John (1913). The family emigrated to Western Australia in 1923 on the ship BENALLA and arrived in Fremantle in January 1924. Tom and the family moved to Albany in the 1930s and worked as a carpenter (his trade) for several years. At this point, I think the marriage started to break down. Tom moved out to Balladonia Station and began work as a cook. He remained at the station for at least five years before moving to the Yerilla Station where he became a cooks assistant, general handyman, and childminder for over seventeen years before leaving to live with family in the late 1950s till his death. In 1953, Annie filed for divorce, accusing him of adultery; they had been separated for over five years. Tom returned to Perth by 1954 and settled in the Swan region, where he remained until his death, Reg 2568/1968.
WILSON Dave — 84yrs, d 30 May 1985, was from England, born 7 Sep 1901, he was cremated and his ashes interred at Yerilla Cemetery. Dave had been a prospector and well sinker before he arrived at the station in the early 1940s, he remained there into the 1980s.
Recommended Reading: Yerilla by Alex Palmer, available from Hesperian Press
Moya Sharp
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