Yerilla Cemetery
The First Burial
Distressing Complications
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 work had then been done into an ironstone conglomerate. The ceremony was gone through and the coffin placed in the grave which later on was finished. 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 of a post mortem on his death certificate.) A new cemetery site is to be chosen as the ground in the present one proved to be too hard. Mr Elliott’s two sons were with him, Hubert and John, the rest of his large family remained in Ballarat. (Note: Catherine Elliott and her family then moved to the Goldfields and lived at 59 Hanbury Street, Kalgoorlie before moving to her daughters house in Trafalgar where she died in 1917, she is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.)
From the Goldfields Morning Chronicle 26th March 1897
Yerilla Town site map
ELLIOTT Simon was a mine manager who died from a ruptured heart. He was formerly the underground manager for the WA Gold Co. Born in Cumberland Victoria, the son of Simon Elliott. At the age of 40 years he married Catherine BELL in Clunes Victoria. At the time of his death they had only been in Western Australia for 2 ½ years. Their children at the time of his death were – Alice 21yrs, John Moore 19yrs, Violet 16yrs, Hubert 16yrs, May Ruby 13yrs and Lillie 10yrs N.Coolg 54/97
MARSHALL Thomas John died on or about 14 Feb 1899 aged 26yrs 12 miles from Yerilla 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 nee Noble. N.Coolg 9/99
Second cemetery, Reserve 4587 GPS:- 29° 28.29 by 121° 50.07 ‘3 burials’. Photograph By Jill Heather
MARSHALL Thomas 1899 Age 26 Photograph by Jill Heather
FERRIS William died 12 Nov 1905 at Mt Catheribe near Yerilla, Died of heart disease as per verdict of Coroners Inquest aged 42yrs buried Yerilla. Death certified by PoHe was born in South Australia but no family details were known.lice Sgt Cunningham from Kookynie. N.Coolg death cert 50/05
BOASE (Male baby) d. 18 Mar 1906 buried by father, Philemon Boase (Contractor), mother Ellen Elizabeth WOOSNAM. The couple had already lost another son, Phil Boase who died aged 16months in 1900(he was born in Gippsland VIC) and is buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery. Their surviving children were, James born Kalgoorlie 1901 and John Born Kurrawang 1902 and Annie born Niagara 1904. Their last child was also to be stillborn, a boy, on the 14th August 1911 and is buried in Kookynie Cemetery.
Original Cemetery marker peg. Reserve 3738, no graves visible. 29° 30.11 by 121° 49.75 Photograph by Jill Heather
Note:- The ground in the original cemetery was very hard necessitating blasting almost from the surface. It took two men 1 ½ 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.
Moya Sharp
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