Photo – Shire of Yalgoo
Gullewa Cemetery – Reserve 3911
Coordinates: -28.5507826, 116.3726805
GULLEWA GOLDFIELD – The W.A. Record 27th February 1897
The Gullewa Goldfield is situated N.E. from Mingenew 80 miles, and east of Wurarga on the Mullewa-Cue line, which is the nearest railway station, about 18 miles, and is only one day’s journey by rail from the Port of Geraldton. This new field is only yet in its infancy, as it was only about 18 months ago that our pioneer prospectors, Messrs. O’Neill, Hickey, Ben Day and Bob Thompson discovered the precious metal here. The discovery of gold, I believe, makes a wonderful alteration. Such, it appears, has been the case at Gullewa, as is accounted for in the growing township which has sprung up in such a short space of time
The first cemetery reserve to be gazetted at Gullewa was that of the cemetery reserve 3911, about 1 kilometer from the mines. Only a few months later Thomas Jones of the Gullewa Hotel died and was buried there. He left his wife Mary Anne as Licensee of the Hotel. He was not the first internee but the third. In Oct 1896, Francis Coveny of the Lady Francis GM who died of natural causes and was buried on the Gullewa-Yalgoo Road, this then became the cemetery ground.
Wrap me up with my stockwhip and blanket
And bury me deep down below,
Where the dingos and crows won’t molest me,
In the shade where the Coolabahs grow.
Oh had I the flight of the Bronzewing,
Far over the plains I would fly,
Straight to the home of my childhood,
And there I would lay down and die
There are eight burials in the cemetery in total. Only two have headstones so can be exactly located.
BILLY – an Aboriginal police assistant, d 18 Sep 1896, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
BOCK Charles Frederick – d 27 Mar 1906, 23yrs, Occ: Boundary Rider at Barnong Station, Cause of death unknown, Father: John William Bock, Mother: Anna Elizabeth Pauline Schultz, Born: Frome, South Australia on 13 Oct 1882, Child: Ernest Alfred born Vic 1902 (mother Ada Sarah Clarke, no marriage found), Reg 3/1906 Yalgoo, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
Bock Family Goat team: Charles Frederick centre, Ernest far left. Baillieston VIC – Photo Ancestry.com
COVENY Francis – d 24 Oct 1896, 55yrs, Cause: Found dead in his bed at the Lady Francis GM, Coroner’s verdict was natural causes, Reg 1996/1896, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery. (1st burial)
GRIFFITHS William – d 2 Nov 1896, 38yrs, Occ: Miner/Battery Hand, Cause: found dead from natural causes, Reg 1695/1896, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
JONES Thomas Edward – d 4 Dec 1897, 40yrs, Natural Causes, Occ: Licensee of the Gullewa Hotel, Father: John Jones, Mother: Maria McDonald, Born: Champion Bay, Geraldton WA in 1857, Married to Mary Augusta ‘Gussie’ McCOO in Gullewa WA in 1888, Mary took over the license of the hotel after his death, Children: John Rodric Francis b 1888, Thomas Francis b 1891, Arthur Joseph b 1893, Henry Augustine b 1894, Victor James b 1897, Reg 2718/1897, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
Geraldton Advertiser 8 December 1897, page 3
MORTON John Duthie – d 20 Sep 1904, 23yrs, Father: James Morton, Mother Elizabeth Duthie, Killed accidentally on the Gullewa GM, Fell 40ft down the shaft and died of a fractured skull, Father: John MORTON, Mother: Elizabeth DUTHIE, Born: Moonta SA, Reg 3002/1904, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery. Mine Death – www.wavmm.com
MORTON Kalgoorlie Western Argus 18 October 1904, page 16
Grave of John Morton DUTHIE – Photo Wikipedia
SUERDIECK Hedwig Maria Dorothea – d 14 August 1897, 62yrs, died at the Gullewa Hotel from natural causes, Married, Born: Breman, Germany. Father: William William DORMUZER, Mother: Meta. In SA for several years, and in WA for 12 months. Reg 2714/1897, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
Suerdieck W.A. Record 11 September 1897, page 11
WHITE Alexander Robertson ‘Nevill’ – d 29 Oct 1919, 35yrs, Died suddenly at Barnong Station after playing cards. Father: Alexander Robertson WHITE, Mother: Ruth WARREN, Married with children, details unknown. Reg: Yalgoo 3/1919, Buried in the Gullewa Cemetery.
Grave of Alex R Nevill WHITE – Gullewa – Photos taken by Kevin Coate
Gullewa Cemetery Sign – Photo by Wes Hughes
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