Golden Age 24 March 1897, page 2
PERISHED FROM THIRST
A PROSPECTOR’S TERRIBLE FATE
Away in the remote interior of WA, Inspector McKenna received a wire from the police at Niagara, stating that the skeleton of a man had been discovered 200 miles northeast of Niagara. The remains are supposed to be those of Henry Christian Reison, the son of Mr Christian Reison, prospector and discoverer, of Broad Arrow. The bones show evidence of having been chewed by wild dogs, and that it is impossible to tell whether the man was killed by natives or perished from thirst, though the surrounding circumstances point to the latter end.
A number of letters, photographs, and a diary together with other articles comprising of a prospector’s outfit, and camera equipment were found near the remains. A meat tin, perforated with the name ” H. C. Reison, 1/1/97,” was also found close by the skeleton. Inspector McKenna is of the opinion that the unfortunate young fellow — as to whose identity there is no question—died from exhaustion and thirst, and that he perforated his name on the tin so that there would be no mistake as to his identity. It will be noticed that the date on the tin is “1/1/97”, from which fact it may be deduced that on New Year’s Day, while most were making merry, Henry Christian Reison in dire extremity, met a terrible death from thirst in the wilds of the west.
His remains were found in the middle of a watercourse, almost covered over. They had been gnawed and pulled about by wild dogs, so that it was impossible to tell whether the man had been murdered and buried or had died from thirst and had been covered over by a sand drift. Although Henry’s father eventually registered his death, for some time he could not believe that the remains were his son’s, as he said he was an excellent bushman. He had already lost his other son at the young age of 8 years through illness after he removed him from his mothers care when she conceived an illegitimate child whilst he was away.
Henry Christian REISON died on or about 1 Jan 1897 near Namagee Rocks about 15 miles beyond Erlistoun Creek. he was buried where he was found at Wingarra Mire (Mire means Camp) over towards Mistake Creek in the Laverton District.
He was a Prospector, Teamster, Roo Shooter and excellent bushman despite being crippled. The son of Christian Rasmussen REISON (Danish Miner) and Jane Gertrude GREAGG. He was born in ballarat Victoria and had lived in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia for about 20 years. he had been in Western Australia for about 3 years. He came to WA as a roo shooter with his father. ‘Old Reison’ and his son Henry were the first white men in Broad Arrow. Broad Arrow was named after a gold mine discovered by Reison who, when on his first trip to the area, marked broad arrows on the ground, at intervals, to direct his mates who were following. Hence the name it still bears today.
The Miner – Norseman 27 March 1897, page 2
Many would see ‘Old Reison’ hoisting the boy up onto his riding Brumby, and knew that unless the old man was there to give him assistance, he, the crippled boy, would be useless. This showed the depths of the father’s devotion, patience, and affection. Young Henry Reison grew up to be a small and slightly built man with a crippled leg, one much shorter than the other. However, he was a fine Bushman and one of the best shots with a rifle to be found.
Henry Reison set out on a tour four months prior, taking with him four camels and a large amount of equipment. He told the people at Mount Margaret that he intended to plant some provisions in the spinifex desert and return for more supplies. His bones were later found in a spinifex desert country north-east of Niagara and it was believed at the time that he had been murdered by natives. A diary found with his possession and read:
the natives are very bad here we will have to be careful of them, the natives are very troublesome again today.
The Kalgoorlie Miner reported on the 3rd of February 1904, that word had reached him that ‘Old Reison’, who held the reward claim for Broad Arrow, had died in Africa recently. The writer recollected the good old days when Reison and his son, a cripple, gathered in large quantities of the precious golden metal which they stowed away in jam tins under the old man’s bunk. On the reward, between them, they got some thousands of pounds worth of gold and eventually sold out to the Standard Exploration Company for £6000. Old Reison went away to put into print some reams of manuscripts he had been manufacturing and writing for years relative to the Bible, which in his opinion was a most misleading and confusing work. He is said to have put all his savings into this venture and at the time of his death was living in obscurity, very broke and penniless.
Moya Sharp
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