The coincidence of the following two events was uncovered by Derek Prosser, an OFH reader and contributor. He noted that on the OFH website, I had James Heffernan buried in the Black Flag Cemetery (30 km north of Kalgoorlie). However, this seems to be incorrect from what is said in the newspaper reports of the day. He thought it was much more likely that he died at ‘British Flag’, which is the earlier name for the town of Laverton.
West Australian 13 February 1897, page 5
VIOLENT THUNDERSTORM NEAR MOUNT MARGARET
MAN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND KILLED.
SERIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
A shocking occurrence is reported as having taken place at the British Flag (incorrectly reported as Black Flag), 25 miles northeast of Mount Margaret. During a storm on Wednesday a miner, named James Heffernan, a native of Victoria, aged 26, was playing cards within a tent when it was struck by lightning. The same flash struck both men, who were thrown violently to the ground. Heffernan died within 10 minutes, while his mate remained unconscious for some hours.
A medical man, Dr Laver, managing a mine in the vicinity, managed to bring him around after some hours of exertion. It was not considered necessary to hold an inquest on the man killed. Heffernan was buried on Thursday, the following day. The storm was the most terrific that had ever visited the district. Beher’s hotel was completely unroofed, and some smaller buildings were wholly demolished. The rain continued for four hours, filling, all the creeks and waterholes in the district.
Derek was pursuing this further on TROVE, when he came across another pair of miners struck by lightning at Duketon, North of Laverton, when Rody Schwan was killed under near identical circumstances on 13th Sept. He said ‘What I found very hard to believe, is that the partner in each case appears to be the same individual, one Jeremiah Barnett! I have reread this several times, but the writer does specifically mention his injuries from the first incident.’ What came about some seven years later, was this:
Kalgoorlie Western Argus 20 September 1904, page 12
KILLED BY LIGHTNING.
RODY SCHWAN,
PROSPECTOR, LAVERTON.
News has just reached Laverton that a well known prospector, Rody (Roady) Schwan, was killed by lightning yesterday afternoon at the Daisy Belle mine, a prospecting show about 2 miles west of Duketon. The weather during the last couple of days has been rather sultry, and culminated at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon in thunder and lightning. It appears, that preparations were being made for tea, and Schwan was sitting on his bunk in the camp. His mate, J. Barnett, had just gone out to the wood heap to get same wood for the fire, and at this time a vivid flash of lightning occurred and struck Schwan, killing him instantly. A young man, Charles Cocks whose camp almost adjoins that of Schwan’s, also received a shock which threw him off his bunk.
Rody Schwan was well known prospector, having been on the fields for many years. He was one of the early prospectors on the leads in Kanowna, as well as one of the first at Burtville. He was well known among footballers, and at times acted. as umpire. He did a large amount of pioneering in the back blocks, his last trip being to the Warburton Ranges with Carr-Boyd and party. For same months. Schwan, Barnett, and Stasse had been working a small reef named ‘The Belle’, and, like many others in the district, were waiting with a fair dump of stone for the early erection of the State mill.
Strange to relate, Barnett is the man who was present in the. same camp as that in. which James Heffernan was struck dead by lightning six years ago at the British Flag mine, Laverton. On that occasion Barnett received. injuries from which he suffered for some time.
Duketon Cemetery – Photo OFH
Derek, pursuing this further on TROVE, found another pair of miners struck by lightning at Duketon, north of Laverton. The report is from the Kalgoorlie Western Argus 20 September 1904, when Rody Schwan was killed under near identical circumstances on 13th Sept. What he found was very hard to believe, that the partner in each case appears to be the same individual, one Jeremiah Barnett! He reread this several times, but the writer does specifically mention his injuries from the first incident.
What are the odds, and then to be the survivor both times? Even if he never found gold, he would have to be literally one of the luckiest men alive. I do wonder though if he had trouble finding more partners, or perhaps decided “enough is enough” and departed for less hazardous surroundings! I doubt there would have been a line up to be his ‘mate’.
Wanting to know more, Derek had a look around for Jeremiah Barnett, and found him. Jeremiah William Barnett born 1878 Inverell, NSW, son of Jeremiah W Barnett and Mary nee Smith. He suspected it was he, as James Heffernan is reported to also be from Inverell.
After these events he seems to have returned to NSW, and later enlisted in 1st AIF (33rd Btn) at Armidale NSW on 10th Jan, 1916, Service No 1291. (see NAA). He gives his occupation as ‘Miner’ on enlistment, and NOK is Mary Barnett. His hair is ‘Black, going Grey’. (I’m surprised it wasn’t white!) He was aged 38 y, 11 mths, but presumably fully recovered from his earlier misadventures. He was wounded in the hand in France, and later hospitalised in England on 11th June 1917 with appendicitis. He seems to have recovered from that, but then had Chronic Bronchitis, and was returned to Australia 10th March 1918. He was discharged as medically unfit 11th June, and received a pension of three pounds per fortnight.
Usually a case like this would mean he had probably been gassed, and been permanently incapacitated. I can find no marriage record for him, and his correspondence address is his mother in Tingha NSW, his father dying shortly after Jeremiah returned in 1918.
Jeremiah died on 10th Nov, 1935, aged 57 and is buried in NSW, about 30 km East of Inverell. Even his death was unusual:
Inverell Times 13 November 1935, page 7
OBITUARY. The death occurred on Sunday afternoon last, under sad circumstances, of Mr. Jeremiah Barnett. While driving a bull from the yard at Mr. Frank Ryan’s “Cara”, in whose employ he had been for many years, he was noticed to stop, and then fall from his horse. Mr. Ryan hastened to his aid but found life to be extinct. The deceased was a member of the 33rd Battalion, having served in the Great War. He had for some considerable time been under the care of a doctor, having suffered from the effects of gas. He was tendered a soldiers funeral, which was largely attended, his fellow soldiers acting as pallbearers.
If this is ‘our’ Jeremiah, he was definitely a survivor, although not in great shape in later years. He survived two lightning strikes and a world war.
Jeremiah Barnett, war grave, Delungra cemetery, NSW – Photo Aust Cemetery Index.
Moya Sharp
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Hi Moya, I wonder if Derek Prosser is related to the Prossers who went to the west with the Rooks brothers back in the 1890s? See my earlier emails.
Thanks
Maureen Jones
I will ask him Maureen
Hi Maureen this is what Derek replied: “There may be some coincidence in this. Some years ago I was briefly in contact with a lady who was researching the ‘Prosser’ name, so was looking for possible relatives, and I think there was a Kalgoorlie connection.
I mentioned to her that we would probably be related way back, as I believe all Prossers come from the one locality in Wales. The name was apparently originally Rosher, then ApRosher; (from or son of); the ‘A’ fell off, so here we are today. There is a story that Rosher/Rosser derives from Roger, the original Welsh language not having a hard ‘G’. I passed all this on, and think she said a relative was Thomas(?) Evan Prosser, which seemed to indicate a Welsh connection.