The Suicide – by B.E.

The Sun -Kalgoorlie – 3 April 1904, page 6 ALLEN Frederick ‘Fred’ Howard- of Tampa, who, some weeks ago, committed suicide by hanging.  This verse was written by his mate at the Champion Mine, Kookynie and submitted to ‘The Sun’. THE SUICIDE Before shuffling off this mortal coil. Before being covered with the soil, Just […]

Born of Grief and Despair –

On the 23rd of September 1903 in Gwalia Street, Leonora Western Australia an event would take place that would start a string of family tragedies. The event was the death of a little girl, Eileen Margaret Doyle. She died of Tonsillitis and Bronchitis, she was only 2 ½yrs old. She had only been ill for […]

Florence Ayre – grave tales

Florence Adelaide AYRE was the daughter of Joseph AYRE (1843-1913) and Ellen JANEWAY (1832 – 1905) and was born in 1877 in Queensland. She had one sibling, Joseph Benjamin born in 1875. It was her mother’s second marriage, her first was to George RANDALL. Florence had eight half-siblings. In 1899 Joseph and Ellen moved the […]

Murder and Suicide at Nannine –

Inquirer and Commercial News  29 March 1895, page 6 THE RECENT TRAGEDY AT NANNINE. THE MURDER OF JOHN SUTHERLAND. SUICIDE OF HIS ASSAILANT. THE INQUEST. Full details reached the Murchison Times by the last mail regarding: the murder and suicide which occurred at Nannine about a fortnight ago. A brief account, received by wire, appeared […]

A Most Determined Suicide – John Philp

Mental health is today something that we are much more aware of. In 1898 it was still a crime to attempt to kill yourself and was so until the mid 1960’s in most Australian states. This would be why Sergeant Sellenger said he would take no further action. Western Australian Goldfields Courier 8 January 1898, […]