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, […]

“Cock-Eyed Bob” Sheds light on House of Death.

Truth – Perth – 18 February 1928, page 9 “Cock-Eyed Bob” Sheds Light upon House of Death Compact. The fair, slimly-built Detective Parker took his last survey of the faded and dusty rooms. His work was complete. The mystery of the Kalgoorlie Death Pact was a mystery no more. The admissions of the man and […]

The Murder of the Duke of Sutherland:

John Sutherland, better known as the ‘Duke of Sutherland’, died on the 26th of February 1895 in his own camp at Nannine, in the Meekatharra district. His age was not known. He was a miner who was shot dead by an old friend, Henry Augustus Muller, who then killed himself. Both men were old identities […]