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Cemeteries > Meekatharra Old Cemetery


The original cemetery used before the town of Meekatharra was gazetted in 1903 and continued to be used until May 1907. The cemetery was located next to mining works and was deemed unsuitable. In 1907 the town council organised the creation of the Cemetery Board, which organised land cleared for a new cemetery. - With thanks to David Senn for his research.

The Meekatharra Old Cemetery is located one kilometre south of the township. It is not signposted and is surrounded by mine works on three sides. It is accessible by a short dirt track leading to the fenced-off area enclosing the cemetery.

Meekatharra Old Cemetery
8 known burials + 1 commemoration.
Coordinates: -26.60180, 118.49009

 
Old Meekatharra Cemetery - Photo David Senn

BUNCE Louis Charles Edward – Died: 14 Jun 1907 at his parent’s residence in Meekatharra, WA, age 18 yrs; Father: Frederick BUNCE (Butcher – Bunce & Smith’s Butchery); Mother: Theresa Elizabeth SANTOS; Born: Carlton, VIC; Single; Buried at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 57/1907 Murchison).


L C E Bunce - Old Meeka

 

CARLSON Samuel – Died: 18 May 1907, at the Fenian Gold Mine, near Meekatharra, WA, age 45 yrs, Cause: Fall of Stone; Occ: Miner; Father: unknown; Mother: unknown; Born: Sweden; Single; Buried at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 50/1907 Murchison). Mine Death – www.wavmm.com

Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette - 25 May 1907, page 2


Meekatharra News - The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Samuel Carlson, who was accidentally killed at the Fenian Mine on May 18 1907, was concluded before the Acting Coroner, Mr J. Coombe, J.P., and a jury consisting of Messrs. R. Oglivie (foreman), W. C. Jackson and J. Ralph. Dr Webster, who was visiting the district, deposed having made a post-mortem examination, and that several ribs and both collar bones were broken, the neck dislocated, besides other injuries. Death was instantaneous. Evidence was also given by John Regan, manager of the mine, Michael Gibson and John McEvoy. Mines Inspector Lander, in giving evidence, said it was impossible for the most competent miner to have suspected danger. The jury found that death was due to a fall of stone at the Fenian Mine, and that no blame was attachable to anyone. The deceased was described as a competent and careful miner and was also well-known and respected throughout the Murchison. 

CLARK Dulcie Hope – Died: 7 Jun 1904, at Meekatharra, age 7 mths, 1 wk,  Father: Frederick FORTESCUE (shop assistant); Mother: Ethel Florence CLARK; Born 1903, North Fremantle, WA; Buried at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 1561/1904).

DAVIDSON John William — Died: 29 Mar 1904, at the Havelock South GM, Meekatharra, WA, age 37 yrs, Cause: Died from injuries sustained in a mining accident; Occ: Miner; Father: unknown; Mother: unknown; Buried: 30 Mar 1904 at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 1547/1904). Mine Death – www.wavmm.com

J W Davidson - Photo David Senn - Old Meeka

Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette 7 April 1904, page 2


Fatal Accident at Meekatharra - An inquiry into an accident to a miner named John William Davidson, which resulted fatally, was held at Meekatharra on Friday last by Mr, Lander, Inspectoir of Mines. From the statement of John Edward Grover, a partner of the deceased in the Havlock South mine, it appears that on the 28th March, Davidson went below about 11.20 a.m. to work in at underhand stope at the 60ft level. Some 40 minutes after, a man named McGee called out down the shaft that it was crib time, and getting no answer, Grover went below to see what the matter was. He found that a fall of earth had occurred 40ft north of the shaft, and immediately over the bottom stope.
He at once returned to the surface and informed McGee and another named Oliver, of what had happened. They went down the north shaft and discovered that they could not release Davidson from that point. They were discussing how to release him when Davidson spoke to them and explained the position, and said he could hold out indefinitely. They then went to the south shaft and started to release him. Eventually, they succeeded at about 10p.m. Davidson was under the earth for about 10 hours, but he was very cheerful all the time and said that nothing serious was the matter. He died on the 29th at 6.35 a.m. John McGee and Robert Oliver gave similar evidence.

Deceased from the time of the accident would not hear of his mates obtaining a doctor, maintaining that after he had rested a few days, he would be alright. His only injury appeared, from his remarks, to be to his left arm. It is estimated that over fifty tons of earth must have fallen, and it was remarkable that the deceased was not instantly killed, the latter being due to pieces of timber being caught in such a way as to prevent the full weight of the earth from falling on him.

O'LEARY James – Died: 23 Jan 1906 at Meekatharra Creek, Meekatharra, WA, age c.56 yrs, Cause: Pneumonia; Occ: Labourer; Father: unknown, Mother: unknown; Buried at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 12/1906 Murchison).

PEARCE Samuel – Died: 8 Jan 1907, in Meekatharra, WA, age 38 yrs, Cause: Heart Failure; Occ: Police Constable; Father: unknown; Mother: unknown; Buried at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 4/1907 Murchison – under the name PIERCE).

S Pearce - Photo David Senn - Old Meeka

 

WALKER Dennis John – Died: 28 Apr 1990, at Nedlands, WA, age 49 yrs, Occ: Plant Operator; Father: Cyril Peter DONAVAN; Mother: Florence Christina WALKER; Born: 24 Oct 1940, Orange, NSW; Married: Margaret Anne BYRNE; Cremated at the Karrakatta Cemetery; Grave marker in Meekatharra Old Cemetery (ashes or cenotaph unknown) (Reg: 1978/1990 Perth).

D J Walker - Photo David Senn - Old Meeka

WILLS Henry Francis – Died: 23 Jun 1905 at his camp, Meekatharra, WA, age c.73 yrs, Cause: Suicide with detonator cap; Occ: Blacksmith; Father: Francis WILLS (Baptism Minister); Mother: Elizabeth Greenslade TARGETT; Born: Cologne, GERMANY; Married: Amelia Theresa ANDERSEN on 2 Aug 1873, Havelock, NZ; Children: Elizabeth Therese (1874-1875), Frederick Emanuel (1875), Amelia (1878), Isabella (1881), Wilfred (1883); Buried: 25 Jun 1907 at the Meekatharra Old Cemetery (Reg: 1567/1905).

H F Willis - Old Meeka

Unknown Afghan – Details are unknown.

Wiluna Chronicle and East Murchison Advocate - Sat 30 May 1925

THE OLD CEMETERY AT MEEKATHARRA

A few old graves; we almost weep
For the forgotten here who lie
In their oblivion: which doth keep
Their earth-born mem'ries and we sigh.

The common lot of millions, dead
As the wide wild drought-stricken bush,
The weird lone landscape far outspread;
eath doth appealing voices hash.

The open gate forbids not here,
The fence posts tott'ring, others lie
Or hang on bended wires anear,
Rusting in drear neglect—and why?

‘Tis sad to see these friendless graves,
And think of those who lie therein;
Their mute appeal some tribute craves
For love which in the past had been.

There's sadness in the silent thought,
Deeper than fleeting grief has known;
The remnant rude neglect bias wrought
Of those in life, beloved, and gone.

A picket fence yet marks a grave
Of someones hopeful darling child,
Within it two wreaths remnants crave
Some sympathy for love that toiled.

A broken cross of marble, white,
Forgotten, seems silently forlorn,
A good man's grave here is in sight,
Claimed not forgot by friends who mourn.

Death claimed two in the prime of life,
Thereon recorded on the stones,
And others nameless, mother, wife,
Only the night-winds these bemoan.

Say? can this little graveyard be
Forgot by all who pass it by
'Tis where the stranger to may see
Those lonely tombs and inly sigh.

Soon like a flash the thought is gone
Into oblivion, sacred, not;
Neglected graves where weeds alone
Will ever grow on this small plot.

Two lonely tomb-stones on the wild
Appeal; forlorn on this sad plot,
Only the sunbeams on them smite
Ask, ''are we now remembered not?"

We think and solitary, sigh
In solemn silence of the heart:
For uttermost neglect anigh;
And melancholy we depart.

Ah! fleeting griefs and mem’ries fled,
Now left to solitudes alone;
The friend, beneath the stone there laid,
Seems like old sorrows also gone.

What end has life? its turgid stream
Flows on in each eventful year;
So soft a battle, oft a dream,
Its end is very often drear.

Has love deserted this sad spot:
The love which sacred duty craves:
The few; the new by men forgot,
Now mould’ring ‘mong the wreck of graves.

 

 


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