Some years ago I posted the following photograph and although I said I had no idea who was the child buried in this sad little grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, it was shared many thousands of times. It evokes all the sadness of a family who were unable to afford a proper memorial so they used the babies own cot as a memorial. I have often gone to see this little grave and thought how it represents all the many thousands of little ones who have died before their time in the years of high child mortality from both accident and illness.
Now thanks to the staff at the Kalgoorlie cemetery I now have the name and have found the story to go with it!
Allan William Zadkovich – aged 5 months
Grave No 9678 Catholic section.interred 13 August 1943. He was a child of the woodline, as the following article will show. His parent were Mr and Mrs Anton and Kate Zadkovich and he had a brothers, Anton Johnnie and Frank, and an uncle. The life on the woodline, even in 1943 would be a hard one. It is not known what the cause of death was for little Allan. Could be an accident but more likely one of the possibly fatal childhoos diseases.
Fate was not yet done with this little family. Kate (aged 52), Allan’s mother, was herself to die on the 1st Oct 1952 in Boulder. Kate was to join Allan at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery but not in the same grave.
NOTE:- Should you wish to see this little grave you can walk along the pathway outside the Kalgoorlie cemetery towards Hammond Park (catholic section). Not far from the main gate and close to a large tree nearly on the boundary fence you will find it easily.
Moya Sharp
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thank,s Moya,the read about the woodline’s is great,keep up the great Goldfields history and stories,,cheers Bob
A poignant reminder of a family’s sadness. And so relatively recent. So many little ones perished in the early years of the country’s history…often several in the same family. It’s hard to imagine the deep hurt felt by the parents, in particular.
Cause of death should be available from death cert now that you have the name, Moya