Found by John Pritchard during his research into those buried in the Cue Cemetery – Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette 6 April 1895, page 2
DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN PROSPECTOR.
Leonard Elvey’s Last Trip
Throughout West Australia, or wherever diggers may be met who have been associated with these goldfields, the news of Leonard Elvey’s death will be received with great regret. Especially will this be so throughout the North West and Kimberly. Elvey has been living at Cue for the past two years, having met with a serious accident, which compelled him to sell his horses and outfit. Since then, he has had a great deal of bad luck, in consequence of which he was not again able to fit himself out with the efficient prospecting turn-out to which he had been accustomed. Elvey was, and will be, remembered as being in the very foremost rank of prospectors. Prior to settling at Cue, he was forever in the “outback” looking for fresh country. He was really the first man to find gold in the N.W., having obtained good prospects in a gully at Pilbarra, then but a sheep run.
Afterward, H. Wells succeeded in obtaining sufficient gold to obtain the Government reward. Elvey could, with truth, claim to have gone right around Australia without once stepping on a boat. Among the very many new arrivals on the Murchison, Elvey will probably not be known, he being of an unassuming, quiet disposition, but amongst his old associates distributed throughout the colonies, his death will be deplored. He will be remembered as one of the best bushmen we had, and a ‘white man’ every inch of him, which, to a bushman, covers the whole ground.
The deceased was 58 years of age, and a native of New South Wales, but spent a large amount of his time in Queensland. He prospected the country which was disastrous to Burke and Wills, sometime before it was visited by that expedition. At one period he was a stockman at the Mount Cornish station during the time Harry Redfern took 2000 head cattle to Adelaide. Many back blockers will regret his death equally as much as his many friends in W.A.
The funeral took place yesterday afternoon the remains being interred at the Cue cemetery. The funeral was largely attended by companions of the deceased —many from the North West. The last rites were performed by the Rev. D. Howell Griffith. The funeral arrangements were conducted by Mr. A. Chisholm, undertaker, of Cue. The cause of death was typhoid fever. Deceased became ill about six weeks ago and was about a fortnight ago persuaded by Dr. Monteith to enter the hospital, where he received every attention, but without avail. As above stated, the deceased experienced a great deal of bad luck which so often falls to the lot of the prospector, and at the time of his death, he was not in very good circumstances. Some of his old mates — Messrs. W. Bill, Chalmers, Henley, George Payzo, T. Williams, J Marks and others willingly came forward to defray the funeral expenses, giving him the respectable burial which a man of his description was so worthy.
The following are links to various mentions of Leonard Elvey”
- his death 1895 Daily News 16/04/1895 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78358319?searchTerm=elvey + https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/255732629?searchTerm=elvey + https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233229895?searchTerm=elvey
- original Murchison newspaper from which the above was taken https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233229679?searchTerm=elvey
- his finds around Cue 1893 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3051424?searchTerm=elvey
- his accident around Cue in 1893 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211602488?searchTerm=elvey
- Coongan River gold 1891 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/260938185?searchTerm=elvey
- Pilbara murder case 1890 involvement https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3132172?searchTerm=elvey
- Cambridge Gulf gold discoveries 1886 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3159607?searchTerm=elvey
- Taken off Palmerston electoral roll as reported having left the district 1886 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3160558?searchTerm=elvey
- possible trouble with Aboriginals near the Roper River in NT 1884 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47994274?searchTerm=elvey
- proposal to look for gold between the Alligator and Mary Rivers 1884 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47991661?searchTerm=elvey
- Appointment as an official starter and steward at the Port Darwin Annual Races in 1881 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3132172?searchTerm=elvey
- Collett’s Creek NT Hotel licence (Travellers Rest Hotel) granted 1877 to Elvey https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3145813?searchTerm=elvey
- Was a steward at the Pine Creek Races January 1876 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3144688?searchTerm=elvey
- Mention of Leonard Elvey’s other name Henry Seward https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3143968?searchTerm=elvey
- Doing a rescue near Day Waters July 1874 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235899803?searchTerm=elvey + https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1386115?searchTerm=elvey + https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75468934?searchTerm=elvey
Moya Sharp
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