From the Kalgoorlie Miner, 27th Jan 1921
News was received today from Menzies of a sad fatality which occurred at Mulline between Friday and Saturday. Wallace David Cocking, 11 years of age and son of Mr Joseph Sylvester Cocking, sandalwood contractor, was sent at 5am on Friday with an urgent message to his father. Mr Cocking’s camp was located 25 miles west of Mulline.
The boy had a supply of water with him on his bicycle. His father, who had been expecting the message, became uneasy at not receiving it and on Saturday started back to Mulline. About three-quarters of a mile from his camp, he noticed the tyre tracks of a bicycle which had turned back in the direction of Mulline, and becoming alarmed, he followed the tracks for some miles and found the bicycle on the road, but no sign of the boy. Darkness had set in, and he at once headed for Mulline, where he secured a search party. The Riverina mine car was dispatched to Menzies for the police and native trackers engaged, but before their arrival, the boy’s dead body was found on the roadside about 12 miles from Mulline. The boy’s body was brought back into the town.
Apparently, when within a mile of his father’s camp, the boy thought he had missed his way, and. turned back. At the inquest, after hearing the evidence of the parents and Sydney Jessen, the following verdict was recorded: that death was due to sunstroke and exposure. The shade temperature on that Friday was 112 degrees.
Death and Notice Bereavement
This story was sent to me by Laurel Nowland, whose father was the younger brother of Wallace Cocking. The family story says that the unfortunate lad was sent on what he thought was an important mission to deliver a telegram; it was later discovered that the letter was of no urgency. Wallace David Cocking is buried in the Mulline cemetery, Western Australia. His grave has recently been marked with a plaque by outbackgraves.org
The stricken family was not done with tragedy. Not long after Wallace’s death, the family moved to Cowaramup in the South West of Western Australia near Margaret River. Joseph Cocking and his oldest son took up a farm, and Joseph opened a blacksmith’s shop. He would often travel back and forwards to the Wiluna area prospecting. He had just returned after one such trip after an absence of several months. He was walking over the fields of his son’s farm when he was gored by a bull. A Mr Gallagher, according to newspaper reports, beat the bull back with a broken cart shaft at great personal risk, but Mr Cocking had already sustained serious injury to his legs and back. Mr Cocking was taken to the Margaret River hospital, but gas gangrene set in quickly, and he passed away the following Thursday. He was only 53 years old. This final blow was to undermine his wife Catherine’s health, and she moved to Busselton with her two youngest children.
Western Mail 16 March 1933, page 18
Catherine Cocking, nee McAliece, was to pass away herself less than three years later in Jul 1935, they say, from a broken heart. She left behind her children, Joseph, Thomas, Stephen, John and Harold. She also had two daughters, Margaret and Olive. She is buried in the Busselton Cemetery, where Joseph was also buried, but not in the same grave. Both Joseph and Catherine were from Victoria.
Busselton Cemetery – Joseph Cocking – Image Find a Grave
Moya Sharp
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