Pioneers of Southern Cross – Grave Tales

If you have ever traveled by road to or from Kalgoorlie to Perth, you will no doubt have passed through Southern Cross. At the entrance to the town (from the Kalgoorlie side) you may have noticed a large stone with a plaque and several cemetery headstones arranged in a semi circle around it.  These are the memorials from the graves of some of the early pioneers of the Southern Cross District and have been gathered together from various places nearby and brought into town to preserve them and to allow them to be seen by visitors. It is a most attractive display and great care has been made to arrange them in a way to make them last for another 100 years or more.

Southern Cross Pioneer Memorial

Photographs of each headstone and of the plaques can be viewed on my web site @ – https://www.outbackfamilyhistory.com.au/records/record.php?record_id=752

However in the case of Louis Thompson ROSE who died on the 23. Dec 1895, a reader, Mrs Evelyn Mitchell, has sent me the following newspaper article printed in Malmsbury Victoria (date unknown) she says:- ‘The Mr J Young, mentioned in the report, is the future father of a little baby who is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery’

MALMSBURY

Louis Thompson ROSE Southern Cr

Death at Southern Cross – Mrs William Rose of Malmsbury is the unfortunate recipient of a communication from the curator of intestate estates Perth WA, conveying the sad intelligence that her third son, Louis Thompson Rose had succumbed to the ravages of Typhoid fever in the Government Hospital in Southern Cross on the 23rd December. The young man who was only 20 years of age, left Malmsbury in October last, and a letter received from him on the 1st December – his latest communication – conveyed the impression that he was well, happy and prosperous. At that time the deceased was engaged carrying on the road at the head of the line near Kalgoorlie. A cousin, Mr J Young, who saw him start work, came to Malmsbury for a brief respite and has just returned to Western Australia but will not reach his destination for some days. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs Rose and family who are well known an respected in their bereavement.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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