The Death of Father Long –

THE LATE REV FATHER LONG

A telegraphic message was published    the Kalgoorlie Miner of May 18th to the effect that the Rev Father Long had succumbed to an attack of typhoid fever in Perth on the previous day. The death of the rev gentleman forms the closing chapter of one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the goldfields of Western Australia. No doubt all the details of the affair are yet fresh in the minds of the readers of this journal, but a brief resume will not be out of place.

The Rev Dennis Paul Long – Parish Priest at Kanowna – Coolgardie Pioneer 29 May 1897, page 19

Early in July, 1898, the late Father Long made a statement to the effect that he had seen a nugget in the shape of a sickle which he estimated to weigh considerably over 95 lbs in the possession of two residents of Kanowna. At that period the Kanowna deep leads were commencing to show the effect of the tremendous amount of labour and capital which had been spent on them. Consequently the news that such an immense slug had been unearthed set everybody on the ‘qui vive’. A deputation waited on the rev gentleman, and in reply he reiterated the statement that he had seen the slug, but that he had pledged himself to secrecy as to the locality. This added fuel to the fire, and dryblowers from all parts of the field commenced to pour into the township. The country round about was thoroughly searched but no trace could be found of the supposed locality, and another deputation approached Father Long.

The Sacred Nugget Hoax – The Sickle Nugget

In reply to this one, Father Long promised to disclose the locality in three weeks if the owners did not reveal it beforehand. As the day approached the population of Kanowna increased by leaps and bounds and it is estimated that on the afternoon on which the deceased gentleman made his statement from the balcony of the Criterion Hotel the crowd in front numbered fully 10,000. Prior to making the statement Father Long extracted a promise from those present that after hearing the statement they would cease from troubling him. This was assented to by a show of hands, but the directions as to the alleged locality of the nugget were so vague that it remains a mystery to this date. A view of the crowd in front of the Criterion Hotel on that occasion appears below.

The Late father Long’s Biggest Audience.

Father Long was soon after removed from Kanowna and, although he was then a fine, young, healthy man, he was dead within a few months. Poor Father Long, he had really seen the gold in the shape of the sickle, but had got a wrong interpretation of it?

Rev Dennis Paul Long was only 26yrs of age at the time of his death in May 1899. he is buriwd in the East Perth Cemetery. He was born in Cork Ireland and was Ordained at All Hallows College Dublin on the 24th Jun 1895. He arrived in Western Australia on the SS Oruba on the 27th Nov 1895. He has no headstone and no exact grave location.